The hot corner for the Giants seems set in stone with second year hit master Pablo Sandoval manning the leather.  Unfortunately, this might be one of the biggest concerns for the Giants as well. 

Sandoval is a hitter.  He swings at and seems to hit almost everything thrown his way.  This is a bat that must get into the lineup, no matter what.  However, the only position that is currently open is that of third base.  No matter, as Sandoval seems to have taken to the position (as he has to any he’s been asked to play) very well.  However, third base requires mobility and Sandoval isn’t the world’s most spry of characters.  If this proves problematic, he’ll probably move across the diamond to first base. 

Should Sandoval need to move, there are several posibilities that the Giants could explore at third base. 

The first and most obvious are either Rich Aurilia or Juan Uribe, two veterans picked up in the offseason.  Either could give solid, if not horribly spectacular, play at the corner. 

Another possibility is rule 5 pickup Jesus Guzman who, this last winter, tore up the Venezuelan league, setting a mark for RBI and being named Overall Offensive Performer of the year for that league.  He has some pop in his stick and is a natural third baseman.  He’s one to keep in mind, should Sandoval not be able to hold up.

Ryan Rohlinger is another option for the Giants.  However, he hit atrocious in 21 major league games in 2008.  This is an option that perhaps shouldn’t be explored.

The final alternative is Conor Gillaspie, the eventual heir apparent at third base.  While this might pique the interest of some orange and black faithful, the kid isn’t yet shaving.  He has less than 30 games at a professional level and I have no idea why he was with the big league club late last year.  Gillaspie needs minor league seasoning.  The last thing he needs is to be tossed into the fire at this early point in his career.

While the Giants have several alternatives, they’d be best suited if Pablo Sandoval plays adequately at the hot corner in 2009.  Of course, it could be worse.  They might still have Jose Castillo at third.  *shudder*  Learn the position, Pablo.  Please.

The middle infield for the San Francisco Giants has received a facelift for 2009.  While 2008 was a year of unproven rookies and veterans in decline, this season proves to be somewhat more exciting as a tale of two positions. 

At shortstop, Omar Vizquel is gone, replaced by big dollar pickup Edgar Renteria.  While this move caught a bit of guff from the faithful, it could only be an offensive improvement on the 2008 combination of the aforementioned Vizquel and Brian Bocock.   True, Renteria’s numbers for Detroit in 2008 were below his career average (though they did improve in the second half of the season).   However, rumors are that he came to camp in shape and career averages suggest that he tends to be more comfortable hitting in the National League.   Again, it would take a complete collapse for this move to blow up in the Giants faces.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the diamond, the ground isn’t quite as settled at second base.   Unlike 2008, there is no veteran presence at this position.  It will be officially a three way fight between Eugenio Velez, Kevin Frandsen, and Emmanuel Burriss.  Frandsen is the more solid all-round of the trio and should have the inside track going into spring training.   He probably would have started in 2008 last season if not for the achilles tendon injury that sidelined him for the season.  This is his chance to break out.  He is a hard nosed player who will give you the intangibles.  However, the position is not his, as yet and he will be pushed by second year man Emmanuel Burriss.   Burriss played well at shortstop and second base after being thrown into the fire following slow starts by Velez and Bocock.   It will be interesting to see how he does this season as primarily a back up.  Rumor has it that he will probably get some reps in AAA if the Giants get concerned about him to getting stale on the bench.  If he does play, he’s a speedster who plays solid defense.  No real power to speak of.  What Burriss lacks with the stick, Velez showed off last season (especially toward the end).  However, less than spectacular defense will probably keep him out of the starting lineup.  He shouldn’t be starting.  If he is, then look forward to a long season. 

Free agent minor league signees Juan Uribe and Rich Aurilia should be able to fit nicely in spots in 2009.  However, if either is starting regular, then see the final line in the last paragraph for the probable outcome. 

The San Francisco Giants enter spring training 2009 with roughly the same feel at first base as when they entered in 2008.  In 2008, the heir apparent for to start was Dan Ortmeier, fresh off an impressive 2007 season.   To back him up was Rich Aurilia.   After the youngster suffered through a poor spring training, riddled with defensive lapses, the seasoned veteran snapped up the position for opening day. 

2009 isn’t that much different, as yet. 

This time around, Travis Ishikawa is the man to watch.  And yes, the slugger is a rookie this season.  After a strong 2008 on the farm and a eye opening cup of coffee with the big league club, the slick fielding Ishikawa appears ready to take the job.  Mark my words as they are important.  He can ‘take’ the job, if he wants it.  It is ’his’ to lose.  If he performs adequately in spring training, he’ll be the starter on opening day.  If all goes according to plans, he’ll be pumping out homeruns from the bottom of the lineup starting in early April.   The big question is, how has Ishikawa worked on the breaking ball down and in which seemed to vex him a bit last year?  If he takes care of that one hole in his swing, he should be fine.

However, should Ishikawa stumble out of the gate, the eyes of the Giants will turn to the veteran Aurilia.  He brings a solid stick and glove to the proceedings and can do the job, though he’s certainly no long term fix. 

Another candidate would be second year man John Bowker.  Though he excited early last year, he truly slumped down the stretch and probably shouldn’t be looked at as more than a dark horse candidate for the position.  Of course, if he decides the he wants to collect singles, doubles, and triples in addition to homeruns, it could make the competition interesting.  This is all complicated with the fact that, unlike either Ishikawa or Aurilia, Bowker is a converted outfielder, a factor that might have contributed to Ortmeier’s less than stellar performance last year. 

The final candidate is newcomer journeyman Josh Phelps.  Signed to a minor league deal, for Phelps to start, it would probably require a combination of Ishikawa and Bowker flopping, Aurilia forgetting where he left his glove, and minor leaguer Scott McClain forgetting the route to the stadium.  In other words, it’s probably not happening.

One must still take into account wunderkind Pablo Sandoval.  If the Giants snap up a front line third baseman (even at this late in the game….Crede’s still available), then Sandoval will bring his sledgehammer to first and everybody else will take the bench. 

Let’s just all hope that Travis learns how to hit that down and in breaking ball, m’kay? 

So, the rumor wire has been burning up again about a meal that Manny Ramirez and his agent Scott Boras might or might not have shared with members of the Giants front office.  There are several things we might or might not know about this dinner.  Here are several (though not nearly all).  They might or might not have been discussing a contract.  Boras might or might not have been in town to show Man-Ram that there are people who will overpay for an aging slugger (or at least that have in the past).   They might or might not have gone with the bisque.  However, the meeting also might or might not have happened. 

Where I’m going is that this dinner and its tangibility aren’t at issue here.  In my opinion, there are one of two things that Manny’s going to do this offseason.  1) he’s going to sign with the Giants 2) he won’t.  Beyond that is not important.  There are reasons to sign him.  There are reasons not to.

The reasons to sign Manny Ramirez are rather obvious to anybody who knows his name.  No doubt, it’s agreed upon that he’s among the elite sluggers in the game today.  His entire presence in the lineup will sway how the opposition pitches to a team (not unlike Barry Bonds, once upon a time).  He carries a heavy piece of lumber that can send baseballs into orbit and is an RBI machine.  He puts butts in the seats and probably would deliver a divisional crown to the Bay in 2009.  When he came to LA at the trade deadline last season, they were 54-54 and in second place in the West.  He proceeded to hit .396 with 17 long balls and 53 RBI in 53 games and the Dodgers went on to win the division.  It’s not a reach to give him a lion’s share of the credit for this pennant. 

Now that we have discussed what everybody knows, let’s look at why the Orange and Black might be better suited to look the other way. 

First of all, the outfield isn’t a problem for the Giants.  They already have a log jam with Winn, Rowand, and Lewis starting and Schierholtz biding his time on the bench.  With Manny Ramirez on the team, go ahead and move everybody down one notch. The electric Fred Lewis takes the bench, along with his healthy foot.  Be prepared to see him leave once his contract is up.  Better hope that one won’t turn into the next Giant regret (though I feel it just might).  Schierholtz, with his sweet swing, +.300 MLB average, and no options would probably be shipped out via trade.  I wonder what we’d get for him?  Again, do we really want to see what he does when another team is willing to give him at bats.  What about the veteran Dave Roberts?  I couldn’t see that much changing for him as his contract and speed would probably keep him around for a year.  On defense, Manny Ramirez patrol left field with the grace of a battleship.  Couple this with a less than stellar track record of mental concentration and you get Barry Bonds circa 2007 with a bad case of ADD.  Better hope that Aaron gets some amazing jumps on fly balls in left center.  Also, Manny will probably get +$25 million per.   Rumor has it that Boras is looking for 3-4 years on a deal.   That’s potentially $100 million tied up for four years.  Couple that with the enormous contracts for Rowand and Zito that are also going to be sucking money from the team for the next four seasons.  Want to guess how many quality Giants will say their fair-the-wells to the team in that time?   Lincecum?  Cain?  Sanchez?  These guys are going to need money if the Giants want them to stick around.  Also, Ramirez isn’t exactly young.  At 36, a long term deal will carry him to the doorstep of forty, if not across the threshhold.  Are we to believe that he can still sustain this level of play at that age?  If not, the Giants front office will be mortgaging the future again. 

Again, the Giants will either sign Manny or not.  I just hope that the sayers for the Giants think long and hard before asking him if he wants to stick around for some baked alaska for dessert. 

The San Francisco front office finally heard my anguished screams this offseason.  While the more vocal wing of the Giants fan base shouted for radical moves (signing Sabathia, Man-Ram, Burrell, and/or Dunn.  Cain for Fielder, Cain for Hardy, Cain for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the nation of Lithuania, and a dozen Domino’s death disks), Sabean and company at long last decided to have a little faith in the young players by making minimal changes via free-agency. 

The signing of future hall of Randy Johnson stands head and shoulders above the rest of the transactions (no pun intended….really).  The veteran replaces the underachieving 2008 back end of the rotation (Correia, Misch, and Hennessey), bringing an elder statesman who can still hurl the ball 90+ miles per hour.  That can’t hurt.

In the ‘perhaps you overspent, but we’ll give you the benefit of the doubt’ department lies the 2 year $18 million contract tossed to Edgar Renteria.  While I was against this at first, it has actually grown on me.  Barring a complete and unforseeable falling apart, it will be an immense offensive upgrade over either Bocock or Vizquel at the position.  And, though I love Emmanuel Burriss, perhaps it’s better for him to be over at second base, thrashing it out with Frandsen and Velez for playing time. 

Another place where the Giants upgraded wisely and precisely is the bullpen.  The additions of Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry, coupled with minor league deals tendered to both Ramon Ortiz and Justin Miller, should serve to strengthen the bullpen over the malaise found at times in 2008.  The key is, if you can’t get the lead to Brian Wilson, he can’t drop the hammer.  That should be better now.

And that leads us to another strong point in this offseason.  Rather than breaking the bank on a high money free agent, the team snapped up a string of seasoned veterans at bargain basement rates.  ‘Kinda’ sluggers Josh Phelps and Juan Uribe will come to spring training, minor league deals in hand, and should be ready to step in should a youngster falter.  Ditto Rich Aurilia, leading the ‘re-signed’ category of this year’s free agents.