Spring Training 2012

[gp956]

If all this becomes official, the Giants are thin at IF. To me this makes Theriot the starting second baseman with Burris as the primary backup at SS, 2B, 3B.

 

[Heathbar012]

If all this becomes official, the Giants are thin at IF. To me this makes Theriot the starting second baseman with Burris as the primary backup at SS, 2B, 3B.

Yup. Strengthening the OF depth has now made IF the biggest weakness on the team. Funny how that works. Please be able to play baseball well again, Franchez.

 

[gp956]

If all this becomes official, the Giants are thin at IF. To me this makes Theriot the starting second baseman with Burris as the primary backup at SS, 2B, 3B.

Check that....... Burris could still start, then shift over as needed, with Theriot inserted at 2B.

 

[gp956]

Yup. Strengthening the OF depth has now made IF the biggest weakness on the team. Funny how that works. Please be able to play baseball well again, Franchez.

Yeah, think it's more about the bats.

 

[SFGRTB]

John Shea

Stewart packing bags. Looks like just two catchers.

Boch just said Giants have 2 catchers. Pending move with Chris Stewart (trade)

 

[gp956]

Bochy: optioned whiteside. Something going on with Stewart - can't talk about it.

Read: Stewart looks like he might have been traded

 

[SFGRTB]

So here is the roster:

Pitchers (12):

Lincecum
Cain
Bumgarner
Zito
Wilson
Romo
Affeldt
Lopez
Mota
Casilla
Hensley
Otero

Catchers (2):

Posey
Sanchez

Infield (6):

Belt
Theriot
Crawford
Sandoval
Burriss
Pill

Outfield (5):

Pagan
Cabrera
Blanco
Schierholtz
Huff

Emphasis on hitting over defense (Sanchez over Stewart, Pill over Arias). Also think G's are hoping Pill can play 3B in a pinch if needed.

 

[gp956]

Theriot mainly, along with three of these four:

Arias, Posey, Stewart, Chez3 --> depending on who starts at catcher on any given day and the final roster spot decision between Arias and a third catcher. Within Baggs' scenario, it makes more sense, to me, to keep Arias and dump Stewart. And again, strictly within Baggs scenario, this is the team I'd like to see - excluding pitchers:

C/1B Posey
1B/LF Huff
1B/LF/RF Belt
1B/3B Sandoval
2B/SS/3B Theriot
2B/SS/3B Arias
Super-UT Burris
SS Crawford
C Sanchez
CF/LF/RF Pagan
CF/LF/RF Blanco
LF/RF Cabrera
LF/RF Schierholtz


If they only carry two catchers: whenever Bochy uses Posey or Sanchez off the bench as a PH, they'd stay in the game, either at first or catcher, and Boch would in turn remove Huff/Belt/Schierholtz. So even though the lineup is LHH heavy, the positional versatility of the players should allow Bochy enough freedom to operate in high leverage situations.

Take Arias out and Insert Pill, and this is the lineup - sans pitchers.

 

[Heathbar012]

So here is the roster:

Pitchers (12):

Lincecum
Cain
Bumgarner
Zito
Wilson
Romo
Affeldt
Lopez
Mota
Casilla
Hensley
Otero

Catchers (2):

Posey
Sanchez

Infield (6):

Belt
Theriot
Crawford
Sandoval
Burriss
Pill

Outfield (5):

Pagan
Cabrera
Blanco
Schierholtz
Huff

Looks like a team that I can be happy rooting for... as if I had a choice.

 

[SFGRTB]

Saw this on twitter, a testament to the way the Giants have operated lately:

There are 15 former San Jose Giants on San Francisco's opening day roster!

 

[SFGRTB]

Pablo is emergency catcher. Will catch bullpen sessions

[MEDIA=twitter]187615680487632896[/MEDIA]

Jaymee Sire is killing it today!

Chris Stewart can't say enough good things about the #sfgiants organization. Says H. Sanchez definitely deserves it, way ahead of his time.

I'm listening to Jaymee Sire more often

 

[tzill]

Belt's an outfielder now too. This is the trickle down of Posey playing a lot of first base. So, I'd say 10% that Nate is outright released, but maybe 60% he starts on the DL. That's the only way both Pill and Chez3 make this team, I think (I'm assuming Belt is in). And the Giants seem to want those two guys to make the roster. You might recall the Giants did something similar to Fred Lewis in 2010.

On Nate, his swing looks as bad as I've ever seen it. He's one guy I'd like to see open up a definitive hole, give something for pitchers to attack so he can get some predictable pitch sequences. I think he may be trying to cover too much of the plate.

Here's the 25 man roster, per MCC:

Pitchers (12)

Jeremy Affeldt LHP

Madison Bumgarner LHP

Matt Cain RHP

Santiago Casilla RHP

Clay Hensley RHP

Tim Lincecum RHP

Javier Lopez LHP

Guillermo Mota RHP

Dan Otero RHP

Sergio Romo RHP

Brian Wilson RHP

Barry Zito LHP


Catchers (2)

Buster Posey C

Hector Sanchez C


Infielders (7)

Brandon Belt IF/OF

Emmanuel Burriss IF

Brandon Crawford IF

Aubrey Huff IF/OF

Brett Pill IF/OF

Pablo Sandoval IF

Ryan Theriot IF


Outfielders (4)

Gregor Blanco OF

Melky Cabrera OF

Angel Pagan OF

Nate Schierholtz OF

 

[tzill]

Eli apparently optioned to Fresno; Stewart traded (don't know where yet, per Shea). Belt to start the season at 1b, Huff to start in LF, Nate hosed for the fourth year in a row. Opening day lineup (my prediction)

CF Oxymoron
RF Melkman
C Posey
3B Panda
LF Huffer
1B Baby G
2B ManBur
SS Stamos
P Freak

 

[SFGRTB]

Chris Stewart to Yankees, get young relief pitcher in return.

Giants, Yankees Swap Chris Stewart For George Kontos: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Here is who the got: George Kontos

 

[msgkings322]

Eli apparently optioned to Fresno; Stewart traded (don't know where yet, per Shea). Belt to start the season at 1b, Huff to start in LF, Nate hosed for the fourth year in a row. Opening day lineup (my prediction)

CF Oxymoron
RF Melkman
C Posey
3B Panda
LF Huffer
1B Baby G
2B ManBur
SS Stamos
P Freak

Switch Panda and Posey. They may not do that but they should.

Was Nate 'hosed' or is he just not good enough to be a starting corner outfielder in the majors?

 

[msgkings322]

Yup. Strengthening the OF depth has now made IF the biggest weakness on the team. Funny how that works. Please be able to play baseball well again, Franchez.

Well exactly, when your 2nd best infielder is hurt (again), IF is going to be your weakness.

 

[SFGRTB]

+1 on lineup

Was Nate 'hosed' or is he just not good enough to be a starting corner outfielder in the majors?

He lost his job each time, not hosed IMO

 

[Stokes1931]

No Whiteside!

And that's Whiteside's fault. Again.

 

[Stokes1931]

The Giants announced Wednesday morning that Brandon Belt and Brett Pill have made the club, along with outfielder Gregor Blanco.

Also making the team were infielders Ryan Theriot and Manny Burris, who is expected to be the opening day second baseman Friday when the Giants visit the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hector Sanchez will be the backup catcher. Righty pitchers Clay Hensley and Dan Otero were kept to round out the 12-man bullpen.

Catcher Eli Whiteside was optioned to the minor league camp and infielder Joaquin Arias, despite an impressive spring, was reassigned. Theriot can play second and short, while Sanchez has a better bat than Whiteside.

From Pavlovic, 12:25 update

 

[gp956]

Shulman tweet: "I'm not sure I get Sanchez as lone backup C. Can't use him to pinch-hit and not have another backup for Posey, right?"

Shea relays Bochy's answer: "With just two catchers, Bochy said he's comfortable pinch hitting Sanchez and moving Pablo behind plate."

So now we got the following expected positional versatility:

C Sanchez
C/1B Posey
1B/LF/RF Belt
1B/LF/3B Pill <---- questionable versatility
2B/SS/3B Theriot
3B/1B/C Sandoval
Super-UT Burris
SS Crawford
LF/1B Huff
CF/LF/RF Pagan
CF/LF/RF Blanco
LF/RF Cabrera
LF/RF Schierholtz