Predictions for Each Top Acquisition's Career with the San Francisco Giants
While National League West rivals like the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks have made some major moves, the San Francisco Giants have stayed mostly under the radar.
Although the Giants made a strong push for big-name free agents—like Pablo Sandoval and Jon Lester—general manager Brian Sabean ultimately stayed true to form, signing and trading for valuable players who were not the marquee names.
Although this approach can be frustrating to fans hoping for Sabean and the Giants to make a big splash, one cannot argue that it has been extremely successful. Three world championships in five years validates Sabean's approach. His ability to build a roster that fits well together cannot be questioned.
This winter, either through trade or the free-agent market, Sabean has added players. Third baseman Casey McGehee, outfielder Nori Aoki, outfielder/first baseman Travis Ishikawa and pitchers Jake Peavy and Sergio Romo.
Only McGehee and Aoki are new to the Giants, as Ishikawa, Peavy and Romo were key contributors to the 2014 World Series team.
Although the Giants could still use another quality starting pitcher, it does not look like they will make any major additions at this point.
The Giants have four major question marks in their starting rotation. Tim Hudson is 39 years of age and just had ankle surgery. Matt Cain has had two surgeries, one to his elbow and the other to his ankle. Jake Peavy will be 34 years of age in May, and he struggled in the first half of 2014. Tim Lincecum has been extremely inconsistent.
It is highly unlikely that all four of these uncertainties will work out well over the course of a long season. Therefore, look for Sabean to make a deal before the trade deadline in July, if the starting rotation needs to be fortified.
Let's take a look at how these five acquisitions will work out for the Giants this year and over the duration of their contracts.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, and all salary data courtesy of BaseballProspectus.com.
Casey McGehee
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Casey McGehee is a strong competitor and a solid hitter. His intense attitude and professionalism should fit well in the Giants clubhouse.
After playing the 2013 season in Japan, McGehee had an excellent year in 2014 with the Miami Marlins. The key with McGehee has always been his health, and when healthy, he has always produced.
In 2014, McGehee played in a career-high 160 games and had 616 at-bats. He hit .287, with an OBP of .355 and OPS of .712. Although McGehee only had four home runs, he did have 29 doubles and drove in 76 runs. He won the NL Comeback Player of the Year for his performance.
In comparison, in 588 at-bats, Pablo Sandoval hit .279, with an OBP of .324 and OPS of .739. Sandoval hit 16 home runs, 12 more than McGehee, but had only 73 RBI, which was three fewer than the Giants' new third baseman.
The stats are fairly similar—the main difference is the price tag. At $95 million over five years, an average of about $19 million per year, Sandoval is about $15 million more than what McGehee will make in 2015.
If McGehee stays healthy, he will be a good run producer for the Giants. He is a solid line-drive hitter and should fare well at AT&T Park.
Travis Ishikawa
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The 2014 season was an amazing roller coaster of a ride for Travis Ishikawa. He opened the year as the starting first baseman for the Pirates, but he was released before the end of April.
Ishikawa signed a minor league contract with the Giants but languished in Fresno, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate. Ishikawa was so down on himself that he considered quitting the game.
Injuries to Brandon Belt forced manager Bruce Bochy to move Michael Morse from left field to first base and open up a roster spot. Ishikawa was summoned back to the majors, and the rest is history.
Ann Killion reported on SFGate.com how Ishikawa went from nearly giving up on baseball to becoming a hero for the Giants. Ishikawa will forever be remembered by Giants fans for his incredible walk-off home run in the ninth inning against the Cardinals in the NLCS. Ishikawa's blast sent the Giants to the World Series.
Ishikawa, a first baseman by trade, has increased his value to the Giants by proving that he can handle left field. Bochy gave Ishikawa a chance to play left field as the 2014 season wound down, even though he had never played the position.
With Morse injured and Belt back at first base, Ishikawa did a credible job in left field, and his bat was superior to the Giants' other option, Juan Perez.
Bochy's hunch paid off for Ishikawa and the Giants, as he ultimately could have been the MVP of the NLCS, but the award went to Madison Bumgarner. In the NLCS, Ishikawa hit .385, with an OBP of .429 and OPS of 1.198. In addition to his home run, Ishikawa added two doubles and drove in seven runs over five games.
The Giants rewarded Ishikawa with a one-year, $1.1 million contract. Not bad for a player who was almost out of baseball in July.
There is no guarantee that Ishikawa will make the 25-man roster out of spring training. The Giants typically carry five reserves, and with one being a backup catcher, that leaves four open spots.
The addition of Nori Aoki means that Gregor Blanco will be one of those reserves, as will Joaquin Arias, most likely. Ishikawa will battle Perez, Hector Sanchez and Matt Duffy for the remaining two spots.
Even if Ishikawa does not make the Opening Day roster, you can bet he won't be thinking of quitting this time around. Over the course of a long, 162-game season, Ishikawa will get his chance.
Jake Peavy
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Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy obviously knew something was wrong with Matt Cain in mid-July. Cain ultimately underwent elbow surgery in August, and his season was done.
With several top pitchers on the market—like Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija, John Lackey, Jason Hammel and David Price—the Giants' acquisition of Jake Peavy was met largely with disdain.
However, no pitcher proved more valuable to his new team than Peavy. Had it not been for his stellar performance down the stretch, the Giants would not have even made the playoffs.
Peavy struggled over the first half of 2014 with the Red Sox. He was 1-9, with an ERA of 4.72 and a WHIP of 1.427. In 124 innings, he allowed 131 hits and 46 walks, while striking out 100.
However, after being reunited with Bochy, his former manager in San Diego, Peavy was rejuvenated. His competitive nature shone through, and Peavy quickly bonded with his teammates and became a fan favorite.
In 12 starts with the Giants, Peavy went 6-4, with an ERA of 2.17 and a WHIP of 1.042. In 78.2 innings of work, Peavy allowed 65 hits and 17 walks, while striking out 58.
After missing out on the Lester sweepstakes, the Giants signed Peavy to a two-year, $24 million contract.
With both Tim Lincecum and Tim Hudson at the end of their contracts after the upcoming season, it was important for the Giants to lock in at least one additional starter to go along with Bumgarner and Cain.
Expect Peavy to continue to pitch well at AT&T Park and under Bochy and pitching coach Dave Righetti. The large and boisterous crowds in San Francisco will give Peavy an added boost, as he thrives on emotion. A 10-win season is not too much to ask from Peavy this year.
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Sergio Romo
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Sergio Romo opted to return to the San Francisco Giants, signing a two-year, $15 million deal. He is one of only a few players to play on all three of the Giants' championship teams.
In a report detailing a phone conversation Romo had on KNBR radio—the Giants' flagship station—CSNBayArea.com indicated that Romo said he had bigger offers and for an extra year. Ultimately, Romo chose to remain a Giant because he was very happy in San Francisco and wanted to stay.
Romo is no longer the San Francisco closer, having lost the job during a particularly rough stretch last summer. However, Romo is the Giants' right-handed setup man and a bridge to closer Santiago Casilla.
After getting off to a good start last season, Romo struggled from about mid-June to late July, when he lost command of his slider. From June 13 through July 19, Romo threw 10.2 innings and allowed 13 earned runs.
Romo suddenly found his slider, and from July 22 through the end of the year, he was once again outstanding. In 19.1 innings over the course of that stretch, Romo allowed only two earned runs.
Romo's hot streak continued into the postseason. He appeared in nine games, working seven innings and allowing only one earned run.
The Giants bullpen has been a strength of the team in each of their championship seasons, and Romo is an integral component of that group. As long as he is not overworked and his slider has its bite, Romo is a very effective pitcher.
Nori Aoki
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The Giants solidified themselves in the outfield by signing free agent Nori Aoki. This gives the Giants another speedy outfielder, a good defensive player and a high on-base guy.
Aoki will start in left field, which will enable Bochy to use Gregor Blanco as his fourth outfielder, a role he is better suited in than starting every day. The signing of Aoki also provides some cushion if, or perhaps we should say when, Angel Pagan is hurt.
Ideally, the Giants would have added more power than what Aoki delivers, but his high OBP and speed can help manufacture runs.
In 2014, over 491 at-bats with the Kansas City Royals, Aoki hit .285, with one home run and 43 RBI. Aoki had a strong OBP at .349, and his OPS was .710. He also had 17 stolen bases.
Aoki has been remarkably consistent over his three seasons in the major leagues. He has a .287 career batting average and a .353 career OBP. The spacious outfield at AT&T Park should help Aoki, as he is not a power hitter anyway.
Another benefit Aoki brings to the Giants is that he can hit at the top of the order, particularly when Pagan is not playing. This is something Blanco never excelled at, as he was more productive hitting down in the order.
The signing of Aoki is another relatively low-profile move by Brian Sabean, but it is this type of acquisition that has proven quite valuable for the Giants. Aoki fills a need and is a positive addition for the Giants.
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