The Giants Need For A Bat

The past season was the first time for years the Giants had a realistic shot at the postseason. Barry Zito showed signs of his former self, and Cain improved considerably. Tim Lincecum remained the league's best pitcher, and the Giants bullpen was one of the best in the league. Much of the Giants pitching staff will remain for this year and from that alone will have a great shot at the postseason. However, a great shot is far from a spot in the playoffs. If they want a chance of making the playoffs this coming year they will need a big free agent acquisition. Brian Sabean, the Giants GM, has said that he does not plan on going after one of the two elite outfielders in this year's free agent class, Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. But I believe they need too.

The Giants have shown interest in "second tier" talent but that will not improve they offense of the team by much. Many of these players are already in or past their mid 30's and are on the decline of their career. Not to mention they were all playing in contract years. A few minimal upgrades are not going to improve the team as much as a big player would. Some of the "second tier" talent in the past few seasons that the Giants have acquired are: Edgar Renteria, Ryan Garko, Dave Roberts, and Juan Uribe. Some of these players have worked, some haven't, but it's obvious you are taking a chance with a player like that. With Randy Winn, and Randy Johnson both leaving San Francisco, the Giants will have the money to sign one of the elite players.

Out of the two free agents, I would perfer Jason Bay as a Giant. I think Matt Holliday is a better player, however he is much more likely to get more money and years in a contract than Jason Bay would. Matt Holliday is also not great away from hitter's ballparks, where his numbers drop tremdinously. Jason Bay is more of a complete player in my mind. Scott Boras, the agent for Matt Holliday, has called Holliday the elite talent in the free agency market, while the agent for Jason Bay has compared his client to Holliday. Holliday who is 29, is two years younger than Jason Bay really finished off the year incredibly well. Defensively, each outfielder is decent at their posistions, but none is outstanding. Offensively is where these two players are special.

In 2009 Jason Bay hit 36 homers, 119 RBI's, however his average was down, batting only .267. However, he drew nearly 100 walks, a stat the Giants were last in the league in. Jason Bay's slumped in the middle of the season really affected his batting average. Holliday hit .313, 24 homers, and 109 RBI's in a season split between the A's and the Cardinals. Homerun totals will be expected to drop a little after a move to the bay area, but they should still remain high.

The Giants need an impact bat if they want to contend for a playoff spot. Bengie Molina, who had 20 home runs and was the Giants #4 hitter is most likely going to leave the team due to free agency. Pablo Sandoval is only 23 years old and you can not expect him to be able to carry the team offensively like he did much of last season. A 3-4 punch in the lineup of Sandoval-Bay would give the Giants a great chance in every game. With Bay batting behind Pablo, The Panda will see better pitches to swing at and should be able to better control his free swinging tendencies.

Signing an elite outfielder needs to be a priority for the Giants. They will vastly improve a struggling offense, and together with Pablo Sandoval will be one of the best 3-4 punches in the league. If the Giants sign a big bat, pressure will be put off the shoulders of the pitching staff and their playoff chances will greatly improve.