(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
After playing sound baseball in a stretch during mid-May that put San Francisco up four games over .500 and three back of the Dodgers, the Giants have since lost nine of their last 14 games.
Due to their continued offensive struggles over that span, which saw the G-Men score just five runs over a four game stretch, Giants General Manager Brian Sabean has decided to intensify his search for a new bat in the lineup.
The goal for the Giants going into the season was to play solid ball during the first half of the season and be within striking distance of first place come the July trade deadline.
However, the need for a bat isn't solely based on the Giants poor offensive numbers. Added to the mix is that the division leading Dodgers are actually performing to the point where they now hold the best record in baseball.
With these two factors combining to put San Francisco nine games back and sitting in third place, the Giants organization has made the point to speed up their time table in acquiring a hitter.
Over the last few days there had been rumors that the Giants were willing to part ways with their 24-year-old ace Matt Cain. But even though nothing can be ruled out entirely, the likelihood that a team offers the Giants an absolute stud bat in return is very low. Therefore Giants fans can relax and take comfort knowing that the front-office will not trade their young horse unless the deal is overwhelmingly in the Giants favor.
That being said, the scenario that is most likely to occur is that of a trade involving Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez.
Although Sanchez is currently 2-4 with a 4.60 era, the 26-year-old lefty is coming off two solid starts and when in command of the strikezone, he is as unhittable as any pitcher in the league.
Most reports have the Giants rumored to be interested in a trade that would swap Sanchez and maybe another Giants player for either Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins, Nick Johnson of the Washington Nationals, or the Cleveland Indians' Mark Derosa.
Uggla, the second baseman for the Marlins, is a two-time all-star but is hitting just .203, with eight home runs and 30 RBI's, the same power numbers as Bengie Molina. While still somewhat young at age, 29, Uggla is a career .257 hitter and despite his ability to hit 30 homers in a season, he is not the offensive threat the Giants need.
Not only does Uggla not hit for average, but he plays primarily second base, a position right now manned by Emmanuel Burriss. Despite hitting just .258 this season, Burriss is third in the national league with 11 stolen bases and in only 391 career at-bats has hit .274.
The speed factor combined with a solid average, Burriss' upside is tremendous. Add to the fact that his defense at second base or shortstop is absolutely superb, the Giants need Burriss playing everyday.
Nick Johnson of the Nationals is hitting an astounding .329, but has hit just four home runs on the season while he is career is a .273 hitter. The first baseman has hit over 20 home runs just once in his eight seasons at the big league level. Johnson also missed all of 2007 with a broken leg and played in just 38 games last season upon his return.
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