NewsInbox: Any prospects on the rise in '10?
Beat reporter Chris Haft answers questions from fans
By Chris Haft / MLB.com
10/27/09 1:36 PM ET
I would like to know which Giants farmhands have the best shot, besides Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, of contributing to the team in 2010. Also, if you had to name a couple of "dark horse" prospects who may rise through the system fast, at any level, who would they be?-- Rob P., Morgan Hill, Calif.
You've probably already seen the likeliest contributors. Right-hander Waldis Joaquin and left-hander Dan Runzler look like they can provide bullpen depth. As for prospects on a stealthy rise, maybe it's wrong to characterize a pair of third-round draft picks as "dark horses," but I've got my eye on outfielder Roger Kieschnick and infielder Chris Dominguez, due to their ability to sock the ball.
Do you see the Giants going after Chone Figgins?-- Ryan D., Novato, Calif.
If they're not considering Figgins, they should. Figgins, whose 101 walks and .395 on-base percentage this year for the Angels were career highs, would complement the free swingers in the Giants' lineup. He'll be 32 next Opening Day, so he conceivably has a few years left at peak effectiveness. And he earned "only" $5.78 million this season, suggesting that he'll be affordable even with a pay increase.
To solve the Bengie Molina situation, why don't we just offer him salary arbitration? If he accepts, we get him for another season and Buster Posey gets some Major League experience. If he declines, two things could happen: He signs elsewhere and the Giants get two draft picks; or he becomes the Jason Varitek of 2010 and he comes back to us on the cheap. I like all of the possibilities.-- Jason F., Salinas, Calif.
I doubt that Molina will return to the Giants "on the cheap." Some team out there is going to woo him with the multi-year deal he wants. But I do believe that the Giants should offer him arbitration. As Jason outlined, that's virtually a no-lose scenario for the Giants.
Where does Eugenio Velez fit into the plans for 2010? Is he coming into Spring Training with a job to lose, or will he be competing for a roster spot again? It seems to me that once his confidence is up, he is a great leadoff hitter. He just needs a little more seasoning. And maybe my biased love for the Giants skewed my vision, but I actually think he looked decent in the outfield, with a couple of mishaps here and there. If he does come back, where do you think he fits best, whether it be on the bench or in the starting lineup?-- Alex G., Cooper City, Fla.
My sense is that Velez will compete for a starting job. If the Giants obtain hitters who ultimately fill the outfield complement, Velez will be a utility man, playing second base and occupying the fourth outfielder's role. His speed makes him a handy guy to have. And you're correct about Velez's fielding. He gained confidence out there.
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Do you think Nate Schierholtz is an everyday player, given his struggles against right-handed pitching (.242 this season)? A friend of mine believes Schierholtz is a stud. I disagree. Am I the only guy who sees Schierholtz as a platoon player, or at best a fourth outfielder?
-- Max R., Santa Rosa, Calif.
Schierholtz is at a stage in his development similar to where Fred Lewis was a couple of years ago. The Giants knew Lewis had skills but didn't truly know how good he was. Now, after Lewis' promising 2008 and disappointing 2009, they have a better idea of his game (Lewis himself likely would disagree). But the Giants needed to play him to find out.
This year, Schierholtz probably felt like a restaurant patron who received an appetizer and salad but was denied his entree. Whenever he seemed to be on the brink of securing an everyday role he injured himself, fell into a hitting slump or sat helplessly as manager Bruce Bochy suddenly bypassed him. Overall, Schierholtz has looked impressive enough to play more frequently, if not regularly. I'd like to see him get more of an opportunity.
Would the Giants be looking to fill one less spot in the lineup if they had kept Pedro Feliz? Pablo Sandoval could have played first base and they would have been a much stronger team. The Phillies don't seem to be complaining about Feliz.-- Leonard B., Kingsburg, Calif.
If I remember correctly, the Giants offered Feliz as much as the Phillies did, if not more, when he became a free agent before the 2008 season. Feliz was apparently bent on going elsewhere -- though you couldn't tell from his visits to the Giants clubhouse when Philadelphia plays at San Francisco.
After seeing how the National League West played out, what improvements and acquisitions do you see the Dodgers, Rockies and D-backs making this offseason? Should the Giants make acquisitions based on their competitors' transactions?-- Allan, Nicaragua
While teams always monitor their closest rivals, it's axiomatic that making player moves based on an opponent's strategy is foolish. Ultimately, on and off the field, all any team can control is its own performance. The Giants know they have to obtain a legitimate hitter somehow. They shouldn't worry about Los Angeles' perceived need for an ace pitcher and a second baseman, Colorado's wish for right-handed hitting help and Arizona's hopes for world peace -- oops, another starting pitcher or two. Just making sure you're still paying attention!
If it boiled down to it, who would be a better fit for the Giants, Matt Holliday or Jason Bay?
-- Kevin N., San Jose, Calif.
Bay's defense gives him a slight edge. He's considered only average with the glove, but that's better than Holliday. At the plate, Holliday's more productive, but not by much. His 162-game average is .318, with a .387 on-base percentage, a .545 slugging percentage, 29 home runs and 112 RBI. Bay's corresponding numbers are .280, .376, .519, 33 and 107.
With Tim Lincecum losing 4 mph on his fastball by end of the season, would it be prudent for the Giants to explore a trade for him? You see, I remember Mark "The Bird" Fidrych ...-- Ken B., Palisades Park, N.J.
I could begin an explanation of how power pitchers often lose a little zip toward the end of the season, or how Lincecum remained an elite performer with just 90 percent of his velocity, or how Lincecum's mechanically more sound than Fidrych. Instead, the heck with that analytical stuff. Let's wrap this up simply: Is anybody else out there thinking the same thing?
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
