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.