Kawakami: Prospective Carlos Beltran deal a Shift in Giants' Mentality
Rabu, 27 Juli 2011 by Android Blackberry
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| Carlos Beltran #15 of the New York Mets looks o |
Kawakami: Prospective Carlos Beltran deal a Shift in Giants' Mentality
Still waiting for the details with the pending, much-reported Giants deal for Carlos Beltran...
As in: Who precisely have the Giants agreed to trade towards the Mets, just how much of Beltran's remaining $6M or so are the Mets selecting up, and when (or if) Beltran will officially approve the trade, as is his contractural perfect.
This is really a difficult deal (having a no-trade clause and capital involved), so this may well be a long wait.
But the internet does not wait. So...
It is hard to evaluate a trade whenever you do not know for sure who's going to the Mets, though NY-based reports are that it's in all probability 21-year-old pitcher Zach Wheeler, 1 with the best pitching prospects in baseball.
Wheeler is presently 7-5 having a three.99 ERA at High-A San Jose, having a 1.375 WHIP and it looks like he's averaging much less than 6 innings per commence.
And let me credit Carl Steward for pointing out several days ago that, though he's naturally still young, Wheeler's stats aren't so hot for such a prime prospect facing minor-league hitters.
Having said that, the Giants' pitching staff is going to get awfully highly-priced in the subsequent year or two, and they sure could use a low-cost young starter to function into the mix to balance out that payroll.
Wheeler has been pegged to be 1 of those guys. If he's going to NY, possibly the Giants think they've two or three other pitchers ready to fill that role at some point.
Also: Brian Sabean and Dick Tidrow have an excellent record in identifying the pitching prospects to trade, plus the ones to keep, including Tim Alderson two years ago, in the Freddy Sanchez deal, which I thought was too much to surrender (and was wrong).
Of course, Sabean and Tidrow long ago gave up Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan for the short, disastrous Giants tenure of A.J. Pierzynski.
That one was so bad that we'll dump it as an out-lier, and stick to the other good calls.
But we do not know that it's Wheeler going"... could possibly be CF Gary Brown. Could possibly be somebody else. As well as the deal might be altered inside the next hours, who knows.
The big-picture view of this, nonetheless, won't change, presuming Beltran does eventually end up with the Giants for the stretch run.
The Giants have arrived at a rare moment in any franchise's life, and they're publicly acknowledging it:
-They are the defending champions having a desire to expand their reach and marketability to Red Sox-like levels;
If the Mets are selecting up most or all of Beltran's contract-which surprises the hell out of me, considering that the Giants have loads of funds plus the Madoff-busted Mets do not-then the Giants are receiving precisely what they necessary.
The best hitter accessible on the trade market. And not merely the ideal hitter, a guy who has verified he can dominate within the playoffs, immediately after being traded at the deadline.
The Giants aren't getting Beltran for now, so much as they're finding him to electrify their line-up in October against Atlanta, Philadelphia and anybody they may face inside the World Series if they get that far.
I'll re-cite the Beltran history:
-He was traded from KC to Houston and then dominated within the 2004 postseason, blasting 8 HRs, hitting .435 and amassing a 1.557 OPS in 12 games.
-If you add in his 2006 playoff run for the Mets, Beltran is usually a career .366 postseason hitter, scoring 31 runs with 19 RBIs in 22 games, having a 1.302 OPS.
-In 2011, Beltran has a .904 OPS, having a league-leading 30 doubles and 15 household runs.
-The Giants only have 1 present player with an OPS over .800, and that is Pablo Sandoval at .834.
Subsequent is Nate Schierholtz, who is at .764.
You commonly need 3 or four legitimate hitters (over .800 OPS is a fairly dependable barometer of a superb hitter) to push by way of the excellent pitching within the playoffs.
Last year the Giants had Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey, Cody Ross, Edgar Renteria and Freddy Sanchez all hitting effectively in October, with Pat Burrell and Juan Uribe in there, too.
This year, who's hitting effectively appropriate now? Who do the Giants feel comfy going up against Tim Hudson or Cliff Lee?
Sandoval. And Jeff Keppinger?
If the Giants are a franchise that feels it can contend for the massive prize just about every year-and which is the objective, and will need to be the goal-they need to make just about every effort to go for it, if it is there to be gotten.
Their pitching is as great or far better than it was for last year's World Series run. Their hitting is worse.
If they can upgrade the hitting, and it doesn't price a big part of their future"... then they've to do it.
Beltran will be the player they had to get. Looks like they got him.
Still waiting for the details with the pending, much-reported Giants deal for Carlos Beltran...
As in: Who precisely have the Giants agreed to trade towards the Mets, just how much of Beltran's remaining $6M or so are the Mets selecting up, and when (or if) Beltran will officially approve the trade, as is his contractural perfect.
This is really a difficult deal (having a no-trade clause and capital involved), so this may well be a long wait.
But the internet does not wait. So...
It is hard to evaluate a trade whenever you do not know for sure who's going to the Mets, though NY-based reports are that it's in all probability 21-year-old pitcher Zach Wheeler, 1 with the best pitching prospects in baseball.
Wheeler is presently 7-5 having a three.99 ERA at High-A San Jose, having a 1.375 WHIP and it looks like he's averaging much less than 6 innings per commence.
And let me credit Carl Steward for pointing out several days ago that, though he's naturally still young, Wheeler's stats aren't so hot for such a prime prospect facing minor-league hitters.
Having said that, the Giants' pitching staff is going to get awfully highly-priced in the subsequent year or two, and they sure could use a low-cost young starter to function into the mix to balance out that payroll.
Wheeler has been pegged to be 1 of those guys. If he's going to NY, possibly the Giants think they've two or three other pitchers ready to fill that role at some point.
Also: Brian Sabean and Dick Tidrow have an excellent record in identifying the pitching prospects to trade, plus the ones to keep, including Tim Alderson two years ago, in the Freddy Sanchez deal, which I thought was too much to surrender (and was wrong).
Of course, Sabean and Tidrow long ago gave up Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan for the short, disastrous Giants tenure of A.J. Pierzynski.
That one was so bad that we'll dump it as an out-lier, and stick to the other good calls.
But we do not know that it's Wheeler going"... could possibly be CF Gary Brown. Could possibly be somebody else. As well as the deal might be altered inside the next hours, who knows.
The big-picture view of this, nonetheless, won't change, presuming Beltran does eventually end up with the Giants for the stretch run.
The Giants have arrived at a rare moment in any franchise's life, and they're publicly acknowledging it:
-They are the defending champions having a desire to expand their reach and marketability to Red Sox-like levels;
- They've filled up the stadium just about every night having a fervent fan base that only keeps expanding;
- They have over-achieved this year in the face of quantum injury troubles;
- They have a pitching staff which can match up with anybody this year, although nobody can predict how lengthy this pitching run will last;
- They have built-up their farm system to the point that they've various premium prospects that other teams want, and the Giants potentially have sufficient of them to trade away 1 or 2 with out crippling the supply stream;
- But the Giants are woefully lacking on offense.
If the Mets are selecting up most or all of Beltran's contract-which surprises the hell out of me, considering that the Giants have loads of funds plus the Madoff-busted Mets do not-then the Giants are receiving precisely what they necessary.
The best hitter accessible on the trade market. And not merely the ideal hitter, a guy who has verified he can dominate within the playoffs, immediately after being traded at the deadline.
The Giants aren't getting Beltran for now, so much as they're finding him to electrify their line-up in October against Atlanta, Philadelphia and anybody they may face inside the World Series if they get that far.
I'll re-cite the Beltran history:
-He was traded from KC to Houston and then dominated within the 2004 postseason, blasting 8 HRs, hitting .435 and amassing a 1.557 OPS in 12 games.
-If you add in his 2006 playoff run for the Mets, Beltran is usually a career .366 postseason hitter, scoring 31 runs with 19 RBIs in 22 games, having a 1.302 OPS.
-In 2011, Beltran has a .904 OPS, having a league-leading 30 doubles and 15 household runs.
-The Giants only have 1 present player with an OPS over .800, and that is Pablo Sandoval at .834.
Subsequent is Nate Schierholtz, who is at .764.
You commonly need 3 or four legitimate hitters (over .800 OPS is a fairly dependable barometer of a superb hitter) to push by way of the excellent pitching within the playoffs.
Last year the Giants had Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey, Cody Ross, Edgar Renteria and Freddy Sanchez all hitting effectively in October, with Pat Burrell and Juan Uribe in there, too.
This year, who's hitting effectively appropriate now? Who do the Giants feel comfy going up against Tim Hudson or Cliff Lee?
Sandoval. And Jeff Keppinger?
If the Giants are a franchise that feels it can contend for the massive prize just about every year-and which is the objective, and will need to be the goal-they need to make just about every effort to go for it, if it is there to be gotten.
Their pitching is as great or far better than it was for last year's World Series run. Their hitting is worse.
If they can upgrade the hitting, and it doesn't price a big part of their future"... then they've to do it.
Beltran will be the player they had to get. Looks like they got him.
