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How Brian Sabean Constructed the World Champion Giants: A Transaction Timeline
October 25, 2010How Brian Sabean Constructed the World Champion Giants: A Transaction Timeline
With the bubbly still flowing onto the carpet in the visitors’ locker room and the Giants reveling in the franchise’s first world championship in 56 years, I thought it would be interesting to press the rewind button and review how exactly general manager Brian Sabean put Team Torture together.
In this chronological history, I mark how every player on the 40-man roster was acquired over the last eight years, not just to illustrate that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but also the situation the franchise faces now that this unforgettable season has come to an end.
2002: Cain and Ishikawa
June 4, 2002
Starting pitcher Matt Cain (pictured) is selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (25th overall) out of Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee.
(2010 salary: $4,583,333 – signed through 2012)
June 5, 2002
First baseman Travis Ishikawa is selected in the 21st round of the MLB Draft (637th overall) out of Federal Way High School in Washington.
(2010 salary: $417,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration in 2012)
2003: Sandoval and Wilson
May 8, 2003
Undrafted amateur catcher turned third baseman Pablo Sandoval of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, signs a free agent contract.
(2010 salary: $465,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration in 2012)
June 3, 2003
Right fielder Nate Schierholtz is selected in the second round of the MLB Draft (62nd overall) out of Chabot College in Oakland, California.
(2010 salary: $416,500 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration in 2012)
June 4, 2003
Converted starter turned closer Brian Wilson (pictured) is selected in the 24th round of the MLB Draft (723rd overall) out of Louisiana State University.
(2010 salary: $6,500,000 – signed through 2012)
October 31, 2003
Undrafted pitcher Waldis Joaquin of La Vega, Dominican Republic, signs a free agent contract.
(2010 salary: $400,500 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
2004: J. Sanchez
June 8, 2004
Starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez (pictured) is selected in the 27th round of the MLB Draft (820th overall) out of Escuela Superior Blanca Maloret High School in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.
(2010 salary: $2,100,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
2005: Romo
June 8, 2005
Relief pitcher Alex Hinshaw is selected in the 15th round of the MLB Draft (462nd overall) out of San Diego State.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
June 8, 2005
Relief pitcher Sergio Romo (pictured) is selected in the 28th round of the MLB Draft (852nd overall) out of Mesa State University in Grand Junction, Colorado.
(2010 salary: $416,500 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
December 8, 2005
Utility player Eugenio Velez is selected in the first round of the Triple-A Phase of the Rule 5 Draft (seventh overall) from the Toronto Blue Jays.
(2010 salary: $416,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
2006: Lincecum and Bochy
January 2006
Undrafted amateur outfielder Francisco Peguero of Nigua, Dominican Republic, signs a free agent contract.
(2010 salary: $416,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
January 2006 (approx.)
Undrafted relief pitcher Henry Sosa of El Seybo, Dominican Republic, signs a free agent contract.
(2010 salary: $416,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
June 6, 2006
Starting pitcher Tim Lincecum (pictured) is selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (tenth overall) out of the University of Washington.
(2010 salary: $9,000,000 – signed through 2011)
June 6, 2006
Second baseman Emmanuel Burriss is selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (33rd overall) out of Kent State University.
(2010 salary: $410,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
June 6, 2006
Third baseman Ryan Rohlinger is selected in the sixth round of the MLB Draft (176th overall) out of the University of Oklahoma.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
June 6, 2006
Starting pitcher Kevin Pucetas is selected in the 17th round of the MLB Draft (506th overall) out of Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
June 6, 2006
First baseman Brett Pill is selected in the seventh round of the MLB Draft (206th overall) out of California State Fullerton.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
October 27, 2006
Manager Bruce Bochy, formerly of San Diego, signs a three-year contract.
(2010 salary: undisclosed – signed through 2011; club option for 2012)
December 29, 2006
Free agent starting pitcher Barry Zito, formerly of Oakland, signs a seven-year deal worth $126 million.
(2010 salary: $18,500,000 – signed through 2013; club option or buyout in 2014)
2007: MadBum and Rowand
June 7, 2007
Starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (pictured) is selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (tenth overall) out of South Caldwell High School in Hudson, North Carolina.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
June 7, 2007
Relief pitcher Dan Runzler is selected in the ninth round of the MLB Draft (284th overall) out of the University of California, Riverside.
(2010 salary: $400,500 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
December 12, 2007
Free agent center fielder Aaron Rowand, formerly of Philadelphia, signs a five-year, $60 million contract.
(2010 salary: $13,600,000 – signed through 2012)
2008: Posey, Affeldt, and Renteria
June 5, 2008
Catcher Gerald “Buster” D. Posey III (pictured) is selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (fifth overall) out of Florida State University.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
June 5, 2008
Third baseman Conor Gillaspie is selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (37th overall) out of Florida State University.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
July 20, 2008
Milwaukee trades minor league outfielder Darren Ford and minor league pitcher Steve Hammond to San Francisco for second baseman Ray Durham.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
November 17, 2008
Free agent relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, formerly of Cincinnati, signs a two-year deal worth $8 million.
(2010 salary: $4,000,000 – last year of deal; club option or buyout for 2011)
December 4, 2008
Free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria, formerly of Detroit, signs a two-year deal with a club option for a third year worth a total of $18.5 million.
(2010 salary: $10,000,000 – last year of deal; club option or buyout for 2011)
2009: Uribe, Torres, and F. Sanchez
January 9, 2009
Free agent third baseman/utility infielder Juan Uribe (pictured), formerly of the Chicago White Sox, signs a minor league deal.
(2010 salary: $3,250,000 – last year of deal; club option for 2011)
January 9, 2009
Free agent center fielder Andres Torres, formerly of the Chicago Cubs, signs a minor league deal.
(2010 salary: $426,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
January 9, 2009
Free agent catcher Eli Whiteside, formerly of Minnesota, signs a minor league deal.
(2010 salary: $405,000 – needs three years of MLB service to be arbitration-eligible)
July 29, 2009
Pittsburgh trades second baseman Freddy Sanchez to San Francisco for minor league pitcher Tim Alderson.
(2010 salary: $6,000,000 – signed through 2011)
December 29, 2009
Free agent utility player Mark DeRosa*, formerly of the Chicago Cubs, signs a two-year contract worth $12 million.
(2010 salary: $6,000,000 – signed through 2011)
*not on 40-man roster (60-day DL)
2010: The Final Pieces...and Ross
January 10, 2010
Free agent first baseman Aubrey Huff, formerly of Detroit, signs a one-year contract.
(2010 salary: $3,000,000 – last year of deal; eligible for free agency)
January 20, 2010
Free agent relief pitcher Santiago Casilla, formerly of Oakland, signs a minor league deal.
(2010 salary: $400,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
February 2, 2010
Free agent relief pitcher Guillermo Mota, formerly of the Los Angeles Dodgers, signs a minor league deal.
(2010 salary: $750,000 – last year of deal; eligible for free agency)
May 29, 2010
Free agent left fielder Pat Burrell**, formerly of Tampa Bay, signs a minor league deal.
(2010 salary: $300,000 – last year of deal; eligible for free agency)
June 30, 2010
Texas trades relief pitcher Chris Ray*** and minor league pitcher Michael Main to San Francisco for catcher Bengie Molina and cash considerations.
(2010 salary: $975,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
July 31, 2010
Pittsburgh trades relief pitcher Javier Lopez to San Francisco for relief pitcher Joe Martinez and right fielder John Bowker.
(2010 salary: $258,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
July 31, 2010
Boston trades relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez to San Francisco for minor league pitcher Dan Turpen.
(2010 salary: $555,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
August 11, 2010
The Chicago Cubs trade utility infielder Mike Fontenot to San Francisco for minor league shortstop Evan Crawford.
(2010 salary: $1,000,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
August 13, 2010
Kansas City trades right fielder Jose Guillen to San Francisco for starting pitcher Kevin Pucetas and cash considerations.
(2010 salary: $250,000 – last year of deal; eligible for free agency)
August 21, 2010
After blocking San Diego’s similar claim, the Giants acquire right fielder Cody Ross (pictured), formerly of Florida, on waivers.
(2010 salary: $1,100,000 – last year of deal; eligible for arbitration)
**As a result of adding Burrell, relief pitcher Brandon Medders was outrighted to Triple-A Fresno on June 4, and his one-year, $820,000 contract is on the 2010 payroll.
***The Giants are still on the hook for $4,000,000 of Molina’s 2010 salary.
Breaking Down the Roster
Via MLB Draft (16)^:
Cain, Ishikawa, Schierholtz, Wilson, J. Sanchez, Hinshaw, Romo, Lincecum, Burriss, Rohlinger, Pucetta, Pill, Bumgarner, Runzler, Posey, Gillaspie
Via Trade (7):
Ford, F. Sanchez, Ray, Lopez, Ramirez, Fontenot, Guillen
Via Free Agency/Minor League Deal (6):
Uribe, Torres, Whiteside, Casilla, Mota, Burrell
Via Standard Free Agency/Major League Deal (5):
Zito, Rowand, Affeldt, Renteria, Huff (6 if you count DeRosa)
Via Undrafted Amateur Free Agency (4):
Sandoval, Joaquin, Peguero, Sosa
Via Rule 5 Draft (1):
Velez
Via Waivers (1):
Ross
bold denotes on 25-man roster
^all four playoff starting pitchers came through the MLB Draft
Looking at 2011
It will be interesting to see what managing general partner Bill Neukom and team president Larry Baer decide to do about payroll in 2011 considering the Giants’ astonishing run to the World Series this year.
If ownership chooses to build on the momentum of this postseason, I imagine they would open up the checkbook. Currently, the payroll sits slightly under $99 million, and with a little more leeway from a profitable season, Sabean could very well have a little over $100 million to play with in the winter.
Based on the aforementioned numbers, the departed Bengie Molina’s contract will immediately come off the books. The team will cut another $820,000 since the duration of the contract with Brandon Medders was for only one year.
In addition, Jose Guillen is completing the final season of a three-year, $36 million deal, and in light of his inability to crack the postseason roster, is probably on his way out. Edgar Renteria has a club option for a very steep $10.5 million, or he could be bought out for $500,000. I don’t see the team bringing back either of them unless they're open to a discount.
The Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand contracts will cost the Giants $81.5 million over the next three seasons, a number that will definitely take a bite out of any potential aggressive moves through standard free agency.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Several key players are eligible for arbitration, and are due sizable raises in the offseason. Andres Torres, Jonathan Sanchez, Javier Lopez, and NLCS MVP Cody Ross are among the members of this group.
Then there are the outright free agents, who will probably command a bidding war or two based on their playoff heroics. Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff immediately come to mind. Sabean was able to pay Pat Burrell peanuts in 2010 by picking him off Tampa Bay’s scrap heap, but his resurgence in the National League will undoubtedly result in a price tag increase.
Perhaps most important of all, the Giants three core hurlers—Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Brian Wilson—will enjoy roughly $10 million in composite raises. That figure will assuredly be taken into account when determining Sabean’s offseason budget.
Maybe the Giants will serendipitously find another franchise cornerstone within the organization. Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner are making the rookie minimum, and neither will be eligible for arbitration. However, it's safe to say that catching lightning in a bottle two years in a row would be wishful thinking at best.
In my last article (link here), I explained how torture aptly explained not only the 2010 season for the San Francisco Giants, but my lifelong fandom of the Orange and Black. But it also might possibly describe the imminent offseason when the team looks to make another run for next year’s Fall Classic.
Information from Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Baseball America, Baseball-Reference.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, and ESPN.com contributed to this report.