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October 29, 2010 Analyze ThisHow the Giants Were Acquired, Part ICall him a genius. Call him just lucky. One way or another, GM Brian Sabean put together a very unique team in San Francisco. A National League championship team that does not include Barry Bonds, but rather nine draft selections raised through the farm system, five journeymen plucked up from the depths of minor-league free agency, and one playoff hero stolen off waivers. Okay, since Sabean had around $98 million to work with in 2010 (more like $58 million when you consider all the money guaranteed to Zito, Rowand, and Renteria), the Giants aren’t quite the storybook team. Nevertheless, it’s impressive to see a “team of scrubs” match-up against a bankrupt ballclub from Texas in the World Series. Let’s breakdown how this Gyros squad came together:
Team Salary: $97.8 million Draft Picks
C Buster Posey: drafted in the first round (fifth overall) in 2008; $6.2 million signing bonus Posey was drafted over catchers Kyle Skipworth (Marlins) and Jason Castro (Astros) in the ’08 draft; two years later, he’s a Rookie of the Year hopeful. Posey led all rookies in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS (.862), while his 32.5 VORP, .300 TAv, and .228 MLVr ranked third among Giants hitters.
1B Travis Ishikawa: drafted in the 21st round in 2002 Ishikawa tallied 158 AB this season, far fewer than in 2009 due to the addition of Aubrey Huff. Ishikawa is a solid defender (1.2 UZR, 7.3 UZR/150), but there was no way manager Bruce Bochy would play Iskakawa over the veteran Huff.
RF Nate Schierholtz: drafted in the second round in 2003 Schierholtz, who played on the 2008 Beijing Olympic squad, was chosen second behind both reliever David Aardsma (22nd overall) and catcher Jeffery Jennings (55th overall) in the 2003 draft (Schierholtz was taken 63rd). Like Ishikawa, Schierholtz can hold his own defensively (6.4 UZR, 17.9 UZR/150), but never did much during his few short stints as a starting outfielder. International Free Agents
3B Pablo Sandoval: signed as an amateur free agent in 2002 Sandoval’s True Average dropped from .314 in 2009 to .253 in 2010. His HR total (25 to 13) and WARP (5.8 to 2.0) also dropped. Though the Panda is a fan favorite at AT&T Park, Bochy has decided to start veteran Juan Uribe at the hot corner this postseason—and for good reason (i.e. his three-run homer off Darren O’Day in Game One of the World Series). Minor League Free Agents
C Eli Whiteside: signed a minor-league contract in 2008, re-signed in 2009 and 2010 It’s not easy backing up a guy named Buster behind the plate, but Whiteside’s play wasn’t too shabby during the regular season. His FPCT in 55 games was .995 with two passed balls and no wild pitches. It helps when you’re catching games started by Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez.
3B Juan Uribe: signed a minor-league contract in 2009, re-signed to a major-league contract in 2010 Uribe’s top-notch play did not start in October. His 20.2 VORP was fourth-best among Giants hitters, and his 24 homers were second on the club behind Aubrey Huff. The White Sox made no attempt to re-sign the versatile infielder during the 2008 offseason, even with manager Ozzie Guillen calling him “the best player you’ll have if you need to put someone at second, third, or short.”* In his biggest moment as part of the black and orange, Uribe’s go-ahead blast in Game Six of the NLCS not only knocked out the Phillies, but gave Giants fans a memory they will never forget. *That was said during the World Series FOX broadcast of Game One
LF Pat Burrell: signed a minor-league contract in 2010 From World Series champ in 2008 to minor-league free agent in 2010, Burrell was on the threshold of being another lost baseball slugger. Luckily, Sabean was desperately in search of a power hitter and decided to give “Pat the Bat” another chance. Burrell’s 676 OPS with the Rays rose to 872 with the Giants (in 289 AB). Surprisingly, he played a fantastic left field (4.9 UZR, 10.7 UZR/150) compared to his career norms (-39.7 UZR, -6.4 UZR/150) after primarily DHing in Tampa Bay.
CF Andres Torres: signed a minor-league contract in 2009 It took Torres six teams (namely the Tigers, White Sox, Rangers, Twins, and Cubs) before he found a home in San Francisco. His speed at the top of the order has been called invaluable, as he stole 26 bases in 2010 (out of 33 chances). That value is shown in his 32.7 VORP, second behind Huff.
Major-league Free Agents 1B Aubrey Huff: signed a one-year contract in 2009
Season salary: $3.0 million Can Huff really be pinned as the Giants “big bat?” Well, he certainly was before Pat came to the city by the way. He was ranked 10th in the National League in 2010 with a .891 OPS and 12th with .506 SLG. He’s been the leader of the Giants lineup all year long, and it’s nice to finally see him on a winning ball club in his 10th Major League season.
SS Edgar Renteria: signed a two-year contract in 2008 with 2011 club option At 35, Renteria is (strangely) the elder member of the Giants’ lineup. He’s never been a superb defender (career 1.7 UZR, 0.2 UZR/150), and has not been the same offensive force since his days with the Cardinals, Red Sox, or Braves. However, he’s been much more valuable to San Francisco this season (9.8 VORP) than in 2009 (5.5 VORP), earning him starts at short in the NLCS and now World Series.
CF Aaron Rowand: signed a five-year contract in 2008 Similar to southpaw Barry Zito, the Giants have a multi-million dollar player wasting away on their bench. Rowand’s career took a turn for the worse after he left Philadelphia in 2007, as his offensive numbers dipped lower and lower every year (.301 TAv in ’07, .262 in ’08, .260 in ’09, .238 in ’10). He lost his job in center this past season to a younger, faster Andres Torres. Rowand remains a defensive wonder, but it’s unlikely he’ll start again in San Francisco. Trades
2B Freddy Sanchez: acquired from the Pirates for minor league RHP Tim Alderson; signed a two-year extension with San Francisco in 2010 Back in July of 2009, Sabean gave the Pirates another soft-tossing prospect for a two-time All-Star second baseman. A second baseman that also won a National League batting title in 2006. Sanchez is a doubles machine (30 XBH, 22 2B in 2010) and plays an above-average second (5.9 UZR, 9.3 UZR/150). At six million a year, one could argue Freddy is a bargain, and even at 32-years old, he could be seeking $10 million or more in the upcoming offseason.
2B Mike Fontenot: acquired from the Cubs for minor league OF Evan Crawford Fontenot was nothing more than an addition to the Giants’ depth chart in August. With four guys (Renteria, Uribe, Sandoval, and Sanchez) simultaneously playing in three spots, no one expected Fontenot to get much playing time. Even so, Sabean now has three more years to control a backup infielder with a .262 TAv. Waiver Claims
RF Cody Ross: claimed off waivers from the Marlins Ross landed in San Francisco for the pure satisfaction of ticking off Padres GM Jed Hoyer in the waiver wire process (the Friars were ahead of the Giants at that point). How did Ross respond from being called nothing more than a managerial insult? 4 HR and 9 XBH in 12 post-season games. That’s a small sample size, but still quite the response. Click here to see part two of "How the Giants Were Acquired," focusing on San Francisco’s pitching staff.
Jesse Behr is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
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Jesse, great article. I wish that the Houston Astros' Ed Wade and ownership would read over this. It is amazing to me that teams who don't have Yankee money still don't seem to understand that past-their-prime free agent players won't produce a winning team. It seems obvious to me that building from the inside is the only way for mid and small market teams to have any success in baseball today. Why aren't more teams actively pursuing this route?