by JdEarly » Fri Dec 09, 2005 3:38 pm
I have actually really enjoyed all of the trade activity going on this winter. I remember being in my early teens (early 90's) and waking up every morning to grab the sports section out of the paper and see what happened the day before - you know, before everyone had the internet installed in every electrical appliance in their homes.
I think that Soriano to the Nationals makes a lot of sense, especially if someone can convince him that it's okay to take a couple of pitches. Walk a little, Fonsie. The rest of his game will really give their mostly stagnant offense a boost.
The Mets are looking really good right now, but then again, I thought they would take it last season when they snatched up Pedro and Beltran. Hard to call a New York team an underdog, but I have to admit that knocking the Braves off the top of the mountain is going to be pretty tough.
The Orioles bringing in Leo Mazzone as pitching coach could pay huge dividends - someone needs to teach the O's arms how to get it done, because that powerful offense they used to have just isn't going to get it done forever. Not that 4th place every year is "getting it done." I think it will be interesting to see how much their pitching improves.
I am, however, frustrated with my Giants. They've got a quarter of their payroll still sunk into Y A, and there is no guarantee that he'll be the same hitter as before. "We're hoping to have him on the field for 120 games." I'm hoping for a dynamic younger player in left field for a quarter of the price, with a glove and an arm, who could chip in 25-30 homers and a .300 average. Yeah, I know, sounds like a young... um... Barry Bonds. I can dream, can't I?
- Moises Alou is also going to be sitting about 1/4 of the season, which will make the offense pretty flimsy.
-Mark Sweeney at first base, after letting J.T. Snow walk? Come on! Sweeney is no slouch, I will admit that - but if your team is going to be as bad as the Giants look to be, why not get one more year out of a fan favorite like Snow (another 120 game player, if that) and hit the free agent market in a Met-like way next year when Barry, Durham, Alfonzo and a few others come off the books? Letting J.T. walk was a bad move, even with his productive days behind him.
-I keep reading that Matt Morris is "on the Giants radar." Why? He's Brett Tomko with a bigger paycheck, and that's not what the Giants need to compete. Spending more money for basically the same player doesn't give the illusion of "trying," no matter how you swing it.
-I am, however, interested in seeing how the Hawkins/Benitez tandem fairs at the end of games next season. If Benitez is healthy and Hawkins isn't allowing three run bombs in a pitchers park, the 8th and 9th innings could look pretty good.
All in all, the Giants only hope is that the rest of the division sticks around at the mediocre level of this past season, and maybe they can back into the playoffs the way the Padres did. Not likely, but I can dream.