By my estimation, the Giants need one more positional starter with power (either in the infield or outfield), another starter in their rotation, and a backup catcher (who could also start half the games if need be) to fill out their roster if they hope to be playoff bound this year. Here’s a list of available candidates that the Giants could pursue via free agency. I’m by no means an expert, but this still a fun exercise.
Outfield:
Johnny Damon, LF
2009 team: New York Yankees
Opening Day age: 36
Projected contract: 2 years, $12-16 million
Odds: Good
2009 line: .282/.365/.489, 24 HRs, 82 RBI
Career line: .288/.355/.439
Damon would not only give San Francisco a decent bat for their lineup, but he could also leadoff because of his OBP potential. His defense is below-average, which could become a problem in the spacious AT&T Park, but it’s worth the risk. His batting line would probably mirror his career totals more than his numbers in New York last year, but that should be expected when a player goes from a hitters park to a pitchers one. He’s not the best available choice, but he wouldn’t be a bad one.
Jonny Gomes, LF, RF
2009 team: Cincinnati Reds
Opening Day age: 29
Projected contract: 1 year, $2-4 million
Odds: Poor
2009 line: .267/.338/.541, 20 HRs, 51 RBI
Career line: .241/.330/.471
Jonny Gomes probably won’t be a Giant this year, but he’s still worth mentioning. He can play both corner outfield spots (albeit poorly), and has enough power to hit 30+ homers if he started the entire season. That, however, is the problem. Gomes is a platoon player at best who won’t see more than 100 games or so. He’s poor against right-handers, but that may not be a problem if he were to platoon with someone who could handle lefties. Not a likely candidate for the Giants, but someone they shouldn’t rule out.
Rick Ankiel, CF, RF, LF
2009 team: St. Louis Cardinals
Opening Day age: 30
Projected contract: 1 year, $3-5 million
Odds: Decent
2009 line: .231/.285/.387, 11 HRs, 38 RBI
Career line: .251/.311/.452
The converted pitcher had an off year in ’09, but he has the potential to match his ’08 totals (.264/.337/.506, 25 HRs) if he stays healthy. According to UZR/150, he’s a decent corner outfielder and a mediocre center fielder. He could take over in left which would let San Francisco keep Aaron Rowand in center, or act as an uber-4th outfielder playing at all three spots. He’s injury prone, however, so he’s not one of my favorites.
Jermaine Dye, RF
2009 team: Chicago White Sox
Opening Day age: 36
Projected contract: 1 year, $4-6 million
Odds: Decent
2009 line: .250/.340/.453, 27 HRs, 81 RBI
Career line: .274/.338/.488
.302/.375/.567 and .179/.293/.297. Those are the Bay Area native’s splits for the first and second halves of last season. Dye has been criticized heavily for the second number, but it should be noted he still owns a .826 career OPS, and that’s something the Giants desperately need. He’s a horrible defender in right field, but his bat is worth well worth the risk. He’s stayed fairly healthy since 2003 when he missed 97 games with Oakland, averaging 144 games a season. San Francisco tried trading for Dye last year, but the Giants and White Sox couldn’t make the money part of the deal work. Hideki Matsui set the standard this off-season for DH-types, signing a one year, $6.5 million deal with the Angels in December. Dye can be had for cheap this season, and the Giants should take the opportunity to sign him.
Xavier Nady, RF, LF, 1B
2009 team: New York Yankees
Opening day age: 31
Projected contract: 1 year, $2-4 million
Odds: Poor
2009 line: .286/.310/.429, 0 HRs, 2 RBI
Career line: .280/.335/.458
Think of Nady as the younger, more injury-prone, slightly less powerful, and better fielder version of Jermaine Dye. Nady had a good 2008, hitting .305 with 25 HRs and 37 doubles. He was limited to only seven games last season, however, after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery on his right-elbow. There’s too much risk with Nady, and paying Damon or Dye seems like a better choice because they’re much more likely to play 145 games and hit for more power.
Infield:
Russell Branyan, 1B
2009 team: Seattle Mariners
Opening Day age: 34
Projected contract: 1 year, $4-6 million
Odds: Poor
2009 line: .251/.347/.520, 31 HRs, 76 RBI
Career line: .234/.331/.491
Branyan has only played 113 games or more in a season three times in his career. He does has considerable power, however; he hit 31 homers in only 116 games last year for the Mariners. 16 of those home runs came in Seattle, a well-known pitchers park. He’d fit right in at AT&T Park assuming he stays healthy. That, however, is a big assumption that the Giants can’t take and shouldn’t risk.
Adam LaRoche, 1B
2009 team: Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves
Opening Day age: 30
Projected contract: 2 years, $14-18 million
Odds: Good
2009 line: .277/.355/.488, 25 HRs, 83 RBI
Career line: .274/.343/.491
LaRoche supposedly already turned down a 2-year, $17 million offer from the Giants already this off-season. It’s hard to believe he could get a better deal then that considering only the Giants and Orioles are in great need for a corner infielder and have money to spend. I think there’s still a good chance he reconsiders and joins San Francisco. He’s in the prime of his career and would give the Giants exactly what they need: a power hitter at a decent rate and at a good age. It would also keep Pablo Sandoval at third base and push Mark DeRosa into the outfield (which I think is a good thing). LaRoche is a notoriously slow starter, but he’s extremely hot after the All Star game. Well worth it.
Others (highly unlikely)
Hank Blalock, 1B/3B
Mike Jacobs, 1B
Miguel Tejada, SS/3B
Blalock and Jacobs are better suited as DHs, and Tejada might be too pricey for the Giants considering his age. Johnny Damon seems like the most likely outfield option and ditto that for Adam LaRoche for the infield. Jermaine Dye wouldn’t be a surprise either, especially if he can be had for under $6 million for a single season.
Catchers:
Rod Barajas and Yorvit Torrealba, C
2009 team: Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies
Opening Day age: 34 and 31
Projected contract: 1 year, $3 million and 2 years, $4-5 million
Odds: Poor
Barajas has similar power to the now departed Bengie Molina, but with a worse batting average and OBP. He’d be a lot cheaper, however, and might even be had for just one year. Torrealba is a former Giant who was traded to Seattle in the Randy Winn deal back in 2005. He offers less power than Barajas, but actually has a higher OPS. They’re both average catchers, but San Francisco could use one of them. It seems unlikely that they will spend a lot on a catcher this year, however, and they might just go with a Buster Posey/Catcher B from the minors (Eli Whiteside, Jackson Williams, other?) platoon. I think they should sign a free agent backstop, but I’m not the GM so I’ll wait and see what Brian Sabean does.
Others: Brad Ausmus and Jose Molina as backups to Buster Posey.
Pitchers:
There a ton of available borderline 5th starters out there, such as Livan Hernandez, Rich Hill, Brett Myers, Vicente Padilla and injury-prone starters who have a higher upside but a much greater risk, including Erik Bedard and Ben Sheets. The last two names are also more expensive, and as with the catcher situation, San Francisco is unlikely to spend a lot on a 5th starter. Pitchers like Jon Garland or Joel Pineiro would be great inning-eaters, but they’d probably command at least $15-20 million over two years minimum.
They might start Madison Bumgarner in the majors opening day, behind a very strong rotation consisting of Tim Lincecum/Matt Cain/Barry Zito/Jonathan Sanchez. They also have some other internal options if they feel Bumgarner isn’t ready. If they add another bat and find a platoon mate at catcher the Giants could probably get away with a borderline 5th starter for the first couple of months until Bumgarner takes over.
Obviously this is all speculation and I’m not an insider like Buster Olney or Ken Rosenthal, but it’s fun to look a list of names nonetheless.
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