San Francisco Giants: 6 Options for Replacing Freddie Sanchez
It happened in the fifth inning of Friday night's eventual 3-2 walk-off win by San Francisco over Cincinnati.
Giants second baseman Freddie Sanchez made a full-extension dive to his right to stop a ground ball from escaping the infield.
Sanchez corralled the ball before collapsing in a heap, writhing in pain clutching his right arm. Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters after the game that Sanchez had suffered a dislocated shoulder and would be more fully evaluated Saturday.
If it is a "simple" dislocation, his absence might be confined to a few weeks. Early indications are that Sanchez will be on the disabled list for 15 days. That's encouraging news.
Bochy does the "stiff upper lip" thing as well as any manager, but even he appeared a bit ashen while discussing this latest in a series of devastating injuries to key contributors.
How much more of this can his club absorb?
And how will the Giants adapt? Here are six options after the Freddie Sanchez injury.
(Update: The Giants signed former Astro Bill Hall earlier today; see option #6 for comment)
Mike Fontenot—If He's Healthy
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Veteran utility infielder Mike Fontenot has already been an emergency replacement, taking over earlier this year at shortstop when Pablo Sandoval was injured and Miguel Tejada moved to third base.
The 31-year-old Fontenot filled in admirably. For a brief spell, Bochy, desperate for offense, inserted Fontenot in the 3-hole in the lineup.
Then, the former Cub injured his groin and went on the DL. He has been on a rehab assignment with Fresno and was on his way toward an imminent return—until last night, when he left a game early after the groin tightened.
If Fontenot isn't facing a longer recovery, the Giants might stand pat for the time being and await his return.
Another Shot for Manny Burriss
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The 26-year-old Burriss is in just his fourth big-league season; it just seems like it's been longer.
A 2006 first-round draft pick out of Kent State University, Burriss was signed as a shortstop and played there for 47 games in San Francisco after his initial call-up in 2008.
Burriss was subsequently moved to second base, playing there for 41 games in 2009 and another 61 games in 2010 before suffering a foot injury that sidelined him for most of the next two seasons.
This year, Burriss has filled in at third, short and second.
Two arguments for using him in place of Sanchez: 1) He's been steadier defensively at 2B than other positions. 2) He's healthy and available, giving GM Brian Sabean a bit more flexibility with the roster.
Two arguments against him: 1) He's been spotty defensively, committing another error Friday night 2) He's not a run-producer (33 career RBI in 550 plate appearances).
Try Tejada
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Signed last offseason to fill the void created by the departures of Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe, Miguel Tejada played 27 games at shortstop before moving to third base after Pablo Sandoval's hand injury.
Tejada was, in a word, awful. He committed six errors, showed poor range and struggled badly at the plate.
He has been materially better defensively since moving to 3B (one error in 31 games) but continued to scuffle at the plate. Until a few days ago, he appeared likelier headed for the waiver wire than a new position in the Giants infield.
This week, however, Tejada's bat has shown signs of life; he's accumulated four doubles in two games against the Reds.
If this rejuvenation continues, Tejada offers a better source of offense than Burriss. On the other hand, he has never played 2B as a major leaguer.
With Pablo Sandoval returning Tuesday, Bruce Bochy needs to find a spot for Tejada (as long as he continues to hit). The injury to Sanchez might have created a new option.
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Move Crawford
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Several related circumstances might oblige Bochy to consider moving rookie Brandon Crawford temporarily from shortstop to 2B.
The argument might go like this:
Sandoval's return displaces Tejada (perhaps; see next slide for another view).
A need for run production persuades Bochy to keep Tejada in the lineup and favors playing Crawford over Burriss.
Tejada's lack of defensive range is a problem whether he plays SS or 2B.
Since neither Tejada nor Crawford has played 2B, Bochy leaves the veteran at a position (SS) with which he's far better acquainted and asks the younger Crawford to adapt.
You might call this the "old dog" strategy.
Promote Charlie Culberson
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Charlie Culberson was the Giants' 2007 first-round draft pick, out of Calhoun, GA High School.
He's had a slow ascent through the Giants farm system, spending two years at Class-A Augusta before going to high-A San Jose a year ago. He's been with AA Richmond this season.
Culberson struggled badly at Augusta, batting .234 and .246 in 2008 and 2009, with 110 strikeouts in '09. Promoted to San Jose a year ago, he rebounded with a .290/16 HR/71 RBI campaign (he did strike out 99 times).
This year, he's batting .266 with 20 RBI (and 58 K's).
Worse still, Culberson committed 75 errors in two full seasons at Augusta. He was better at San Jose (15 E's, .975 fielding percentage) and has been passable at Richmond (eight E's in 56 games).
The Giants continue talking up Culberson as a high-value prospect, but his numbers don't appear to justify a promotion now.
Make a Deal
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How long can the San Francisco Giants continue to lead their division (by two games entering play Saturday) while enduring one injury after another?
No one knows. But their formula—terrific pitching, occasionally timely hitting, dominance in one-run games, especially at home—becomes less tenable as regulars continue going down.
Before losing Sanchez, GM Brian Sabean had to be seriously considering trading for catching help. He's unlikely to consider looking elsewhere for middle-infield help until the extent of Sanchez's injury is clearer.
If Sanchez is lost for an extended period and viable internal options are exhausted, where might Sabean look for a fill-in second baseman?
He signed veteran journeyman Bill Hall on Saturday; that's a yawner move. Hall's last decent all-around year was 2008, with Milwaukee (55 RBI's, 38 extra base hits). He had some decent numbers with Boston last year. but it's hard to fathom that this is Sabean's last move.
Another option is Oakland, where the A's might look to unload veterans with expiring contracts. Mark Ellis is having a disappointing year—.211 and 15 RBI—but he's averaged 65 RBI a year over a distinguished nine-year career and would be a dependable fill-in. The A's likely would absorb some of his 2011 contract and would accept minor league prospects in return.
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