Giants Make Trades For Offensive Upgrade

The Giants made two deals this week, adding two solid right-handed bats to an offense that was really struggling to score runs to start the second half.

On Monday afternoon, the Giants dealt one of their better pitching prospects in the minors (Scott Barnes) to the Cleveland Indians for their first basemen, Ryan Garko. They followed that move up by sending their number 2 pitching prospect in the organization, Tim Alderson, to Pittsburgh for oft-injured all-star second basemen, Freddy Sanchez. I do like the Garko move, as it brings the Giants a solid right-handed bat that will hit for a respectable average and has developing power. He's 28 years old, just entering his prime, and is quietly putting together another solid season. He's didn't play full-time at first base with the Indians, as they play Victor Martinez there with regularity, and was hitting .285 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI in just 239 at-bats. Those numbers projected out over the course of a typical 600 at-bat season look pretty good (30 HR, 109 RBI) and I expect him to have a nice second half with the Giants. He's also not scheduled to become free agent until after the 2012 season, so he should be around for a while and won't be too expensive. Garko isn't a game-changing offensive force, but a nice complementary player with a continuously developing offensive game.

Freddy Sanchez is also a nice player, but I just don't think he was worth a guy who potentially could become an ace 5-7 years down the line, and Alderson is that type of talent. I could be wrong, but I think the Giants could have used Alderson to get themselves a really good player, someone like Prince Fielder or maybe Victor Martinez. But the deal is done now, and all we can do is hope for the best with Freddy. He is a solid hitting 2nd basemen who's right at .300 for his career. He's also going to pick it clean at second which will strengthen the Giants up the middle defensively. I did feel that the Giants needed at least two solid bats to add to their lineup for the stretch drive, and the addition of Garko and Sanchez does give them the two more sticks that could make the difference. Sanchez is battling a knee injury right now and may not suit up for the Giants until after the weekend, but when he does, he'll likely slot in to the second spot in the batting order with Garko 3 slots behind him in the 5 hole. Another positive on Sanchez is that he's not going anywhere anytime soon, as he's under contract through the 2010 season. The addition of both Garko and Sanchez will help them for the stretch drive and saves the Giants a couple of moves they'd likely need to have made this winter!

Note: We've talked about the Sanchez deal in length over @ The Giants Baseball Blog, so be sure to check there for more in-depth analysis on the deal. Also, I'm going to be on vacation in Southern California until Monday, August 2nd, and there probably won't be any posts between now and then (barring any big news). So check back in on Monday as we get ready to beging talking NFL training camp!

A's Get Value In Holliday Trade

Most of you are aware by now that Matt Holliday has been dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals for three prospects. However, not everyone is familiar with the guys the A's attained, so today we'll take a look at the three guys coming to Oakland!

First off, Billy Beane did a nice job in getting two of the Cardinals top-10 prospects for Matt Holliday, who kind of sleep walked through the first half of the year and was very mediocre. Add that to the fact that Holliday is a Scott Boras client and a free agent after the 2009 season, and I figured that the 29 year-old left-fielder would not have quite the market the A's had hoped for. However, Billy Beane dealt at the right time (in the midst of a Holliday hot streak) and landed the A's a couple of good youngsters. The top name of the three coming to the A's is the 13th overall pick from the 2008 draft, Brett Wallace. The powerful hitting third-basemen was the Cards' second ranked prospect coming into the year, behind only Colby Rasmus, and could find his way up to Oakland sometime in August. The 22-year old Marin native is hitting .289 with 11 homers and 35 RBI in 356 minor league at-bats this year and very well could be the A's third-baseman of the future.

The other two guys who the A's got in the deal aren't to shabby themselves. They got themselvess a potent right-handed arm in Clayton Mortensen (2007 supplemental pick), the Cards' #6 prospect coming into the season, and top starting pitcher. They also got a speedy, 21 year-old outfielder in Shane Peterson (2nd round pick in 2008). Mortensen wasn't quite dominating in AAA ball when acquired, but he's sporting a respectable 4.37 era to go with a 7-6 record and 82 strikeouts in 105 innings this year. Mortensen will report to Sacramento at first, but he could be the first of the three guys acquired to make their debut in Oakland. Peterson was hitting .296 with 7 home runs, 47 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 95 minor league contests in 2009. He was with the Cardinals AA team at the time of the trade, but also could report with the other two to the A's AAA team in Sacramento.

Matt Holliday Heating Up

The Oakland Athletics' big trade chip of the summer, Matt Holliday, has finally upped his play over the last week, and may end up bringing the A's something back in return at the trade deadline after all.

Just a couple of posts back, I talked about Holliday's disappointing season thus far, and how it's really throwing a wrench into Billy Beane's plan. However, since the start of the second half, Holliday has looked like a completely different ballplayer. In 7 games since the all-star break, Holliday is hitting .407 with 3 big flies and 11 RBI while sporting an OPS over 1.300. The recent hot streak has also put Matt Holliday back on the map as far as premium hitting options who should be available before the July 31st trade deadline. The St. Louis Cardinals, who've been keeping an eye on Holliday for a while know, seem to be the team with the most known interest. They have a bunch of young players who they could send back to Oakland, including Chris Duncan and Colby Rasmus. If I were Beane, I'd try and hold out for Rasmus, who very well could end up being the NL's Rookie of the Year if he keeps up his steady play in the second half. I know he's hitting in front of Albert Pujols, which is probably the best spot in any lineup in baseball to hit in, which has likely helped inflate some numbers. He's the kind of top prospect that the A's need to shoot for if they deal Holliday!

Another team that could have interest in Holliday over the next week are the Atlanta Braves. One guy who comes to mind right away as a guy who'd fit perfectly in Oakland and a guy who could likely be had is Yunel Escobar. The 26 year-old Cuban-defector is quietly becoming one of the best all around shortstops in baseball. As a matter of fact, outside of Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes, I don't know that there's another shortstop in the NL who I'd take over Escobar!

UPDATE!!! Matt Holliday has been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team that had the most apparent interest in the former Rockie. Details on the deal coming in Sunday's post!

Positives and Negatives of a Halladay Trade

The Toronto Blue Jays have there own deadline for any potential Roy Halladay trade and the Jays want to move Halladay before the the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline. JP Riccardi said Tuesday that if he isn't offered a proper package of players by July 28th, the American Leagues top pitcher would be staying put.

There has been a ton of fan and media speculation on the Giants front as to what it may cost to add Roy Halladay to Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain in the Giants rotation recently. If the Giants want Toronto's ace, it would probably cost them both Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson. I know you never can tell what your going to get with pitching prospects until they actually show up, but I really don't see it being worth it for the Giants to deal away two potential aces for a year and two months of Roy Halladay. If the Giants traded for Holladay with the plan in mind of signing him to an extension, then it would be tying up over 200 million dollars in two pitchers in their 30's (Barry Zito and Halladay) which would also cut into any funds they would have for signing a free agent hitter. Don't get me wrong though, adding Roy Halladay to the Giants rotation would be pretty darn scary, and probably put them in the playoffs this year, but they'd still be a team with some flaws, and wouldn't have the resources available to fix them.

A Halladay/Rios to the Giants deal is a little more intriguing on the Giants part. If they're going to have to part with Bumgarner and Alderson, then they should be able to get some offense in return. Rios hasn't had his greatest offensive showing over the last year and a half, but he's just entering his prime, has that solid combo of speed and power, and is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball. He's the type of guy they need to get in the middle of this lineup to help out Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina. Roy Halladay is a great pitcher and would help out anybodies rotation and probably be enough for this Giants team to make the playoffs in 2009, but in the long-term, the Giants need to save their resources for that bat or two that they're going to eventually need to make them serious contenders.

49ers' Offseason Review

About a week ago, we broke down and reviewed what transpired across the bay with the Raiders this spring and summer, and today we'll do the same for the 49ers.

The 49ers had an overall quiet, uneventful off-season for the most part. They're big move came in the draft, as they selected quite possibly the next San Francisco receiving great in Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree. The Niners aren't going to just hand Crabtree a starting receiving job, but I fully expect to see him on the field more times than not when the Niners are on offense. The team also added some depth to their offensive backfield with the drafting of halfback Glen Coffee (who could end up being the primary back-up to Frank Gore) and quarterback Nate Davis, who team officials believe can be a success at this level. Two other 49ers draftees that didn't get any headlines but may make some noise down the line are former Fresno St. tight end Bear Pascoe and former Pitt. linebacker Scott McKillop. The Mckillop was ranked as the 8th best inside linebacker in the draft, and won Big East defensive player of the year honors. He's a tackling machine (151 tackles in 2007; 137 in 2008) and should learn well behind Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes. Pascoe played in a high powered offense in college and is a very good blocker with solid hands.

The Niners also made a couple of free agent signings over the last 2 months as well, although none were too earth-shattering. Dre' Bly was added as soon as the team got news that their starting corner from the last 2 seasons, Walt Harris, would likley miss the season with an injury. The Niners shouldn't miss much with Bly taking Harris' spot, as both are very similar style defenders with very good ball instincts. The Niners' also added to their quarterback depth, adding former Chief Damon Huard to back up Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. The two adds that could make the biggest difference for the Niners offense though was the re-signing of full-back Moran Norris and the addition of tackle Marvel Smith. Frank Gore was at his best running behind the path-clearer, and with the Niners reverting back to their power run game behind Mike Singletary, bringing in a bruising full-back was a must. Smith should provide stability to the offensive line if he can stay healthy, as he was a key cog on the Steelers' O-line over the last 9 seasons, which was one of the best O-line's in the game over that period of time. If his back stays strong, the 49ers O-line will be much improved.

Overall, I'd have to deem the 49ers offseason a success. They didn't lose anyone too important to the team, and added some guys that could pay huge dividends. However, they still have some questions, especially on offense, as training camp approaches (less than 2 weeks away). One of which surrounds teams starting quarterback. Will it be the polished game-manager and winner Shaun Hill or the young guy with loads of potential who's yet to pan out in Alex Smith? Also, how will the a Niners receiving corps, which all of the sudden has options, pan out? Youngsters Josh Morgan and Michael Crabtree will likely join Issac Bruce as the teams top 3 guys on the depth chart, but they also have veterans Arnaz Battle and the newly-signed Brandon Jones who will want some time on the field and some passes thrown in their direction. I look forward to seeing how these things transpire throughout camp and into the pre-season!

Holliday Struggling in Oakland

I'm sure Billy Beane and Co. had a much different vision in mind when they dealt a group of solid young players to the Rockies for Matt Holliday over the winter. The former NL batting champion and all-star has had a rough first half in the new league and the Oakland A's are running out of time and options with the potential free-agent.

The A's have been a disappointment this year and nowhere near a playoff team as their second half gets underway Thursday. A big reason for their struggles has been the under-performance from Matt Holliday. Since Holliday is a free agent after the year, and the A's have no future plans for him, they have no need to keep him past the July 31st trade deadline. Coming into the year, Billy Beane had a plan for Holliday; Either they're close at the deadline and Holliday stays, or they're out of it, and they can turn Holliday into another group of top, young prospects. In that plan of his though, I'm sure Beane figured Holliday would be on pace for his normal .300, 30 HR, 100 RBI season, regardless of what the A's win-loss record looked like. However, the left-fielder hasn't performed up to expectations, and his trade value is at an all-time low because of it. Add to it the fact that he's represented by Scott Boras, and the A's are really in a no-win situation with Holliday. Nobody is going to give up a two of their top prospects for a potential free-agent who's hitting just .270 with mediocre power (8 home runs) and RBI (43) numbers. So, what's the best case scenario for the A's as they go forward with their plannings for Holliday? Probably just hang on to him.

I'm sure if Beane could take the deal back and go forward with Carlos Gonzalez, Greg Smith and Huston Street ( the prominent three he gave up for the left fielder), he'd do it in a heartbeat. He's going to be hard-pressed to find a taker for Holliday in which he lands just one top-3 prospect from someones organization, let alone 2 top-5's and a Major League-caliber closer. So, unless Holliday starts ripping the cover off the ball and gets his average up to around his career mark at .315 while knocking balls out of the yard over the next 10 days, they're not going to get equal value for him in a trade. Therefor, the best thing they can do at this point is hang on to him, offer him arbitration after the season, and take the high compensation pick they'll get for him.

Who knows, their may still be some NL team that may take a chance on Holliday, hoping his return to NL will re-awaken his dormant bat, but I just don't see anyone giving up what the A's would want or even what they gave up for him. One team that had made it clear that they had interest in a deal for Holliday earlier in the year was the St. Louis Cardinal's, but they used a few of their bargaining chips to acquire Mark DeRosa from Cleveland in early June. The Giants are another team that could use a right-handed hitting outfielder, but Brian Sabean is well aware of Holliday's struggles outside of Coors Field and probably wouldn't give the A's much more than a couple of mid-level prospects for the left-fielder. And that's about all they can expect if they trade him.

MLB Mid-Season Awards

With the official half-way point in the MLB season upon us, I wanted to take a look at who's stuck out in the first half of the season by selecting who would win each of baseball's major awards if the season were to end today! So here we go:

AMERICAN LEAGUE AWARDS

AL MVP: Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins: Justin Morneau is on pace for a career year, and that's saying something, seeing as he's already won an AL MVP award (2006). One pace for a 40 home run, 135 RBI year, and he's hitting .312 to boot. His teammate, Joe Mauer, could also get some votes, as should Torri Hunter, Mark Teixeira and Evan Longoria.

AL Cy Young: Zack Grienke, Kansas City Royals: Grienke is having the best season out of any AL starter right now, and despite being snubbed for the AL all-star start, he shouldn't miss out on the Cy Young award if he has a second half that's close to matching his first half magic.

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics: Bailey has kind of come out of nowhere and taken reigns of the A's closer position. His 10 saves, 1.92 era and 60 strikeouts lead all major league rookie relievers. Should be a solid closer in Oakland for years to come.

Manager of the Year: Ron Washington, Texas Rangers: The former A's coach took a couple of seasons to get settled in Texas, but he's finally turning that franchise around, as they sit at 48-39, their best record they've had at an all-star break in many years. They're only 1.5 back of the Angels in what should be a tight division race down to the wire. Aaron Hill

Comeback P.O.Y.: Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays: After struggling through an injury plagued 2008 season in which he hit just .263 with 2 hr's and 20 RBI in 240 at-bats, he's bounced back and is having a career year. Amongst the AL leaders in home runs (20) and RBI (60) and has had his average right around .300 or better all year.

Rolaids Relief Man: Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins: Joe Nate just continues to dominate year in and year out. He's aging terrifically, as he's 34 years of age, but quite possibly putting together his best statistical season of his career. I still can't get over the trade that sent him, Liriano and Bonser to the Twins for that POS catcher.

NATIONAL LEAGUE AWARDS

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals: Forget just the mid-season award, I think it's pretty safe to say, unless he gets injured of course, that Pujoles will real in his third career NL MVP Award. The dude has put up numbers (.332 avg, 32 HR, 87 RBI, 73 R, 10 SB) that most stars, not just average players, but most all-stars would take over course of a full season. The best-right handed hitter I've seen on my 25 years on the planet.

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: Dan Haren is equally deserving, but Tim Lincecum has led his team atop the NL Wild Card standings and has earned himself the start for the National League in Tuesday's all-star game. Putting up even better numbers than the ones he won his first Cy Young award with last season. Again though, if Dan Haren's era and WHIP continue to drop, it would be hard to argue against him as well.

Rookie of the Year: Randy Wells, Chicago Cubs: Tommy Hanson and Andrew McCuthen have had nice first-halfs, but Wells has been a solid cog in the Cubbies pitching staff all season long and is sporting an impressive 2.72 era and 1.12 WHIP. He's only been credited with 4 wins do to lack of run support, and he's only had one bad start in 12 outings.

Manager of the Year: Bruce Bochy, San Francisco Giants: Boch has the Giants, a team everyone thought would struggle to make it to .500, atop the NL wild card standings and has led them to the second best record in the league at the break. He's been pushing all the right buttons in order to win ballgames and squeeze runs out of an average-at-best starting lineup.

Comeback P.O.Y.: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals: After missing most of the last two seasons due to a broken down elbow, Carpenter has returned back to his ace-like ways (7-3, 2.47 era, 0.87 WHIP with a 64:13 strikeout/walk ratio in his 83 innings pitched this year. In fact, there are some that feel he's throwing the ball better now than he did during his last healthy season in 2006.

Rolaids Relief Man: Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals: There's a reason why the Cards are atop a very deep division in the NL Central. Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter are doing what they do best, but the Cards have developed themselves an elite closer in Ryan Franklin aka "The Beard", and I think his steadiness has really made a difference in the standings. His 0.79 era and WHIP are by far the best in the league and he's tied for third in the NL in Saves. Heath Bell and K-Rod should also get some recognition.