What It All Means for the Offense: Brett Pill Promoted, Rowand and Tejada Gone

Giants beat writer Andrew Baggarly reports that the defending champs have purchased the contract of slugging first baseman Brett Pill from the Fresno Grizzlies, and have designated Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada for assignment.

Baggarly also reports that Giants general manager Brian Sabean will try and trade Rowand and Tejada today, with San Francisco willing to eat Rowand's remaining $12 million salary.

The Giants also activated outfielder Pat Burrell off the disabled list. Burrell hit 18 home runs in 96 games with San Francisco in 2010.

These significant moves come the morning after the Giants lost their 21st game in their last 31, with their infamously-futile offense hitting new lows daily.

The Giants are last in the National League with a .238 batting average, and last in all of baseball in runs scored (456).

What does this major internal shakeup mean for the remaining month of the season, as San Francisco trails NL West-leading Arizona by six games in the NL West with just 26 to play?

If nothing else, it means that someone in the organization actually cares that despite arguably the best pitching in baseball, an offense of historic proportions in futility has transformed a 4.5-game division lead into a six-game deficit in a matter of weeks.

These sudden moves, especially the willingness of the organization to finally eat the remaining amount of Rowand's massive contract, display an acknowledgment of management mistakes and an attempt to address the root causes of San Francisco's rapid decline.

Too little, too late?

Quite possibly. But the fact that Sabean and others in the Giants organization have now finally bit the bullet, and are taking drastic steps to somehow keep their club relevant in September, is a refreshing change of course that may finally alleviate some of the utterly-maddening frustration over how the powers that be at AT&T Park refused to acknowledge the roster's shortcomings.

Designating veterans Rowand and Tejada is a move that has been called for time and time again after both have performed exceedingly poorly in 2011.

Rowand is hitting just .233 with 4 home runs and 21 RBI, along with an abysmal .274 on-base percentage.

Tejada has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2011 for the Giants, as the man that was brought in to replace Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe has hit just .239 with 4 home runs and 26 RBI with a .270 on-base percentage.

The two men taking their place, however, may give Giants fans some hope. Brett Pill, the Triple-A sensation, hit .312 with 25 home runs and 107 RBI for the Fresno Grizzlies.

He and Pat Burrell, who had been on the disabled list with a foot injury, could give the Giants a much-needed offensive lift.

Burrell had been slumping when he went on the DL in July, hitting just .233 with 7 home runs and 21 RBI. But his .342 on-base percentage and his potential to hit the long ball make him a welcome addition to the terribly-slumping San Francisco lineup.

With the Giants six games back entering play on Wednesday, however, only time will tell whether the major roster shakeup will make a difference down the stretch.