Bruce Jenkins Finally Right about Something

For those of you who read the San Francisco Chronicle, I’m not a huge fan of sportswriter Bruce Jenkins.  He’s not an idiot, but he’s one of those sports writers who puts too much credence in the old convention wisdom that was categorically disproved 20 years ago.  I always get the impression that he learned about baseball from the sports writers of the 1950’s or ’60’s and has gotten more and more crusty as he himself has aged.

However, he got it right in today’s column. 

The Giants, at least until they find themselves no more than 2 games behind the NL West or wild-card leader in late July, should not even consider trading young talent for a currently hot-hitting veteran like Nick Johnson or Adam Dunn.  Yes, I know it’s tempting.  The Giants’ offense stinks, and a player like Johnson or Dunn would really help.  Nevertheless, the Giants have to see themselves as in a rebuilding mode.  The fact is the Dodgers really are good (29-14, even without Manny, as I write this), and they have a lot of young players.  The Padres are actively trying to rebuild with young players.  The D-Backs young players have, for the most part, disappointed big-time this year.  However, these teams are all likely to get better (or in the Dodgers’ case, stay good) for the next few years.

If the Giants make a trade to try to win 88 games this year and somehow sneak into the playoffs, it probably won’t work (one player just doesn’t make that much difference), and they will be getting back on the same treadmill of failing to develop young players that has delivered them four consecutive losing seasons already, tying the all-time San Francisco record for futility.   This year needs to be spent trying to develop young players.  If at the end of this season, they’ve proven that their own young players aren’t any good, they can look into trades or bringing free agents without having to pay late July trade-deadline prices.