Giants 'a long shot' to sign Moncada

One of these days, the Giants will play the long con and it will work beautifully. They'll say "We're not signing Player Q. There's just no way," and then they'll sign Player Q. At the press conference, the GM will say, "Well, we can't tell you we're going to sign him and raise expectations, then whiff." Everyone will laugh.

This will not be the case with Cuban sensation Yoan Moncada. General Manager Brian Sabean said as much to reporters at the pre-FanFest media session.

Sabean on Moncada: "We've scouted him heavily but it would be a long shot for us to sign someone like that at this time."

— Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) February 6, 2015

The good news is that the Dodgers are reportedly strong favorites for Moncada. Wait, that's not good ... no, the good news is that the Padres are reportedly favorites for James Shields. Dammit, that's not ...

This is it, then. This is the offseason. Back in December, I tried to convince you that the Giants weren't cheap.

If the Giants end the offseason with Romo, Casey McGehee, and Ryan Vogelsong, I'll be upset. Disappointed. Completely underwhelmed.

That was on December 18, a day after the Giants re-signed Romo. Two days later, the Giants traded for McGehee. A month later, they re-signed Ryan Vogelsong. Offseasons are supposed to be unpredictable, you weirdos. Unpredictable.

We're here in that future, though, and I am underwhelmed. A touch disappointed, sure. Not angry, though. Maybe the photogenic allure of Norichika Aoki absolves a lot of sins. Or maybe, absent any actual games, the World Series high is still mellowing me out.

I really wanted Moncada, though. In part to keep him away from the Dodgers, but mostly to give the Giants an immediate farm boost. It might be two years before Moncada is up, but I wanted to track that progress. Prospects are fun. Occasionally, they win championships! Even if they don't, though, it's fun to follow them up to the majors. It's not my $80 million.

It is someone's $80 million, though. In the Giants' case, there are several someones, and they would all have to kick in about $2 million in a way that's not so abstract. Paying that much for a player who probably won't see AT&T Park for a couple years has to be a tough sell to the same ownership group that made Sabean choose between Michael Tucker and a draft pick.

Everybody start focusing on ...

/spins wheel of Cubans

Hector Olivera. Hey, he can play the infield in 2015. That's much more exciting than some lousy blue-chip prospect, right? Gimme Olivera, Giants. The rest of the NL West is about to improve a great deal. Just give us the Olivera, and nobody's feelings get hurt, okay?