Former Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Pat Burrell has signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. Signing the former #1 overall pick is a mistake for the Giants organization. I have created a list of the Pros and Cons of Pat Burrell and what he brings to the Giants. There is also a poll on the right side of the page to voice your own opinion on the signing.
The Good:
- Because Pat Burrell was released by the Tampa Bay Rays, the Giants would only be responsible for paying the minimum salary. This would be less than $400,000. It would be the same financial situation as Brad Penny was last year.
- If not a starter, Pat Burrell would become one of the most feared pinch hitters in the National League.
- Pat Burrell went to high school in San Jose and would be coming "home" to play for the Giants
- Between the years 2001-2008 Burrell hit 21 or more homeruns. He averaged 29 homeruns during that span.
- Mark DeRosa will most likely not be able to finish out the season, and Burrell is a veteran presence that could help team in similar ways.
- Pat has a good eye, and walks a lot.
- Burrell is only 33 years old which isn't "old" in baseball terms.
The Bad:
- Pat Burrell owns a career .253 average.
- Last season, his first with Tampa Bay, Burrell batted .221 with 14 homeruns. By far his worst career numbers.
- This season Burrell was batting .202, with 28 strikeouts (33 K%), and hit only 2 homeruns
- Pat Burrell has never been good defensively. Spending the past 1+ year as a DH will have only lessened his defensive ability.
- Burrell is not fast, and isn't a great baserunner either.
- He would take a roster spot away and basically be used as a PH.
- In the Rays offense, Burrell was a bottom-of-the-order guy. With all the offensive talent around him in Tampa Bay, there was not much pressure for him to be the "big bat", but he still did not perform.
- He is widely known to be a streaky hitter
- His power numbers will go down playing at AT&T Park.
Overall:
I understand this signing is a low risk situation with not much to lose. However, I believe the negatives outweigh the positives. He's on the downside of his career and lacks consitency. Being able to pinch-hit in late game situations is nice, but he would be a liabilty on the base paths and with the glove. If he played in the outfield, he would be limited to left field. A streaky hitter that may get one at-bat per game is not worth a spot on the Giants roster.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Popping Zito's
Since Barry Zito has put on a Giants' uniform, he hasn't lived up to his infamous 7 year $126 million contract. That was until this season. Barry Zito has completely transformed himself in 2010.
By picking up a win today against the Astros, Zito has improved his record to 6-1. He now leads the San Francisco Giants in victories.
How many people thought that would happen?
Last season it took Barry Zito until July 23rd to reach 6 victories. Victories are not the only statistic that Zito has impressively improved on. He ranks 3rd in NL in W (6), ranks 7th in NL in ERA (2.15), and ranks 9th in NL in IP (54.1). To top it off, Barry Zito has only allowed one homerun this year.
The biggest improvement that seems to have taken place within Barry is that his curveball is back. The life and movement of the ball have returned. He is also pitching to his strengths as a contact-pitcher not trying to strike everyone out. In his last start, 30 pitches (30.9 percent) from Barry Zito were curveballs. That is a season-high amount of curveballs for Barry. However, all four of Zito's strikeouts came off of his fastball. This means he used his beautiful curveball to set-up his fastball.
In his first season as a Giant, Zito's fastball was between the low to mid-80s in miles per hour and averaged 84.5 mph. This season, his fastball is averaging over 86 miles per hour. A 1.5 Mile per hour increase may not seem like a lot, but it's definitely an improvement.
Also, this season Zito isn't as heavily relied on. Even though he has stated that he wants to be a top of the order guy, he doesn't have to be. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain begin the year as legit Cy Young candidates, while Jonathon Sanchez is now known throughout the league as one of the best pitchers. He is able to pitch without much pressure (which he did in Oakland because he pitched along with Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder), which despite what he says, caters to his laid-back attitude and approach.
The strides Barry Zito has made this year, compared to his previous years in a Giants' uniform will not go unnoticed.
By picking up a win today against the Astros, Zito has improved his record to 6-1. He now leads the San Francisco Giants in victories.
How many people thought that would happen?
Last season it took Barry Zito until July 23rd to reach 6 victories. Victories are not the only statistic that Zito has impressively improved on. He ranks 3rd in NL in W (6), ranks 7th in NL in ERA (2.15), and ranks 9th in NL in IP (54.1). To top it off, Barry Zito has only allowed one homerun this year.
The biggest improvement that seems to have taken place within Barry is that his curveball is back. The life and movement of the ball have returned. He is also pitching to his strengths as a contact-pitcher not trying to strike everyone out. In his last start, 30 pitches (30.9 percent) from Barry Zito were curveballs. That is a season-high amount of curveballs for Barry. However, all four of Zito's strikeouts came off of his fastball. This means he used his beautiful curveball to set-up his fastball.
In his first season as a Giant, Zito's fastball was between the low to mid-80s in miles per hour and averaged 84.5 mph. This season, his fastball is averaging over 86 miles per hour. A 1.5 Mile per hour increase may not seem like a lot, but it's definitely an improvement.
Also, this season Zito isn't as heavily relied on. Even though he has stated that he wants to be a top of the order guy, he doesn't have to be. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain begin the year as legit Cy Young candidates, while Jonathon Sanchez is now known throughout the league as one of the best pitchers. He is able to pitch without much pressure (which he did in Oakland because he pitched along with Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder), which despite what he says, caters to his laid-back attitude and approach.
The strides Barry Zito has made this year, compared to his previous years in a Giants' uniform will not go unnoticed.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Sanchez Nears Return
If all goes well, Freddy Sanchez could return to the San Francisco Giants on Monday. After signing his new two-year deal in the offseason, it will be the first chance to see him play. With the recent struggles the Giants have had offensively, Freddy Sanchez is exactly what the Giants need.
The most important thing Freddy Sanchez adds is consistency. He is an ideal #2 hitter in any lineup. He gets on base, gets timely hits, and can provide some extra-base hits. Before his injury last season, He was hitting .296, and ranked fifth in the major leagues in doubles. In 2006 he won National League Batting Title. His lifetime average is .299 and has been an All-Star three of the past four years.
The Giants are not a power driven offensive team. Freddy Sanchez fits into the system. Since Edgar Renteria has gone to the DL, Matt Downs has batted well. Downs' batting .283/.361/.434 is just slightly under what you would expect from Sanchez. However, Freddy has proven he can be relied on the whole year, while Downs is far from proven. And the sample size is minimal. In three games with high-Class A San Jose, Sanchez has gone 6-for-9 (.667) with six runs, five doubles, four RBIs and three walks. It's good to see that he hasn't rusted over the winter.
In at-bats, Freddy Sanchez sees a lot of pitches. His patience alone can cause stress to an opposing pitchers. Not to mention, his presence of as a baserunner can cause additional stress. Stress for the opposing pitcher can lead to higher pitch counts, more mistakes, and runs scored. Furthermore, Sanchez will be hitting in front of Pablo Sandoval, and should see plenty of good pitches to hit.
Although Sanchez is not as fast as most athletes his size, he makes up for it defensively. Due to his recent knee injury, his range may not be as great as it was, but it's still good. Juan Uribe, or Matt Downs can be defense liabilities. While with Sanchez you never have to worry about his defense.
Freddy Sanchez adds a lot to the team. The San Francisco Giants are getting a huge boost to their offense.
The most important thing Freddy Sanchez adds is consistency. He is an ideal #2 hitter in any lineup. He gets on base, gets timely hits, and can provide some extra-base hits. Before his injury last season, He was hitting .296, and ranked fifth in the major leagues in doubles. In 2006 he won National League Batting Title. His lifetime average is .299 and has been an All-Star three of the past four years.
The Giants are not a power driven offensive team. Freddy Sanchez fits into the system. Since Edgar Renteria has gone to the DL, Matt Downs has batted well. Downs' batting .283/.361/.434 is just slightly under what you would expect from Sanchez. However, Freddy has proven he can be relied on the whole year, while Downs is far from proven. And the sample size is minimal. In three games with high-Class A San Jose, Sanchez has gone 6-for-9 (.667) with six runs, five doubles, four RBIs and three walks. It's good to see that he hasn't rusted over the winter.
In at-bats, Freddy Sanchez sees a lot of pitches. His patience alone can cause stress to an opposing pitchers. Not to mention, his presence of as a baserunner can cause additional stress. Stress for the opposing pitcher can lead to higher pitch counts, more mistakes, and runs scored. Furthermore, Sanchez will be hitting in front of Pablo Sandoval, and should see plenty of good pitches to hit.
Although Sanchez is not as fast as most athletes his size, he makes up for it defensively. Due to his recent knee injury, his range may not be as great as it was, but it's still good. Juan Uribe, or Matt Downs can be defense liabilities. While with Sanchez you never have to worry about his defense.
Freddy Sanchez adds a lot to the team. The San Francisco Giants are getting a huge boost to their offense.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Fred Lewis Trade
This is an old post that I originally wrote nearly a month ago. I never got around to posting it, and noticing how much Fred Lewis is playing I now decided to publish the post.
The San Francisco Giants have traded outfielder Fred Lewis to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Trading Fred Lewis was bound to happen, and I know he wasn't always well liked by fans, but I am sad to see him go.
Simply, the Giants do not have room to keep Fred Lewis on their major league roster. He is also out of minor league options, so sending him to the minors would have placed him on waivers. Once on waivers, he would have definitely been picked up by another team. So, it was a wise decision to at least get something in return for Fred Lewis.
While in San Francisco, Fred Lewis had expectations set too high. He was the next African American Left Fielder after the Barry Bonds era. That alone put tons of pressure on him. He’s super athletic, fast, and just looks like he should be able to hit balls for miles. He was expected to hit 25+ homeruns, steal numerous bases, play above-average defense, and drive in runs. In 2009, he did not accomplish any of these things. Some people can not handle pressure, but when you're expected to do much more than realistically possible, it will surely get to your head.
Just one year ago, Fred Lewis was the opening day left fielder for the Giants. He was the team's #3 hitter, and was going to be the meat in the Giant's offense. However, he lost his starting job fairly early in the year. He was a highly talented prospect, and expected to show his full potential. Lewis did not. He batted .258, and more shockingly Fred only got 20 RBI's in nearly 300 at bats. His major flaw offensively was striking out, and he managed to do that last season. He did it 84 times, equalling nearly 30% of his at-bats. Defensively he did not always play with 100% effort, and at times did not seem interested in the games. Much of this I saw through his body language, but people express their body language differently.
Lewis is still only 29 years old, and his 2008 numbers were promising. He is not going to be a Hall of Famer, but is capable of being a solid starter in Major League Baseball. His athletic ability, and speed is still there. He walks a lot, and despite a bad year, he is far from reaching his maximum potential. I would rather have seen the Giants sent a player like John Bowker down to the minors in replace of trading Fred Lewis. Unfortunately, I do not make these decisions. I wish the best of luck to Fred Lewis in Toronto.
That was then.
Since, Lewis is batting .309, with 2 homeruns, 11 doubles, 13 RBI's, 14 Runs, 3 steals, and a .847 OPS. Consquently, he has become a starter in Toronto. I am glad to see Fred Lewis succeed.
The San Francisco Giants have traded outfielder Fred Lewis to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Trading Fred Lewis was bound to happen, and I know he wasn't always well liked by fans, but I am sad to see him go.
Simply, the Giants do not have room to keep Fred Lewis on their major league roster. He is also out of minor league options, so sending him to the minors would have placed him on waivers. Once on waivers, he would have definitely been picked up by another team. So, it was a wise decision to at least get something in return for Fred Lewis.
While in San Francisco, Fred Lewis had expectations set too high. He was the next African American Left Fielder after the Barry Bonds era. That alone put tons of pressure on him. He’s super athletic, fast, and just looks like he should be able to hit balls for miles. He was expected to hit 25+ homeruns, steal numerous bases, play above-average defense, and drive in runs. In 2009, he did not accomplish any of these things. Some people can not handle pressure, but when you're expected to do much more than realistically possible, it will surely get to your head.
Just one year ago, Fred Lewis was the opening day left fielder for the Giants. He was the team's #3 hitter, and was going to be the meat in the Giant's offense. However, he lost his starting job fairly early in the year. He was a highly talented prospect, and expected to show his full potential. Lewis did not. He batted .258, and more shockingly Fred only got 20 RBI's in nearly 300 at bats. His major flaw offensively was striking out, and he managed to do that last season. He did it 84 times, equalling nearly 30% of his at-bats. Defensively he did not always play with 100% effort, and at times did not seem interested in the games. Much of this I saw through his body language, but people express their body language differently.
Lewis is still only 29 years old, and his 2008 numbers were promising. He is not going to be a Hall of Famer, but is capable of being a solid starter in Major League Baseball. His athletic ability, and speed is still there. He walks a lot, and despite a bad year, he is far from reaching his maximum potential. I would rather have seen the Giants sent a player like John Bowker down to the minors in replace of trading Fred Lewis. Unfortunately, I do not make these decisions. I wish the best of luck to Fred Lewis in Toronto.
That was then.
Since, Lewis is batting .309, with 2 homeruns, 11 doubles, 13 RBI's, 14 Runs, 3 steals, and a .847 OPS. Consquently, he has become a starter in Toronto. I am glad to see Fred Lewis succeed.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The Series: Florida Marlins
I would like to apologize for this being late. I am fried, and quite frankly tired from multiple AP tests and trying to finish up my plans for college. With the being said, I did not want to miss writing on here. Plus it's always better to be late than never.
The San Francisco Giants swept the Florida Marlins ending a three series pattern of failing to complete the sweep.
With Todd Wellemeyer skipping a start previous scheduled in the series the starting pitching was magnificent. Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Matt Cain each went seven strong innings in each game of the series. Together, Giants starters combined to allow six runs in 21 innings -- an ERA of 2.57. Zito improved his record to 5-0, while lowering his ERA to 1.49. His 5-0 record is the best start he has had in his career. On ESPN I saw a statistic that said that opponents have only hit 1 ball off Zito's curveball all season long. Barry is really in the groove to begin the year.
Bengie Molina, who has batted 6th in the Giants' lineup all season long is now batting 4th. Bengie has been producing very well lower in the order so it should be interesting to see how he handles the additional pressure. Huff, and DeRosa are now lower in the everyday lineup.
Nate Schierholtz has been incredibly hot lately. He missed the second game of the series because he was hit by a pitch in the earlier game. He bounced back nicely hitting a homer, and going 3-3 for the game. He also stole a base, his third of the year. Nate is the fastest everyday player the Giants have. With his speed, Schierholtz could be a great base stealing asset for the Giants. On hitter who has been impressive is Matt Downs. Since being called up he has batted .400 and has been sharp defensively.
The San Francisco Giants share the National Leagues best record. The team is now currently playing the New York Mets.
The San Francisco Giants swept the Florida Marlins ending a three series pattern of failing to complete the sweep.
With Todd Wellemeyer skipping a start previous scheduled in the series the starting pitching was magnificent. Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Matt Cain each went seven strong innings in each game of the series. Together, Giants starters combined to allow six runs in 21 innings -- an ERA of 2.57. Zito improved his record to 5-0, while lowering his ERA to 1.49. His 5-0 record is the best start he has had in his career. On ESPN I saw a statistic that said that opponents have only hit 1 ball off Zito's curveball all season long. Barry is really in the groove to begin the year.
Bengie Molina, who has batted 6th in the Giants' lineup all season long is now batting 4th. Bengie has been producing very well lower in the order so it should be interesting to see how he handles the additional pressure. Huff, and DeRosa are now lower in the everyday lineup.
Nate Schierholtz has been incredibly hot lately. He missed the second game of the series because he was hit by a pitch in the earlier game. He bounced back nicely hitting a homer, and going 3-3 for the game. He also stole a base, his third of the year. Nate is the fastest everyday player the Giants have. With his speed, Schierholtz could be a great base stealing asset for the Giants. On hitter who has been impressive is Matt Downs. Since being called up he has batted .400 and has been sharp defensively.
The San Francisco Giants share the National Leagues best record. The team is now currently playing the New York Mets.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Series: Colorado Rockies
The San Francisco Giants followed a recent trend against the Rockies. In the past past three series, the team has won the first two games of a series before losing the series finale. Overall, San Francisco went 6-3 on a homestand playing only against 2009 playoff teams St. Louis, Philadelphia and the Rockies.
Pitching once again led the Giants to a winning series. Matt Cain picked up his first win of the season in a dominating game two performance. Cain pitched 8 innings of 1 hit ball, and completely dominated the game. He ran his pitch count up early, but fatigue was never a factor. In those 8 innings, Matt stroke out a season-high 8 batters, and did not allow a run. In the Giants other win of the series, Barry Zito had a similar performance. In 8 innings, Zito allowed two runs, and appears to be in his top form. Zito is 4-0 on the year and his curveball is as sharp as it has ever been. This is an excellent sign for both Barry, and the Giants.
Aubrey Huff also had a big series. He picked up an extra base hit in each game, including two homers. Huff entered the series batting .227, and left it batting .271. He, along with Pablo Sandoval lead the team in BB's with 10. Having Pablo being able to control his swing shows his maturity, and that he is improving over weaknesses in his game. Mark DeRosa who isn't hitting well offensively is still managing to show his excellent plate discipline recording 9 walks. Adding DeRosa and Huff in the off season has helped the Giants in a category the team struggled tremendously with last season.
I would like to give a big shoutout fans to all fans of the San Francisco Giants. According to a national study by the Nielsen Company, the Giants have the most positive buzz on the internet. They are the "sentimental" favorite team among baseball. The Oakland Athletics are second on the list. Here is a link to the study: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/giants-as-tops-among-baseballs-sentimental-favorites/
San Francisco will now Florida Marlins in their next series. Tim Lincecum will start the series, meaning Todd Wellemeyer's turn in the rotation has been skipped. The Giants' starting staff boasts a 2.59 ERA, which includes Wellemeyer's 6.33 ERA as a starter. Last season, the San Francisco Giants were 4-3 against the Marlins.
Pitching once again led the Giants to a winning series. Matt Cain picked up his first win of the season in a dominating game two performance. Cain pitched 8 innings of 1 hit ball, and completely dominated the game. He ran his pitch count up early, but fatigue was never a factor. In those 8 innings, Matt stroke out a season-high 8 batters, and did not allow a run. In the Giants other win of the series, Barry Zito had a similar performance. In 8 innings, Zito allowed two runs, and appears to be in his top form. Zito is 4-0 on the year and his curveball is as sharp as it has ever been. This is an excellent sign for both Barry, and the Giants.
Aubrey Huff also had a big series. He picked up an extra base hit in each game, including two homers. Huff entered the series batting .227, and left it batting .271. He, along with Pablo Sandoval lead the team in BB's with 10. Having Pablo being able to control his swing shows his maturity, and that he is improving over weaknesses in his game. Mark DeRosa who isn't hitting well offensively is still managing to show his excellent plate discipline recording 9 walks. Adding DeRosa and Huff in the off season has helped the Giants in a category the team struggled tremendously with last season.
I would like to give a big shoutout fans to all fans of the San Francisco Giants. According to a national study by the Nielsen Company, the Giants have the most positive buzz on the internet. They are the "sentimental" favorite team among baseball. The Oakland Athletics are second on the list. Here is a link to the study: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/giants-as-tops-among-baseballs-sentimental-favorites/
San Francisco will now Florida Marlins in their next series. Tim Lincecum will start the series, meaning Todd Wellemeyer's turn in the rotation has been skipped. The Giants' starting staff boasts a 2.59 ERA, which includes Wellemeyer's 6.33 ERA as a starter. Last season, the San Francisco Giants were 4-3 against the Marlins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)