Giants Trade Rumors, Ideas and Acquisitions

[love_that_reefer]

New Edited Version: Torii Hunter signed with the Angels

Scott Rolen-3B: Rolen is quite a gamble and hates authority but I would still love to have the best defensive third baseman I've ever seen in orange and black. The Cards have said that Rolen is available since LaRussa has been resigned and those two do not get along. Scott is coming off another shoulder surgery where last season you could tell it was bothering them. he only hit 8 HRs and 58 RBI with a .268 BA in 112 games. In '06, he hit 22 HRs, 95 RBI and .296 BA. I think he could be had for Lowry and Hennessey with them eating some of the $36 mil he is still owed. Hell we could even throw in Durham and eat all Of Rolen's money if they eat Lowry and Durham's. The Cards need help at second. He only has three years left on his contract which is perfect given his age and health. Rolen and Vizquel would make a great defensive left side. Now for the dreams to burst a little, he has a no-trade clause and wants to go to a contender. Giants will have to make some good moves to show they can be a contender before Rolen waives his clause.

Miguel Tejada-3B: He has played in the Bay Area so fans already know him and he would reunite with Zito. The shortstop position is available though he might have to play third. Tejada has been asking for a trade for a while and isn't happy in Baltimore. Tejada makes $26 million over the next two years left on his contract. The Giants would be getting younger and more production at the postion. His 2007 stats were .296/.357/.442 with 18 HRs and 81 RBI with just 55 SOs. Problem is the O's still want him so we would have to dazzle them. Yankees were looking but they seem to be close to resigning ARod.

Aaron Rowand-CF: The Giants need a CFer and I love the way this guy plays the game. Rowand plays all out and is in his prime. He is coming off a career season hitting .309/.374/.515 with 27 HRs and 89 RBI. He also had 45 doubles and plays GG defense. He too would love the spacious OF both defensively and offensively. He will be a cheaper option than most of other free agent CFers like Hunter and Jones. Like Lowell, he would make for a good #5 hitter because of his ability to hit the gaps. Problems arise when everyone needs a GG OFer. Phillies fans love him and he was a huge part of the team winning the NL East title so they might resign. It's either sign Rowand and trade Burrell or keep Burrell and let Rowand walk. Not a hard choice if you ask me. Giants need to focus really hard on this guy. He will get more than the $10/mil per year Matthews Jr. and Pierre got.

Chris Duncan-1B: This is just speculation on my part basically because of the rocky situation in St. Louis. LaRussa looks to walk with Jocketty gone and if that happens, Dave Duncan is likely to leave too. If so, Duncan would not be too happy and could push for a trade. Plus the Cards don't really need him now with the emergence of Ankiel. He is a first baseman with 20-30 homerun power without a real position in STL. We have some young pitching to possibly lure him away. Duncan is also a lefty which this team needs at first. The Giants have the position he wants and have some pitching that St. Louis might like. Definitely something to look at if Dave Duncan is fired or steps down. I am leaving him in despite LaRussa staying just because he still doesn't have a full time position and the Giants have one for him.

David Riske-RP: He just filed for free agency from the Royals where he had a 2.45 ERA and 52 SO's in 69 IP. He had a disappointing 2006 due to injuries but bounced back for a dreadful Royals team. Riske only made $2 mil and I would be fine with giving him a 2 yr/$7 mil deal with an option for a third year. We need a strong presence in our bullpen and Riske would be cheap and improve this bullpen.

Miguel Cabrera-3B/OF: The Giants should seriously pursue Cabrera to fill either third or first. I want him at first or in the OF but not at third. He is terrible at third and maybe JT Snow could work with him at first. Cabrera will be 25 next season and is good for a 30 HRS, .300 BA and 100+ RBI. Lowry could be used in a package along with any number of guys. This is a very special player who the Giants can build there offense around now while he is cheaper than market value. Cabrera is right handed power hitter which this post Bonds era is going to need. It doesn't look like the Giants have anything to really offer unless Lincecum becomes available.

Jose Guillen-LF/RF: The Mariners turned down Guillen's option making him a free agent. Guillen hit .290/.353/.460 with 23 HRs and 99 RBI in a difficult home field. His career high in HRs is 31 and RBI is 104. He would be a good complimentary player behind power hitter. Guillen would make a great #5 hitter for this club. He also possesses a good arm even after having surgery on it. His mutual option with the M's was worth $9 mil so I think we could have him around $7-8 mil/yr for a 2-3 yr deal.

B.J. Upton-3B/OF: Upton is coming off his first full season and hit .300/.386/.508 with 24 homeruns and 82 RBI. He also had 22 stolen bases. Upton played 78 games in CF and 48 games at second. He has played third before but not that well. He is a guy without a position but is 23, good and available. Downside is he struck out 154 times. The Giants could try him at third or in the OF. This would be a good move for our future and we have plenty of what they are looking for and that's pitching.

Richie Sexson-1B: Sexson could be the diamond in the rough. He is coming off a horrible season and makes a lot of money so he won't cost much in a trade. We could possibly dump some salary like Aurilia on them if we take on some more salary. He made $14 mil last season and hit just .205/.295/.399 with 21 homers and just 63 RBI. He is owed $14 mil and is a FA after the 08 season. If he does well he can get him a good 3-4 year deal. I think he has a lot in the tank left and he still has an average of 37 HRs a season. Sexson won't cost a lot in a trade if we take on more salary of we can make a trade where they take on most of the salary. Either way it won't cost us anything of importance and gives us a big presence in this weak lineup. Oh yeah, he's right handed which is a huge plus in this ballpark. The Giants were interested in Sexson last season.

Kerry Wood-RP: Wood is a gamble but he showed promise in the relief role. He had a 3.33 ERA with 24 SO's in 24 IP last season but only appeared in 22 games. Not much of a window to accurately judge a performance but he could impact this Giants bullpen. The bullpen is a key area to improve and Wood wouldn't be that costly. The Giants should offer nothing but a two year deal worth $5 mil. Problem is the Cubs will want to keep him and the Rangers are interested. Wood is a Texas boy so he is more inclined to go there. Giants have some good prospects to fill relief roles but are years away. Wood would be a good stop gap guy and can help sell tickets.

Troy Percival-RP: The only reason I want Troy is because he is cheap and can help Wilson to become a closer. The Giants really don't have anyone to give good solid advice on closing. Plus he didn't have a bad season coming out of retirement last season. He posted a 1.80 ERA and struck out 36 batters in 40 IP. Not too bad for a retired old man. Steve Kline is the only veteran in this bullpen and he doesn't know dick about being a good closer. Percival would also be helping the other young relievers. He is used to the West Coast and Giants fans know him from the '02 WS. I would give him a one year $2 mil offer.

[GiantsFanatic]

I'm all for to get Wood and Percival, because there both going to be cheap, its very similar to the Sosa deal the Rangers got last year, low risk/high reward type of deal.

[love_that_reefer]

Brian Fuentes-RP: Fuentes has been on the market for some time now but I don't know why. Maybe they feel he will make too much for a setup guy since he is arbitration eligible. Fuentes will be a FA after the '08 season and will be 32 years old. Fuentes had a 3.08 ERA last season to go along with 20 saves. He posts a 3.53 ERA over seven seasons and has 398 SO's in 359 IP. Fuentes would add another proven lefty reliever to go along with Kline if he himself is not traded. Fuentes would battle Wilson for the closing role and give a boost to any bullpen. The biggest problem here is trading with the improving Rockies inside the division. Giants are a couple of seasons away and helping the Rockies improve doesn't help our cause. Giants should at least call and see what they want.

[love_that_reefer]

New Edited Version: Kerry Wood signed with the Cubs. Updates on players are in italics.

Scott Rolen-3B: Rolen is quite a gamble and hates authority but I would still love to have the best defensive third baseman I've ever seen in orange and black. The Cards have said that Rolen is available since LaRussa has been resigned and those two do not get along. Scott is coming off another shoulder surgery where last season you could tell it was bothering them. he only hit 8 HRs and 58 RBI with a .268 BA in 112 games. In '06, he hit 22 HRs, 95 RBI and .296 BA. I think he could be had for Lowry and Hennessey with them eating some of the $36 mil he is still owed. Hell we could even throw in Durham and eat all Of Rolen's money if they eat Lowry and Durham's. The Cards need help at second. He only has three years left on his contract which is perfect given his age and health. Rolen and Vizquel would make a great defensive left side. Now for the dreams to burst a little, he has a no-trade clause and wants to go to a contender. Giants will have to make some good moves to show they can be a contender before Rolen waives his clause. Rolen talks have slowed in the past few weeks. Looks like he might stay,

Miguel Tejada-3B: He has played in the Bay Area so fans already know him and he would reunite with Zito. The shortstop position is available though he might have to play third. Tejada has been asking for a trade for a while and isn't happy in Baltimore. Tejada makes $26 million over the next two years left on his contract. The Giants would be getting younger and more production at the postion. His 2007 stats were .296/.357/.442 with 18 HRs and 81 RBI with just 55 SOs. Problem is the O's still want him so we would have to dazzle them. Rotoworld seems to think Tejada can be had for Sanchez, Hennessey and Manny Burriss.

Aaron Rowand-CF: The Giants need a CFer and I love the way this guy plays the game. Rowand plays all out and is in his prime. He is coming off a career season hitting .309/.374/.515 with 27 HRs and 89 RBI. He also had 45 doubles and plays GG defense. He too would love the spacious OF both defensively and offensively. He will be a cheaper option than most of other free agent CFers like Hunter and Jones. Like Lowell, he would make for a good #5 hitter because of his ability to hit the gaps. Problems arise when everyone needs a GG OFer. Phillies fans love him and he was a huge part of the team winning the NL East title so they might resign. It's either sign Rowand and trade Burrell or keep Burrell and let Rowand walk. Not a hard choice if you ask me. Giants need to focus really hard on this guy. He will get more than the $10/mil per year Matthews Jr. and Pierre got. The Phillies have shown they have money to spend by offering a huge contract to Lowell so they might give that money to Rowand.

Chris Duncan-1B: This is just speculation on my part basically because of the rocky situation in St. Louis. LaRussa looks to walk with Jocketty gone and if that happens, Dave Duncan is likely to leave too. If so, Duncan would not be too happy and could push for a trade. Plus the Cards don't really need him now with the emergence of Ankiel. He is a first baseman with 20-30 homerun power without a real position in STL. We have some young pitching to possibly lure him away. Duncan is also a lefty which this team needs at first. The Giants have the position he wants and have some pitching that St. Louis might like. Definitely something to look at if Dave Duncan is fired or steps down. I am leaving him in despite LaRussa staying just because he still doesn't have a full time position and the Giants have one for him. Rotoworld also suggested a trade for Duncan giving up Lowry. Great to see great minds think alike.

David Riske-RP: He just filed for free agency from the Royals where he had a 2.45 ERA and 52 SO's in 69 IP. He had a disappointing 2006 due to injuries but bounced back for a dreadful Royals team. Riske only made $2 mil and I would be fine with giving him a 2 yr/$7 mil deal with an option for a third year. We need a strong presence in our bullpen and Riske would be cheap and improve this bullpen. No serious lookers yet for Riske but the Astros have been rumored to offer something sometime.

Miguel Cabrera-3B/OF: The Giants should seriously pursue Cabrera to fill either third or first. I want him at first or in the OF but not at third. He is terrible at third and maybe JT Snow could work with him at first. Cabrera will be 25 next season and is good for a 30 HRS, .300 BA and 100+ RBI. Lowry could be used in a package along with any number of guys. This is a very special player who the Giants can build there offense around now while he is cheaper than market value. Cabrera is right handed power hitter which this post Bonds era is going to need. It doesn't look like the Giants have anything to really offer unless Lincecum becomes available. The Dodgers and Angels still look to be the front runners but it looks like the Giants are more inclined to trade Lincecum.

Jose Guillen-LF/RF: The Mariners turned down Guillen's option making him a free agent. Guillen hit .290/.353/.460 with 23 HRs and 99 RBI in a difficult home field. His career high in HRs is 31 and RBI is 104. He would be a good complimentary player behind power hitter. Guillen would make a great #5 hitter for this club. He also possesses a good arm even after having surgery on it. His mutual option with the M's was worth $9 mil so I think we could have him around $7-8 mil/yr for a 2-3 yr deal. The Royals have made Guillen their number one target.

B.J. Upton-3B/OF: Upton is coming off his first full season and hit .300/.386/.508 with 24 homeruns and 82 RBI. He also had 22 stolen bases. Upton played 78 games in CF and 48 games at second. He has played third before but not that well. He is a guy without a position but is 23, good and available. Downside is he struck out 154 times. The Giants could try him at third or in the OF. This would be a good move for our future and we have plenty of what they are looking for and that's pitching. Not a word about Upton in the past few weeks so maybe the Rays have backed off trading him.

Richie Sexson-1B: Sexson could be the diamond in the rough. He is coming off a horrible season and makes a lot of money so he won't cost much in a trade. We could possibly dump some salary like Aurilia on them if we take on some more salary. He made $14 mil last season and hit just .205/.295/.399 with 21 homers and just 63 RBI. He is owed $14 mil and is a FA after the 08 season. If he does well he can get him a good 3-4 year deal. I think he has a lot in the tank left and he still has an average of 37 HRs a season. Sexson won't cost a lot in a trade if we take on more salary of we can make a trade where they take on most of the salary. Either way it won't cost us anything of importance and gives us a big presence in this weak lineup. Oh yeah, he's right handed which is a huge plus in this ballpark. The Giants were interested in Sexson last season. The M's look like they will keep Sexson and non-tender Broussard.

Troy Percival-RP: The only reason I want Troy is because he is cheap and can help Wilson to become a closer. The Giants really don't have anyone to give good solid advice on closing. Plus he didn't have a bad season coming out of retirement last season. He posted a 1.80 ERA and struck out 36 batters in 40 IP. Not too bad for a retired old man. Steve Kline is the only veteran in this bullpen and he doesn't know dick about being a good closer. Percival would also be helping the other young relievers. He is used to the West Coast and Giants fans know him from the '02 WS. I would give him a one year $2 mil offer. The Astros have been in contact with Percival's agent.

Brian Fuentes-RP: Fuentes has been on the market for some time now but I don't know why. Maybe they feel he will make too much for a setup guy since he is arbitration eligible. Fuentes will be a FA after the '08 season and will be 32 years old. Fuentes had a 3.08 ERA last season to go along with 20 saves. He posts a 3.53 ERA over seven seasons and has 398 SO's in 359 IP. Fuentes would add another proven lefty reliever to go along with Kline if he himself is not traded. Fuentes would battle Wilson for the closing role and give a boost to any bullpen. The biggest problem here is trading with the improving Rockies inside the division. Giants are a couple of seasons away and helping the Rockies improve doesn't help our cause. Giants should at least call and see what they want.

[GiantsFanatic]

To be honest, I rather have upton at 3B he's more versatile with his bat and speed than Cabrera IMO.

[love_that_reefer]

Both aren't really good third basemen but I see what you mean.

[love_that_reefer]

The Mets inquired about the Giants' Molina at the general managers' meetings, and they could attempt to revive the talks by offering newly acquired Johnny Estrada and perhaps another player. It is unclear whether the Giants want to trade Molina, however, and their trade leverage would be compromised by the $6 million that Molina is owed in each of the next two seasons.

No, no and no! Molina for Estrada coming off a surgery and just some other player isn't going to do it. Molina led the Giants in RBI and did a great job behind the plate. If we did trade him, we could do better than what the Mets are offering. Molina's trade value is high thanks to his career year. The Giants need to keep Molina especially right now because the Giants have no one else worth a damn on offense. I expect another good year from Molina so until we actually get a someone else who can drive in runs, hold off on trade talks.

[GiantsFanatic]

I agree, Estrada has to be prove if he's 100% healthy after his surgery in order to get any kind of significant trade value for him.

[love_that_reefer]

New Edited Version: Troy Percival seems to be signing with the Rays. I also took Upton off the list since they just traded Young and will need Upton. The list gets shorter as Riske looks to sign with the Brewers. Other updates on players are in italics.

Scott Rolen-3B: Rolen is quite a gamble and hates authority but I would still love to have the best defensive third baseman I've ever seen in orange and black. The Cards have said that Rolen is available since LaRussa has been resigned and those two do not get along. Scott is coming off another shoulder surgery where last season you could tell it was bothering them. he only hit 8 HRs and 58 RBI with a .268 BA in 112 games. In '06, he hit 22 HRs, 95 RBI and .296 BA. I think he could be had for Lowry and Hennessey with them eating some of the $36 mil he is still owed. Hell we could even throw in Durham and eat all Of Rolen's money if they eat Lowry and Durham's. The Cards need help at second. He only has three years left on his contract which is perfect given his age and health. Rolen and Vizquel would make a great defensive left side. Now for the dreams to burst a little, he has a no-trade clause and wants to go to a contender. Giants will have to make some good moves to show they can be a contender before Rolen waives his clause. Rolen talks have slowed in the past few weeks. Looks like he might stay,

Miguel Tejada-3B: He has played in the Bay Area so fans already know him and he would reunite with Zito. The shortstop position is available though he might have to play third. Tejada has been asking for a trade for a while and isn't happy in Baltimore. Tejada makes $26 million over the next two years left on his contract. The Giants would be getting younger and more production at the postion. His 2007 stats were .296/.357/.442 with 18 HRs and 81 RBI with just 55 SOs. Problem is the O's still want him so we would have to dazzle them. Cards are now in the Tejada sweepstakes.

Aaron Rowand-CF: The Giants need a CFer and I love the way this guy plays the game. Rowand plays all out and is in his prime. He is coming off a career season hitting .309/.374/.515 with 27 HRs and 89 RBI. He also had 45 doubles and plays GG defense. He too would love the spacious OF both defensively and offensively. He will be a cheaper option than most of other free agent CFers like Hunter and Jones. He would make for a good #5 hitter because of his ability to hit the gaps. Problems arise when everyone needs a GG OFer. Phillies fans love him and he was a huge part of the team winning the NL East title so they might resign. It's either sign Rowand and trade Burrell or keep Burrell and let Rowand walk. Not a hard choice if you ask me. Giants need to focus really hard on this guy. He will get more than the $10/mil per year Matthews Jr. and Pierre got. The Phillies have shown they have money to spend by offering a huge contract to Lowell so they might give that money to Rowand.

Chris Duncan-1B: This is just speculation on my part basically because of the rocky situation in St. Louis. LaRussa looks to walk with Jocketty gone and if that happens, Dave Duncan is likely to leave too. If so, Duncan would not be too happy and could push for a trade. Plus the Cards don't really need him now with the emergence of Ankiel. He is a first baseman with 20-30 homerun power without a real position in STL. We have some young pitching to possibly lure him away. Duncan is also a lefty which this team needs at first. The Giants have the position he wants and have some pitching that St. Louis might like. Definitely something to look at if Dave Duncan is fired or steps down. I am leaving him in despite LaRussa staying just because he still doesn't have a full time position and the Giants have one for him. Rotoworld also suggested a trade for Duncan giving up Lowry. Great to see great minds think alike.

Miguel Cabrera-3B/OF: The Giants should seriously pursue Cabrera to fill either third or first. I want him at first or in the OF but not at third. He is terrible at third and maybe JT Snow could work with him at first. Cabrera will be 25 next season and is good for a 30 HRS, .300 BA and 100+ RBI. Lowry could be used in a package along with any number of guys. This is a very special player who the Giants can build there offense around now while he is cheaper than market value. Cabrera is right handed power hitter which this post Bonds era is going to need. It doesn't look like the Giants have anything to really offer unless Lincecum becomes available. The Dodgers and Angels still look to be the front runners but it looks like the Giants are more inclined to trade Lincecum.

Jose Guillen-LF/RF: The Mariners turned down Guillen's option making him a free agent. Guillen hit .290/.353/.460 with 23 HRs and 99 RBI in a difficult home field. His career high in HRs is 31 and RBI is 104. He would be a good complimentary player behind power hitter. Guillen would make a great #5 hitter for this club. He also possesses a good arm even after having surgery on it. His mutual option with the M's was worth $9 mil so I think we could have him around $7-8 mil/yr for a 2-3 yr deal. The Royals have made Guillen their number one target.

Richie Sexson-1B: Sexson could be the diamond in the rough. He is coming off a horrible season and makes a lot of money so he won't cost much in a trade. We could possibly dump some salary like Aurilia on them if we take on some more salary. He made $14 mil last season and hit just .205/.295/.399 with 21 homers and just 63 RBI. He is owed $14 mil and is a FA after the 08 season. If he does well he can get him a good 3-4 year deal. I think he has a lot in the tank left and he still has an average of 37 HRs a season. Sexson won't cost a lot in a trade if we take on more salary of we can make a trade where they take on most of the salary. Either way it won't cost us anything of importance and gives us a big presence in this weak lineup. Oh yeah, he's right handed which is a huge plus in this ballpark. The Giants were interested in Sexson last season. The M's look like they will keep Sexson and non-tender Broussard.

Brian Fuentes-RP: Fuentes has been on the market for some time now but I don't know why. Maybe they feel he will make too much for a setup guy since he is arbitration eligible. Fuentes will be a FA after the '08 season and will be 32 years old. Fuentes had a 3.08 ERA last season to go along with 20 saves. He posts a 3.53 ERA over seven seasons and has 398 SO's in 359 IP. Fuentes would add another proven lefty reliever to go along with Kline if he himself is not traded. Fuentes would battle Wilson for the closing role and give a boost to any bullpen. The biggest problem here is trading with the improving Rockies inside the division. Giants are a couple of seasons away and helping the Rockies improve doesn't help our cause. Giants should at least call and see what they want.

[love_that_reefer]

The San Jose Mercury News believes Andy Marte is a "strong possibility" to join the Giants as a candidate to start at third.
Marte, who is out of options, is believed to be available in trade talks. He's the kind of youngster the Giants should be looking to gamble on in a year in which they'll have little chance of contending.

This is a great idea. Marte so far has been all potential. He didn't bust through for the Indians so maybe he could in NL. He's young, cheap and he's not Pedro Feliz so I am for it. Plus we won't have to give up that much for him. Aurilia will of course help out.

[love_that_reefer]

The Giants view Andruw Jones as a fallback should some of their other plans to acquire a big bat fall though, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
They're not optimistic about landing Miguel Cabrera and they've already come up short on Delmon Young, as they weren't willing to part with Tim Lincecum. The Giants also haven't ruled out pursuing Aaron Rowand. If they made an offer to Jones, it would likely be for only one or two years.

My thoughts exactly. Giants have the money but no need wasting it for too long. I don't see Jones going anywhere anytime soon so the Giants have time to look elsewhere. GM Meetings are in Nashville and I am going to try and go find Sabean.

[love_that_reefer]

Tigers designated first baseman Chris Shelton for assignment.
Shelton got off to a blistering start in 2006, but then slumped badly and was demoted to Triple-A, where he stayed for all of 2007 while hitting .269/.381/.420 in 139 games. A career .281/.348/.477 hitter in 249 MLB games who's batted .311/.410/.500 in the minors, Shelton could have helped the Tigers and should latch on somewhere as a platoon starter or bench bat.

Giants should grab this guy. As of right now, Aurilia is our starting first baseman with Ortmeier backing him up. Shelton could make for a better backup for now until Otrmeier is more comfortable at first.

[realmofotalk]

''I hate to speak to somebody else's business, but you wonder if they really want to trade the player or if they absolutely, positively have to win the deal in such a one-sided fashion,'' San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. ``Maybe they're not going to get something done. I don't know.''

Like you said, a deal for Cabrera isn't going to happen without Cain or Lincecum involved.

[love_that_reefer]

As much as I want Cabrera, it looks like we are not going to acquire his services. Cain, Zito, Lincecum and Lowry is about all the Giants have going for them in '08. Giants are better off trading for Marte or Tejada to fill the void at third since they will be worth a Lincecum or Cain. I would love to see them go after Rolen but he is probably too much of a risk for Sabean.

[love_that_reefer]

Giants offered arbitration to 3B Pedro Feliz; declined to offer arbitration to OF Barry Bonds, 1B Ryan Klesko, C Mike Matheny and RHP Russ Ortiz.
The Giants would like to have Feliz back for a year, but he's asking for a three-year contract right now. Bonds is a Type-A free agent, but the Giants knew they weren't getting anything back from him. Feliz is a Type B.

*********!!! Feliz will wind up accepting arbitration and my nightmare will live on.