San Francisco Giants: Time to Rebuild?
First, I have to say that the Giants took the right approach, as much as it pains me to say so. You’ve got one of the greatest hitters of all time, and even though I personally think he’s been dipping into the sauce, they were right to build a team around him that could contend in the present times. That was what you needed to do, use Barry Bonds while you have him. Now, however, almost at the age of 42 years old, it’s time to stop mortgaging the future and thinking about the next generation of Giants players. I’ve seen them trade, over the years, guys like Keith Foulke, Joe Nathan, and Francisco Liriano, who have seen success with other teams. Here’s what I think the Giants have to do now.
1.) Get Young… in a Hurry
The Giants’ opening day starters had an average age was over 34 at the time. Factor in that Pedro Feliz is only 30 and the “young” player of the group was Lance Niekro at 27, and the Giants are obviously a lot lower than they could be. Steve Finley, 41, is a regular player in the outfield rotation and Todd Greene, 35, is part of the catching rotation. Armando Benitez (33) is the closer while Steve Kline (33) and Tim Worrell (38) are prominent players in the bullpen. The Giants’ bench, with Mike Sweeney (36) and Jose Vizcaino (38) are also up in age.
They have young talent, but it’s time to fish in the well. They’ve already started, and they’ve got promising young talent already taking up roster space on the big club. Guys like Noah Lowry (25), Matt Cain (21), Kevin Fransden (24), Eliezer Alfonzo (27), and Lance Neikro (27) are all solid foundations for the future. Add Jeremy Accardo (24), Kevin Correia (25) and Brad Hennessey (26) as players up and down from their Triple A affiliate and they’ve got some youth in the system gaining some experience. But as much as those players help, the Giants have some studs playing the lower levels that are just waiting to break into the big leagues.
Kids like 2B prospect Marcus Sanders are highly rated among baseball’s minor-league prospect lists, as is RHP Merkin Valdez, who could be a future closer for the Giants, along with Jeremy Accardo. Travis Ishikawa has shown flashes of brilliance in his time with the Giants, although he’s being called up straight from Double A and could factor in more next season. Also keep an eye on a pair of minor-league outfielders, Nate Scheirholtz and Eddy Martinez-Esteve.
2.) Either Trade Barry Bonds or Let Him Go in Free Agency
Barry Bonds is the epitome of a enigma in baseball. Adored by fans in San Francisco for the most part, he’s vilified almost everywhere else he goes. He will be 42 years old in July and it seems like his negatives finally outweigh the potential positives. For instance, he’s just an average defender now in left field, at best. He’s a liability at times and isn’t running at full speed out there, allowing a lot more balls to bounce than a healthy, younger left fielder would. Pitchers still don’t pitch to him, and he’s not quick on the basepaths anymore. It’s time to let the legend go. There has to be a sense of loyalty, but at the same time the Giants cannot win with him in the lineup anymore. And he’s better off trying to chase Hank Aaron being a designated hitter in the American League than playing part-time in the outfield.
Let him go to New York and play in Yankee Stadium, or maybe even to Anaheim or Seattle, or anywhere else in the American League he’s rumored to go to. If the Giants want to benefit, trade him before this deadline. You might actually get something for him, which would be better than letting him go in free agency. Let’s allow out young players to have their moment in the spotlight. Steve Finley and Moises Alou, although around the same age, still don’t look as bad in the outfield as he does. Finley still looks great, but Bonds is almost assuredly done in the outfield.
3.) Don’t Be Afraid of Losing
Giants fans, ever since the completion of Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T or whatever they’re calling it these days, have been accustomed to winning ballclubs. In fact, they’ve become exceeding arrogant and annoying when this happens and even more annoying when it doesn’t. The organization, top to bottom, has to be comfortable with losing to get better. Look at the Florida Marlins; it’s the most extreme example, but they have the right program in place. They win a championship, then they purge their players. Their payroll is 15 million dollars this season, yet right now many major league managers would take that lineup over their own, or at least most of their own. Names like Willingham, Ramirez, and Uggla have made their marks on Florida.
No one is suggesting that the Giants reduce their payroll to miniscule levels, but it should be available for them to lower a bit in exchange for allowing a young nucleus the ability to gain experience and playing time. And if that means losing a little bit, then so be it. That’s right, it’s okay to lose when the future of your ballclub is at stake. This isn’t an invitation to tank it in or lose games on purpose, but you’ve got to find youth that’s willing to play hard and be successful in order to turn the page. Every team has to go through it, for the most part. Some are longer than others, but they’ve all done it. Remember the Yankees of the early 90’s? They were awful, but they rebounded and they grew their talent through their system and won four World Series titles.
It’s not an easy road for the Giants, but it’s the one that makes the most sense. People may think that these are drastic conditions, but it’s the way it must be for this team. Jason Schmidt is almost 34, and with the exception of Randy Winn and Lance Niekro, their opening day lineup is closer to pension status than their college days. For improvement to be evident and for them to be competitive in the future, we must leave the past and present behind.
