Kuzul

The Giants offense has been lifeless over the past week and now, their best offensive threat is injured.  Third baseman Pablo Sandoval broke the hamate bone in his right hand while taking a swing in Washington on Friday and will have surgery to remove it this Tuesday in Arizona.  He will likely miss at least 4-6 weeks, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The injury to Sandoval couldn’t come at a worse time for a Giants lineup that is struggling to score runs.  The Giants have been shutout twice in the past four games and many of their key hitters currently have batting averages in the low .200s.

Ryan Rohlinger, who got some playing time with the Giants last season, has been called up from Triple-A Fresno and should be with the club for Sunday’s game against the Nationals.  On Saturday, Bruce Bochy moved Miguel Tejada, who has played the last several years at third base, to the hot corner and gave Mike Fontenot a start at shortstop.

After their dismal offensive start to the current ten-game road trip, questions arose about what the Giants need to do to wake up at the plate.  Now those questions will only intensify, as the Giants’ leading hitter, Sandoval, is out for at least a month.

One of the questions that is certain to come up is whether the Giants should recall Brandon Belt, who was sent down to Fresno to work on what has been called a minor tweak needed for him to square up fastballs.  Belt, since being sent back to Triple-A, is hitting .429 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI’s in just five games.

It appears that Belt has made the minor adjustment to his swing and, from all accounts, he looked to be a very patient hitter at the plate during his 17 games with the Giants, walking eight times in 52 at-bats.  His high strikeout total and lack of productivity when swinging, however, led to his demotion to Fresno.

The Giants will need to give serious thought to the idea of bringing Belt back to bolster a lineup that is in dire need of new blood.  Last season, when Buster Posey was called up from Fresno in May, his presence gave the Giants a spark that led to a remarkable turnaround, from a .500 ballclub just prior to the All-Star break to a postseason berth and eventually, a world championship.

Perhaps what this club needs now is another infusion of new blood in the form of Brandon Belt’s bat.

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Last night was my first night at the yard in 2011. I failed at going to the park in 2010, only attending five Giants games in one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory, three of which were in Washington, D.C. against the Nationals.

But last night I was at the yard, and I saw something (two things, actually) that reminded me of something that the Giants didn’t have until last year: power. 

Let’s look at the last few years: (NL rank) [MLB rank]

2007: 131 HRs (14) [25]. The last year with Barry Bonds.

2008: 94 HRs (16) [30]. The only team with under 100 homers.

2009: 122 HRs (15) [29]. The number one team had twice as many (New York Yankees, 244).

2010: 162 HRs (6) [11] The same amount as Texas, who was “the best offensive team” in 2010.

You lose Barry Bonds, you lose a lot of power. But even before then, Giants fans were always clamoring for someone else to hit home runs around Barry Bonds. There was no more Moises Alou or Jeff Kent to back him up. And then he left. 

The Giants sure fell in love with the long ball last year though, and they really stressed that they couldn’t rely on it this year to win games. The first few wins of this homestand didn’t need the home runs, but instead were all about “keeping the line moving” and getting runs home. None of them were walk-off home runs, but walk-off hits. 

Last night the Giants fans were treated to two home runs that got them back in the game, and then ahead. I’ll admit, I was already taking a lot of flak from all the Dodger fans that I was with when Barajas hit his homer, and was not expecting back-to-back jacks from Pablo Sandoval and Mike Fontenot in the slightest. 

But then the Panda hit one high and deep to left-center and (from our seats, at least) it barely cleared the wall, giving an Ian Kinsler-esque bounce that went the right way. And then Mike Fontenot, who hit one home run in 2010, stepped up to the plate. He looked like a bat boy when getting his high-fives, AFTER he took Ted Lilly way over the Willie Mays Wall in right.

That was not a cheapie. And it put the Giants ahead. Late in the game, that back end looked very strong, once again. Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson. Game over. 

Homers get it done. If the Giants can sprinkle in a few game-winning hits to go with their bevy of homers like last year, they’ll win more games. I don’t think they’ll live and die by the home run as much, which also leads to less pressing to hit home runs, and a higher overall average and OBP. 

I love when the Giants win, especially when they beat the Bums. Homers by unexpected people just make it more fun.

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The 2010 NLCS showdown between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants is underway in earnest. With the series tied at one game apiece, the NLCS almost takes on a 5-game set feel.

Game Three of this exciting series will be every bit as pivotal as Game One promised to be. With the series even again, both teams will be vying to take the advantage.

The Phillies would love nothing more than to ambush the Giants on their home field, taking the series lead and establishing big time momentum rolling into Game Four.

RHP Matt Cain will stand ready to fend off the Phillies in the third and possibly most epic of the 2010 NLCS to date. The task will be no easy one, as the Fighting Phillies found their offensive stride and gashed the stalwart Giants pitching for six runs in their last meeting.

If the Phillies are indeed beginning to erupt in the batters-box, the Giants will need to mount their own offensive charge and let the battle become a war in Game Three.

Is it time to take the Panda off ‘Time-Out’? Has Pablo Sandoval served his penance? 

Sandoval, the furry face of the San Francisco Giants, at least in the advertising and marketing campaigns between the 2009 and 2010 – has been patiently waiting for this shot to contribute.

Patiently is no under-exaggeration either. During the 2009 regular season, Sandoval only managed 47 walks in 563 plate appearances. With only six at bats in the post season, the patient Panda has already walked twice.

Let us trace the Panda tracks back a bit – the portly young slugger wowed the National League with his ability to drive just about any kind of pitch into play. Sandoval hit a very respectable .330 average in his first full season with the Giants.

The Kung-Fu Panda hats were made, commercials were shot, merchandising schemes rained down, San Francisco was ready to celebrate another outstanding season from their young star.

As if shy of the big stage, the Panda went into hibernation shortly after the 2010 season opened up. Sandoval’s struggles at the plate this season have been widely regarded as something more concerning than a sophomore slump.

Sandoval not only lost his feel at the plate, slowly but steadily his fielding also declined. He led the team in errors (13) during the regular season.

Mike Fontenot was acquired from the Chicago Cubs during the mid-season mayhem that was the Giants front office. Fontenot proved to be a steady and dependable utility infielder. Fontenot didn’t give you exciting, he gave you consistency.

Whatever Fontenot was selling, Manager Bruce Bochy was buying. He was now able to remove the struggling Pablo Sandoval and inject a sturdy Mike Fontenot onto his starting lineup card for the NLDS and NLCS.

With Fontenot starting, and Sandoval barely able to get into the Championship series, we must take a look and make sure we aren’t keeping crucial runs off the board by making the safe choice in starting Fontentot.

First of all, how safe is Fontenot? Fontenot made a very rare but crucial bad throw in Game Two. He just got out of being charged a second error in the game after letting an unclaimed pop-up drop four feet in front of him.

How about the batting? Fontenot in the post season has had 12 at bats. He has a single and a triple, and scored a run. Fontenot has also walked once and struck out three times. His average is .167 so far in October.

Pablo Sandoval is also hitting .167 so far in October, in six at bats.

What we were supposed to be getting in Fontenot was a better glove at third base, and more consistent at bats. Sure he was never expected to have the pop that Sandoval packs, but he was expected to produce a base runner more often.

So far with some glaring mistakes by Fontenot, fueling big innings instead of vital outs for the Phillies, are we getting what we benched Sandoval for?

Again, in six at-bats, Sandoval has actually walked twice. Whether he learned his lesson, had time to reflect on his approach or just needed some time out of the big lights – I think it’s time Bochy gave Sandoval a shot in Game Three.

Cody Ross is hitting home runs like they are going out of style. If Sandoval can run into a few of those pitches, the thump the Giants have been looking for may be found just in time.

Pablo Sandoval’s numbers against Cole Hamels: .333 average, 1 double, a homer, and 1.178 OPS.

Mike Fontenot’s numbers against Cole Hamels: Zilch, in two at-bats.

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The Giants and Cubs had a little unfinished business to attend to before they matched up Wednesday night in San Francisco. With the owner’s meetings getting underway in Minneapolis, Jim Hendry and Brian Sabean completed a trade that they reportedly began talking about as the trade deadline was approaching.

Mike Fontenot was sent from the visiting clubhouse to the home clubhouse in exchange for 22-year-old outfield prospect Evan Crawford. In a corresponding roster move, the Cubs called up 24-year-old middle infielder Darwin Barney from Triple-A Iowa.

But what does this mean for the North Siders going forward?

To begin with, it appears that the youth movement is in full effect. Between this trade and the one that sent Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to Los Angeles before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Cubs basically replaced three players aged 34, 30, and 30 (Lilly, Theriot, and Fontenot) with another three aged 27, 24, and 24 (Thomas Diamond, Blake DeWitt, and Barney).

It also reduced the cost of this roster.

Lilly was heading into free agency, Theriot into his second year of arbitration, and Fontenot into his first year of arbitration following his Super Two status last off-season. Meanwhile, DeWitt will not hit arbitration for another year and Diamond and Barney are three years away from that milestone at the very least.

It might also mean that the Cubs are set up the middle of their infield for the next few years.

Starlin Castro has six years of team control remaining and a seemingly bright future with both the glove and the bat; Barney has a glove that should keep him in at least a defensive substitution role for those same six years of team control; and DeWitt should be able to provide solid enough offense and defense to hold down the keystone while he plays out his four years of team control.

While many Cubs fans will be waiting for Hak-Ju Lee or one of the many other middle infield prospects to develop and burst onto the scene, those three may very well be able to do the job. If nothing else, the lack of large salaries gives enough flexibility to make additions to the position group down the road.

The most important takeaway for this season, though, is this: the Cubs didn’t stop looking for trade partners when the non-waiver trade deadline passed. There may very well be more moves to come.

So who might be on their way out before September 1st?

Since Derrek Lee already rejected a trade to the Angels and Carlos Silva landed on the disabled list with heart troubles, I am hard-pressed to believe that either of them will be going anywhere this season.

In my mind, that leaves only three names that are likely to find their way onto the backs of new jerseys: Xavier Nady, Kosuke Fukudome, and Jeff Baker.

Nady was originally a part of the negotiations that just sent Fontenot to San Francisco and also drew interest from the Rangers earlier in the year. With about one million dollars left on his contract this season, he might get picked up by a contending team looking for a first baseman or designated hitter down the stretch.

The Angels lost out on Lee, so maybe they would be interested in the cheaper (both in terms of money and players sent in exchange) option from the same team. Although it’s purely speculation on my part, I believe they might have interest in the Salinas native.

Fukudome is on the block mainly because of his prohibitive contract. He offers a level of defense, patience, and occasional power that would be much more attractive if he weren’t making more than 3.5 million for the remainder of this season and 13.5 million in 2011.

Those dollar amounts mean that he is a likely candidate to clear Trade Assignment Waivers and open up negotiations with anyone who’s biting, but his no-trade clause makes any such move slightly more difficult. It isn’t because he wouldn’t approve a trade right now, but because (as I’ve said before) part of a player’s value is how easily you can get rid of him.

Because he only has one year remaining on his contract and does provide the defense, patience, and occasional power that he has shown in the past, there is no reason that the Cubs should be leveraged into eating too much of his contract or getting next to nothing in return. He can still be a valuable backup outfielder for this team if the negotiating parties fail to realize that fact.

Baker, on the other hand, might be the least likely of the three to get moved. The reasoning for that is fairly simple in my mind: he hasn’t hit consistently well in his major league career and doesn’t provide enough in the way of defense to inflate his value much.

He has some versatility in the infield and at the outfield corners, which helps, and is still under team control for three more years, which also helps, but I’m not sure that’s enough to draw serious interest.

Still, it wouldn’t surprise me (and shouldn’t surprise anyone else, in my opinion) if a few more trades are made in the next few weeks. In return, look for prospects or young major leaguers instead of established veterans.

This season may be all but over, but a solid foundation is being built for the future. Just wait and see.

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The All-Star break is fast approaching and it is safe to say that the Cubs should be sellers at this season’s trade deadline.

In my opinion, it’s time for a good old fashioned fire sale.

The Cubs have a very strong minor league system, and it could be made even stronger if they were to clean house and deal anyone of any value not named Colvin, Cashner, or Castro.

So if we are in fact in full scale fire sale mode, here are the six Cubs that have the most value on the trade market, and should be dealt before the deadline hits.

Begin Slideshow

Friday is Aramis Ramirez’s 32nd birthday. It’s also the day that he will be activated off of the disabled list.

In order to make room for the embattled third baseman, somebody needs to move off the 25-man roster. Since the team has only just started a stretch of 20 days without an off day, they can’t afford to go with fewer than 12 pitchers.

That means, while Ramirez might have a very happy birthday tomorrow, one of the club’s position players will be less than thrilled.

I think it’s safe to say that Colvin has earned himself some job security in the outfield. No need to worry about him catching a plane to Iowa.

Catchers Geovany Soto and Koyie Hill are obviously safe, too. There’s no way this club is going to carry fewer than two catchers at any point in time.

If for no other reason, Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Xavier Nady, and Marlon Byrd are all unlikely to get demoted because they have more than five years of major league service time. As such, they would have to consent to the demotion.

Since Kosuke Fukudome has a partial no-trade clause, he would also have to consent to a demotion, putting him in the same boat.

That leaves Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Starlin Castro, Jeff Baker and Chad Tracy.

Theriot’s season has been very much a down year so far and has only improved to inconsistent lately. He would have to clear optional assignment waivers first, but “The Riot” does have two options remaining.

Fontenot has slowed considerably off of his hot start, but that cooling has only been very recent. He has a slash line of .091/.130/.091 in his last 23 plate appearances heading into Thursday, and has one option remaining, but would also have to clear optional assignment waivers.

Castro started his big league career very hot, but has cooled off since (.193/.255/.227 in his last 99 plate appearances). Cubs fans might not like to hear it, but the front office could decide that he could use some seasoning in Triple-A.

Baker is out of options, meaning that he’ll have to be put on waivers before a demotion, and he’s been hitting better recently (.324/.350/.486 in his last 40 plate appearances), but he just hasn’t had a very good year overall (.250/.299/.417).

Tracy has more than five years of major league service time, like the four veteran Cubs I mentioned earlier, but he consented to being optioned on May 7. Although he did great in Triple-A during his most recent stay there, he just hasn’t swung the bat well for the major league Cubs.

The fact that the two LSU alums (Theriot and Fontenot) would need to pass through optional assignment waivers makes me think that they wouldn’t be moved unless a trade was imminent. Since Theriot has been included in trade rumors lately, he could get designated for assignment, but I just don’t get the feeling that that move will happen any time soon, if at all.

Castro may or may not benefit from spending some time in Iowa, but there is probably too much hype surrounding him to send him down, unless he continues to struggle. The simple fact is that he’s the type of player that could just as easily get his seasoning in the big leagues as he could in Triple-A.

In other words, I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.

So now we’re left with the two players that are widely believed to be the front-runners for a move anyways: Jeff Baker and Chad Tracy.

Baker can play anywhere in the infield and at either corner outfield position, has been hitting better lately, and would have to clear waivers before being sent down. Tracy can play the corner infield (and possibly corner outfield) positions, provides a left-handed bat, hasn’t been hitting in the big leagues this year, doesn’t have to go through waivers, and might be willing to consent to another demotion.

The Cubs already made this decision once, so I would assume that they’ll go in the same direction again.

I’m not a betting man, but I’d put my money on Chad Tracy being the odd man out. It’s simply the move that takes the least away from the team right now and gives them the most flexibility with their roster going forward.

EDIT (6/25): Apparently, I overlooked a clause in Tracy’s contract that only allowed him to be optioned in the first 45 days of the season. It appears that whoever gets moved off the 25-man roster might end up out of the organization altogether.

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Recently, Lou Pinella said he had to start the players who were swinging the bats the best. So he promptly started Xavier Nady’s glistening .222 batting average (though he has been getting better lately).

However, just looking at overall season performance, here’s the best possible offensive lineup for the Cubs.

Begin Slideshow

It’s now June and the Cubs sit four games below .500 and six games behind the Cards and Reds.

With 52 games in the books, the season is getting dangerously close to one-third over. So all the cries not to worry because it’s early are starting to ring hollow.

Meanwhile, we know that Jim Hendry doesn’t have money to work with, and is stuck with expensive, long-term contracts that have no-trade clauses. So any suggestions must work within these limitations.

So while I’d love to suggest we go out and obtain Roy Oswalt, we need to be practical here.

So here is one man’s opinion on some quick, basic changes that can help begin to turn the season around in a positive manner, before Lou Piniella loses his cool.

(Actually, on second thought, that may not be a bad idea).

So, without further ado, as Pat Hughes would say, away we go…

Begin Slideshow

On Wednesday, Carrie Muskat wrote an article in which she said that “There are no deals pending, no scouts scouring other rosters to find help.”

It wasn’t a quote from Jim Hendry. It was just a line added into the article between quotes from the Cubs’ general manager.

More specifically, it came immediately before the following quote from Hendry:

“There really isn’t anywhere to look,” Hendry said. “I would think our position players are not a weakness at all. We’re just in one of these funks where we can’t get over the hump and get runs in. It’s not for lack of talent or lack of these guys working.”

Obviously, Hendry is simply saying that there’s no reason to look for offensive help in the trade market. At no point does he say anything about trading for pitching, most notably bullpen help.

Unless Carrie was holding back other comments from Hendry which did state that the team isn’t currently looking for bullpen help, her addition to the article is a bit misleading.

Most people seem to be under the impression that Carlos Zambrano’s move to a setup role is temporary, including “Big Z” himself.

After Friday’s game, I’m sure many people are hoping that his time in the bullpen is drawing near an end, including Zambrano once again.

If they aren’t looking for trade partners, then they aren’t doing their jobs. For the sake of my own sanity, I’m just going to assume that they are.

In that light, they obviously need to have in mind which players they are willing to trade away. I’m not going to claim to know who the Cubs have on their provisional list of potential trade chips, but I do have my own ideas.

Those ideas do not include Aramis Ramirez or Alfonso Soriano.

While others were writing why Soriano should get traded, ESPN’s Jayson Stark was doing a poll of who MLB executives thought had the most untradable contracts. The Cubs’ outfielder was first on the list .

And after Aramis Ramirez’s name started to emerge in hypothetical trades, I jumped in with why such a trade is highly unlikely.

Although he wasn’t listed in Stark’s aforementioned article, Zambrano’s critics should realize that he’s probably in a similar boat to Soriano.

So who does that leave?

The Veterans

Because of their expiring contracts, Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly could eventually be available as late-season rentals for a contending team. That, of course, would require that the Cubs were out of contention early enough for a deal to be made.

It also means neither player would be involved in a trade for immediate bullpen help unless Hendry’s search continues deep into the season. It’s much more likely that a trade of either player would resemble Hendry’s trade of Mark DeRosa before last season that yielded three prospects from the Indians.

Another possible trade chip with an expiring contract is Xavier Nady, who I believe is available as soon as another team mentions his name in negotiations.

With Soriano, Marlon Byrd, and Kosuke Fukudome all producing, the offensively struggling Nady is just taking away playing time from Tyler Colvin and being a defensive liability with his still-recovering throwing arm. He’s still a promising hitter, but he would be much more valuable with an American League team that he could DH for.

Sam Fuld is a very good defensive outfielder and hitting well in limited action at Triple-A Iowa, so he could potentially be the perfect fifth outfielder for the Cubs after moving Nady.

Back in early April, Fukudome’s name was actually being thrown around in trade talks with the Nationals.

I’ll admit that it’s a possibility, but I’d say that it’s 50-50 at best.

With his well-known trend of early-season success and late-season slumping, the numbers that he’s put up so far probably won’t increase his value very much. The Cubs would most likely have to eat part of the remaining salary for this season and part of the 13.5 million he’s due in 2011, but might still be able to get something of value in return from a team that values defense.

The Backup Infielders

Then there’s Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker. One of them will most likely be in different uniform by season’s end.

Fontenot might fetch more in return since he has been better offensively this season and can play shortstop in a pinch, but Baker might be the one that the Cubs are more willing to part with for the very same reasons.

With Chad Tracy tearing up Triple-A, it wouldn’t surprise me if either of the second basemen were traded by the time I woke up in the morning. If Starlin Castro starts smoothing out his game in the big leagues or Darwin Barney picks up at the plate in Iowa, the clock on that trade will be accelerated.

On the other hand, Chad Tracy might end up on the trading block himself.

His being the odd man out when Castro was called up might be indicative of his status with the team and could offer other teams an alternative to Hank Blalock, who might or might not be moved by the Tampa Bay Rays in the coming days.

Trading Tracy would also slow down any trade talks involving Baker or Fontenot, but by no means indicates that both players are staying.

The Pitchers

Now we’re only left with three players: Tom Gorzelanny, Carlos Silva, and John Grabow.

Honestly, I will be shocked if both Gorzelanny and Silva are with the Cubs on August 1 for the simple fact that Zambrano needs a spot in the rotation to return to. Also, as shown by Zambrano’s move to a setup role, neither pitcher is much of a candidate for a spot in the bullpen.

In fact, going one step further, I’ll be a little surprised if either pitcher is a Cub on August 1.

Both Andrew Cashner and Jay Jackson are doing very well in the minor leagues and should be pushing for some starts with the big league club before too long. Casey Coleman might even get a look if he pitches well for the next few months, although I think it’s much more likely that he will stay in Triple-A for the duration of the season.

Gorzelanny offers the most upside of the two players and, in my mind, is the piece that is most likely to land the Cubs a setup man.

Silva would need to stay healthy and productive, but he could get moved as soon as the Cubs decide to call up Cashner.

Grabow, the Cubs veteran left-hander in the bullpen, is much less likely to go than the other two to be moved during the season. There aren’t too many teams that have three lefties in the ‘pen and the Cubs could use every advantage that they have.

Still, if the Cubs have enough confidence in Sean Marshall and James Russell going forward, Grabow could end up on the trading block. Jim Hendry just has to decide if he’s wants to free up the $3.75 million that the former Pirate is due next season.

No matter who the Cubs feel willing to move that’s currently on the roster, I can guarantee you one thing: they are going to make a trade at some point.

I don’t know if it will be sooner or later, but the faces of this team will be at least a little bit different by season’s end.

Hopefully a key difference in those faces will be the exuberance of victory and not the sagging look of disappointment.

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Finally, it appears that the Chicago Cubs are willing to show some backbone in the dugout after the promotion of Class AA shortstop Starlin Castro to the Major League roster. Castro made his highly anticipated MLB debut on Friday—after a series sweep by the Pirates left the rotation gasping for run support. 

For the first time in four years, Ryan Theriot was moved over to second base to supplement the promotion of Castro. 

In his first at bat as a major leaguer, Castro hit a three-run home run in the away half of the second inning and finished the game two hits and six RBI—moreover allowing the Cubs to end a three-game skid with a 14-7 win over the Reds. 

Just when the night seemed like it couldn’t get any better, it was announced that Castro was the first ever rookie to debut with six RBI in Major League history. 

The only response from skipper Lou Piniella was: “What a debut!” 

Other offense for the Cubs came by way of another three-run home run by outfielder Marlon Byrd and a grand slam by Mike Fontenot in the eighth. 

Due to this marvelous offensive support, Carlos Silva received his third win of the season (3-0) after giving up four runs on 10 hits and four errors in just five innings. 

All we can here echoing from former ace Carlos Zambrano in the bullpen is: “Where was that when I was still in the rotation?” And then proceeding to destroy a perfectly good beverage container with the world’s best maple. 

Questions surrounding the middle infield in Chicago have been numerous of late—shortstop Theriot and Fontenot both had relatively slow starts to the season—and after Castro’s performance, the conversations are only going to get more interesting. 

Theriot, who has rebounded from a horrible start to lead the club in hitting with 43 hits and a .333 average, will continue to lead off for the Cubs, but will most likely remain at second, after chemistry could be seen after only one game with the Dominican national, Castro.

Castro and Theriot linked up on their first double play of many on the year in the bottom of the fourth inning, by way of a 6-4-3. 

Most likely, Castro will remain with the big league club and continue to play short stop at least five days a week for the Cubs according to ESPN: Chicago writer Bruce Levine. 

If this sporadic amount of success continues for Chicago’s offense, fans may once again regain hope, with the wild card race still in tact with a 14-16 record—four games behind National League-leading San Fransisco.

The Cubs will look to continue their offensive triumphs when they match up once again against the Reds on Saturday. Castro may break out once again when he faces right hander Aaron Harang, who currently boasts a 6.68 ERA. 

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