4 Reasons the SF Giants Are Doomed If They Don't Make a Change This Offseason

On November 7th, just over a year after the Giants won the World Series in an improbable way, San Francisco traded Jonathan Sanchez to the Royals for Melky Cabrera.  

The Giants have struggled mightily at the plate in the past few seasons and it's no secret that in order to win baseball games you simply must score runs.  

On the other hand, GM Brian Sabean's philosophy of maturing young pitching talent and actually using it (rather than dangling it as trade value) has been relatively successful.  

In fact, that's part of what made it so unbelievable that the Giants actually pulled off a World Series—they made it to the playoffs without any real hitters.  From there, they relied on stellar pitching and a few career performances at the plate. 

From now on, if the Giants retain Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, it seems like they'll never have to look back.  They just have to learn how to win the NL West first with Barry Zito as their 5th starter.  (Don't worry, this is the last year you'll ever have to deal with Zito's sub-par pitching performances). 

MLB's new playoff rules definitely favor the Giants in the long run and it will be interesting to see how they benefit. 

All of this is good news. The bad news is that they got rid of Sanchez and got a mediocre outfielder in Cabrera who will have to learn how to hit NL pitching after playing six of his seven seasons in the AL.  He could be a solid leadoff hitter for the Giants, but even if he figures out a way to eclipse his career high .360 OBP, the Giants need someone else. 

Here's five reasons why the Giants will still fall short of the playoffs if they don't get some real offensive help. 

A Pathetic Situation in the Outfield

The San Francisco Giants have fielded some of the best outfielders in the history of the game. Willie Mays and Barry Bonds are two that come to mind, in case you've never heard of them. 

Obviously we can't expect the Giants to be fielding Hall of Famers at all times.  At this point, assuming they don't re-sign (clubhouse Black Plague) Carlos Beltran, the Giants are looking at starting Cabrera, Nate Schierholtz and either Justin Christian or Andres Torres. 

Let me back up for a second.  I'm hoping they won't re-sign Beltran even though I know Sabean is currently pushing extremely hard to do so.

Here's why I don't think they should resign him:

After July 28, when Beltran was brought to the Giants in a deal that sent top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler to the Mets, the Giants went 25-32.  They lost their first five, including an atrocious sweep in Cincinnati and a poor 1-for-3 effort against division rival Arizona.  

I'm not so sure that Beltran's presence was truly cancerous in nature but it doesn't look good, particularly because the Giants are known for having a fairly loose and open clubhouse atmosphere.  (The Giants were also hurt all year. It's a typical excuse but in this case, losing Jonathan Sanchez, Brian Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, and Buster Posey for significant periods of time seems like a legitimate reason for missing the playoffs). 

Melky Cabrera can lead off and will be a positive addition for the Giants. Whether or not it was worth giving up a solid young pitching talent in Jonathan Sanchez remains to be seen. Nate Schierholtz is an absolute baller and once he gets healthy can be a very useful five-tool player. Other than that, 2012 looks slightly bleak for anyone roaming the outfield. 

(Just a note: Struggling veteran Aaron Rowand got cut at the end of last year, along with Miguel Tejada. He would have played the OF for sure but instead the Giants decided let him go. He made $13.6 million last year. And will make that same amount again next year. Ahem.) 

Nobody Has a Clue How Buster Will React

On May 26, Marlins OF Scott Cousins rocked the Giants' world when he crashed into Buster Posey at home plate, knocking him out for the season. He broke a bone in his leg and has spent every day since the injury rehabbing and working his way back to the field. According to Giants trainer Dave Groeschner, "He still knows he's got to work on his lower leg and ankle all the way to spring training."

Yes, the signs are positive in terms of Posey recovering from his injury.  There is no reason to believe that he won't be 100% healthy by Opening Day.  

The real concern lies in the susceptibility of his ankle. Anyone who has ever rolled an ankle on the court, or stepped in a hole while playing soccer knows that ankle injuries are one of the scariest to sustain.  

Imagine being plowed over at full speed and snapping a bone in half and you begin to understand why Buster is in such a fragile mental state.  

Posey himself has noted that the thing he is most worried about is running.  I'm most worried that his ankle is going to stay weak behind the plate and eventually it's not going to support his knees.  Catching is an absolute grind and there's no way to avoid needing strong legs to do it consistently.  

My proposal—put youngster Brandon Belt in the outfield, let him get his bearings during spring training, and move Posey to first.  Forever.  Top prospect Hector Sanchez needs the experience in the majors anyways and while he can't catch every day, Chris Stewart proved that he can handle a sizable number of innings behind the plate. Sure, he's a terrible hitter but he's got a rifle on his shoulder and he's handled the Giants pitching staff well. 

Sorry, Eli Whiteside. It's time to go. I'll miss the guy (and his inexplicably gray hair). 

The Weez: Will Brian Wilson Ever Be the Same?

I was Wilson's biggest fan when he surfaced in 2006.  Right up until somewhere around the All-Star break this year, I was into him as a player and I thought he was pretty funny.  In terms of the Giants being a business and attracting customers, there has been nothing better than Wilson's wacky personality and strange appearance.  

The problem is this: despite having 170 saves and a solid 1.33 WHIP in his career, he only pitched four innings total in the final two months of the season.  Elbow problems have been a problem for Wilson in the past, as he converted from a starting pitcher at LSU to a closer in the majors (how funny is that bio picture?)

One time, I heard Wilson (I honestly can't remember where, perhaps a TV show of some kind) describe his reasoning for converting from a starter to a closer.  He said that in order to avoid shagging batting practice balls the day after he started, he'd prefer to never be a part of that insane ritual.  

As a closer, he'll never have to do that. (He was obviously kidding, he needed Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his elbow and given his velocity and ability to throw four pitches, it only made sense to convert to closing.)

As an unhealthy closer, he'll never have to put baseball pants on again. Fortunately, I believe Wilson will be fine and dominate again at some point again in the future.  

Doctors say that his elbow is merely inflamed (and I'm guessing overworked from a heavy workload in the previous two seasons). I'm actually more concerned that I won't be able to stand him anymore. 

Can We Just Play a Rover Please? Seriously, Who Is the Giants' SS?

Options at Shortstop: 

Orlando Cabrera: Played 39 games for the Giants, got on base 24% of the time, and made 5 errors.  At least he's typical of the last 20 years for the Giants at SS.  His age concerns me and I think Sabean shares this sentiment.  He likely was brought in to provide some clubhouse playoff experience.  Since they missed the playoffs, I don't see Cabrera lasting.   

Brandon Crawford: Hit .204 in nearly 200 ABs.  His range at SS is questionable although I think he is a great young kid and overall, I'd prefer to put him out there as opposed to Cabrera. 

Mike Fontenot: The Birdman! (No, not that Birdman).  I just think Fontenot kinda looks like a bird.  He may honestly be the best option at SS. He didn't hit that well (.227) but he gets on base quite a bit more than both Cabrera and Crawford (.304 last year, .322 in his career).  He's an extremely up and down hitter but when you look at him walk up to the plate there is a certain amount of optimism you have with him that doesn't really exist with any of the previous options. 

I never thought bringing back Johnnie LeMaster sounded even remotely attractive. Somehow, a shortstop that hits .222 would actually be favorable to the current situation.