http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_11348258 I really don't expect this to happen. It's more a Boras ploy than anything if I had my guess. But I don't need Manny on this team. Sabean needs to get rid of an outfielder, not add one. Because Barry was a pain but a great player doesn't mean they should keep going that route. Adding Manny to the team will put them close to the top, not put them over the top.
So you would rather be nowhere near the top....instead of having a fighting chance?!? Got crawl before you can walk, buddy... Did you watch the playoff stretch last year for the Dodgers...Manny pretty much saved thier season...he was unbelievable....why wouldn't any team trying to win and in bad need of a powerful bat, not want him? besides, I wouldn't compare Manny to Bonds situation....Barry had a very different kind of baggage attached....not just personal quirks
Did you see the Giants lineup last year? Do you know how much they have invested in their future? Did you hear about half the stuff that Manny pulled while he was on the Red Sox? Do you not realize that the Giants have an outfield prospect (Nate Schierholtz) out of options already being blocked by two old repetitive players (Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn)? So you want to add another old outfielder who asking for an outrageous contract? I give a 99% chance Manny quits on the Giants if they sign him. Is that really worth 20 million plus a year? I'd rather the Giants be average next year and win in two years then slightly above average next year and then have a nuthouse (AGAIN) in two years when they have to deal w/ Manny destroying the clubhouse. I'm well aware Manny is one of the best hitters in this era, but I'm also well aware that he played his best ball right before becoming a free agent. He's getting up there in age, and him playing the outfield at AT&T would be a sickening thought. I guess I would be completely onboard if they were able to trade Rowand AND Winn, but we all know that's not happening. And I don't think the Giants will be "nowhere near the top" if they don't sign Manny. We're not talking fantasy baseball.
A couple of things to consider- 1. The Dodgers made an offer and then pulled it off the table. They said they would willing to negotiate again, but haven't as of yet. Wouldn't the fear of losing him to your arch rival be a good ploy to get them to open up their check book again? Boras doesn't have too many other options for Manny as of now. 2. The Giants "were going to" make an offer to CC Sabathia. Then he signed with the Yankees almost three weeks after they made their offer. If the Giants want Manny, where have they been for this long, and why haven't they met with him yet or even given an offer? 3. I realize Manny is extremely goofy, but I think the Giants would be near the bottom of his list of desirable destinations. Every where he has been, he was a run producing machine. In the Giants lineup he would have almost zero protection.
Charles, good points. Let's say for one sec that Manny doesn't have the "quitter" reputation and that he would want to play in SF AND produce like he has most of his career (I agree that last year's numbers were driven by a lot of things: revenge to the BoSox, FA, playoff push)...would you still not want him? Are his age and the salary he's asking enough for you to not want him? I think the Giants offense is pretty dismal despite all that we have invested in the future. You said it yourself, the Giants would offer no protection to Manny...are you saying that from the POV of Manny or the POV that you know the Giants have no offense? Not sure where I'm going with this except your desires against Manny coming here is many and varied. I'm trying to wrap my head around exactly which one is the deal breaker. My main gripe with Manny is he quit on the Red Sox. All the other potential issues: age, salary, desire to play don't worry as much as him quitting on the Sox when he had a GREAT chance of winning it all again.
Dr- Him quitting would be number one on my list. The age/amount of years (I'm sorry, but him getting four years is just crazy) would have to be second. As far as the Manny protection thing, I'm saying it from the point of the Giants of course. Bonds was walked seemingly every time he came up. Now they didn't have Pablo Sandoval back then, but Pablo is certainly no Big Papi yet. Bonds was always prepared for that one bad pitch he was going to get. I think Manny might just get distracted and miss a bunch of them. I think Manny will be able to hit forever. He could never field worth a damn anyways, so that won't get much worse. Obviously as he gets older he becomes more likely to get injured, but I wouldn't be overly concerned with that as far as he goes. It's not that I would hate it if they signed Manny. It's that it is a HUGE risk. That's not something the Giants usually do. When they originally signed Bonds, he was a sure thing. Natta said it best, you have to crawl before you walk. Now I'm taking that an entirely different way than he is, but they have started to crawl. I just think we should work on the walking before we sign up for a marathon.
I heard something the other day about the Giants making a four year offer. Its probably false, since I haven't been able to find the story since, but that would be horrible for SF, giving Manny a 4 year deal.
I think they have a decent shot at this point because there isn't really all that much competition for him. The Dodgers obviously want him back, and the Nationals would probably love to have him, but after that, who knows? Everyone says that the Angels are a fit now that they lost Teixiera, but they say they're not in it. They already have a bunch of outfielders anyways. If I had to guess, I'd say there's a 30-40% chance he winds up with the Giants right now. Sabean has shown he'll sign an older guy already this offseason, and if they needed anything from the start, it's a big bat. I would still list the Dodgers as the favorites, especially considering they immediatley started talking again after the Giants rumor popped up. They also reworked Andruw Jones' contract, which could help A) rid themselves of an outfielder and B) save a couple bucks to spend on Manny.
Who plays first in that lineup you posted? Manny? I don't want Manny just because I want to see Shuerholtz (sp?) in the lineup at some point. He's produced every time he's been called up yet he's got old guys who aren't part of the future blocking him like Winn, Roberts, and now maybe Manny. It's about time the Giants developed one of their own hitters. Who was the last one they brought up? Clark? Matt Williams? Nate can be a 3 hitter one day if he's given a chance.
I would say its lower then that but if the Giants landed him... I wouldn't complain. I think they only way he ends up here is if the Dodgers wont give him what he wants. Then to get back at them he signs with their rivals. I could see it working for a season or two... anything after that... no not really.
i guess we would use sandoval at 1st. id like the giants if they sign manny to deal wynn and fred lewis for some prospects to create time for shuerholtz, and also bring posey in at 3rd base.
My guess is Buster Posey won't be up until either Bengie Molina is traded or he leaves as a free agent. They like him as their catcher of the future and feel he will lose a lot of his value if he were to switch positions, for a couple of reasons. For one, they feel he is intelligent enough to call a game from behind the plate, and two (probably more importantly), his potential numbers look a lot better coming from catcher as opposed to third base. Third is also a much easier position to find someone capable of playing everyday (excluding last seasons disaster, of course). I'm not a fan of trading Fred Lewis, but it certainly makes some sense if they sign Manny. They've moved from the leadoff spot to the fifth spot in the order, which totally takes his speed out of the equation. He would be hitting behind Bengie Molina, one of the slower players in the majors.
