BASTA: Scherzer, Plouffe Among Many Options for Giants After Lester’s Decision

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

First, it was Pablo Sandoval. Then, it was Yasmany Tomas. Now, it is Jon Lester. The Giants may be fortunate to have lost out this time, as doling out a six-year deal to a thirty year old starter is a very risky proposition. Lester has logged a massive amount of innings over the years, and he has accumulated more wear-and-tear than your average thirty year old. Outsiders may be looking too much into his 2.46 ERA in 2014; it defied a 3.10 xFIP, and he stranded a much higher percentage of runners on base than his career average. Lester is very good, but he is certainly not worth $155 million. However, the Giants were very much in the thick of the race themselves, as they reportedly offered six years and $150 million. That figure gives us a rough estimate of the budget going forward to fill in vacancies at third base, possibly left field, and in the starting rotation. Sabean likely would be willing to dole out roughly $25-50 million more than the $150 million offered to Lester, and he showed that he is willing to compete with the big spenders. What should Sabean do with this unfathomable amount of money to better his franchise?

Option One: Max Scherzer and Trevor Plouffe

Scherzer made one of the most perplexing financial decisions a player could make: turning down a six year- $140 deal to risk injury and decline before hitting free-agency. It seems to have paid off, as he is demanding a $200 million dollar deal from teams. That figure likely isn’t realistic, as no pitcher besides Clayton Kershaw has cleared the $200 million threshold; however, he has been remarkably consistent, and even more valuable than Lester.

Season/GS/IP/K-9/BB-9/HR-9/BABIP/LOB%/GB%/HR-FB/ERA/FIP/xFIP/WAR

2012 32 187.2 11.08 2.88 1.10 0.333 76.5% 36.5% 11.6% 3.74 3.27 3.23 4.5
2013 32 214.1 10.08 2.35 0.76 0.259 74.4% 36.3% 7.6% 2.90 2.74 3.16 6.4
2014 33 220.1 10.29 2.57 0.74 0.315 77.2% 36.7% 7.5% 3.15 2.85 3.12 5.6

His only “subpar” season was in 2012, as a result of an inflated BABIP and HR/FB ratio, despite similar peripherals. The Giants would kill to have Scherzer at the top of their rotation, along with Bumgarner and Cain. His price tag would be the only question mark. It remains to be seen if Sabean will go over $200 million for a free agent, given his tendencies to only lock up his own players. If the Giants do in fact break the bank to sign Scherzer, Sabean will need to go searching for third base options in the bargain bin. As a speculative pick, Trevor Plouffe would be a great option for both the Giants and the Twins.

The Twins do not have much of a need at third base, as they are still rebuilding, and have prized hot corner prospect Miguel Sano coming up in the next few years. They are not primed to win now, and Plouffe is unlikely to fit in the Twins’ long-term plan because of Sano. However, the Giants would need to part with a prospect from an already-thin farm system to do so. Andrew Susac, Kyle Crick or Gary Brown likely could get a deal done with Minnesota, at a very minimal cost. Plouffe earned just $2.4 million in 2014, while posting a .335 wOBA along with a solid 3.5 WAR, better than Pablo Sandoval’s. He is a solid all-around player, as his 7.8 defensive component of FanGraphs’ WAR was seventh best among third basemen last year. Plouffe and Scherzer would likely be the best option for the Giants, albeit not the cheapest. Gregor Blanco is a perfectly competent everyday left fielder, as all Giants fans should come to recognize, and there is no dire need to replace him.

Option Two: Justin Upton, Chris Johnson, Brandon McCarthy

The Braves are suddenly in rebuilding mode, as they traded away star outfielder Jason Heyward to the Cardinals. Atlanta is looking ahead to their new ballpark in 2017, and their front office is willing to part with present stars to help their future. The Giants could fill their “hole” in left with the talented Upton, and provide a fill-in at thrid base for Sandoval, all in one trade.

However, Upton is a rather overrated asset, mostly because of his power. He is a weak defender, and would not fit in well at AT&T Park. As you can see, his value is inflated by his power, but his defense holds him back. In addition, he would be only a rental type player, as his contract expires after this season.

Chris Johnson would become the Giants’ everyday third baseman, which is not a very safe proposition. His value relies on batting average, which is not very consistent. Random placement of batted balls varies immensely from season to season, and without much power in his game, his value fluctuates rapidly from year to year. He hit .321 in 2013, but it was fueled by an absurd .394 BABIP, which predictably fell back to earth in 2014, creating a massive dip in wRC+ (127 to 82). Johnson is also a below-average defender, which cannot counteract his inconsistency at the plate.

The Giants would likely need to part with some combination of Susac, Crick, and Brown (and maybe a major leaguer) to acquire Upton and Johnson, who would be somewhat ill-suited for San Francisco. It would be considerably cheaper, but more of a bandage-type move than a long term replacement.

To fill the void at starting pitcher, the Giants could plug in Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy would be relatively cheap, somewhere around twelve to fifteen million per year for three to four years. He posted an inflated 4.05 ERA, fueled by an unusually high HR/FB rate, and he underachieved mightily relative to his xFIP (2.87). AT&T Park would rationalize these numbers, and likely drop his ERA into the low three range. McCarthy would be a steal for the Giants, and he would make the lackluster additions of Upton and Johnson somewhat palatable.

Season/BB%/K%/ISO/BABIP/AVG/OBP/SLUG/wOBA/wRC+/BsR/OFF/DEF/WAR

2013 11.7% 25.0% 0.201 0.321 0.263 0.354 0.464 0.357 128 5.6 26.0 -16.3 3.1
2014 9.4% 26.7% 0.221 0.332 0.270 0.342 0.491 0.363 133 0.6 24.4 -7.7 3.9

Option Three: Brandon McCarthy, Chase Headley, and Jonny Gomes

Chase Headley and Scherzer would likely be unattainable together, as it would simply cost too much. Headley has an offer on the table for four years and sixty-five million from an unknown team. Coupled with Scherzer’s high demands, it would be too much over budget. However, if you replace Scherzer with McCarthy, it gives the Giants a lot more wiggle room to sign Headley. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Headley has quietly become the best defensive third baseman in the game. Despite his MLB-best 21.6 defensive component of Fangraphs’ WAR, Headley lost out on the Gold Glove, partly because he switched leagues (traded from Padres to Yankees). The switch-hitting third baseman was better than Sandoval in terms of WAR last season (4.4-2.7), despite a somewhat subpar offensive year. After the trade to New York, he did post a 121 wRC+ after a wRC+ of just 90 with San Diego. Headley would bring veteran leadership to San Francisco, along with Gold Glove-caliber defense at third. He also brings breakout offensive potential. In 2012, Headley hit thirty-one home runs and posted a 145 wRC+ , despite playing his home games in the cavernous Petco Park.

Jonny Gomes is a speculative add, given the Giants’ stated desire to add a platoon bat to pair with Gregor Blanco in left. He would come very cheap, likely on a one or two year deal for minimal money. He rakes against left handed pitching, and would complement Blanco perfectly in a platoon, even though Blanco is adept in left. He has posted a .861 OPS against lefties in his career, along with a 133 wRC+. The Giants could stomach his relatively poor defense, as he would not be a full-time player.

Option Four: Cole Hamels (UPDATE)

The Giants are reportedly in on the Phillies’ Cole Hamels. However, this seems to be a long-shot, as the Giants don’t have the major league or minor league talent to compete with the Dodgers or Red Sox in potential trade offers.

Verdict:

The first trio, McCarthy/Headley/Gomes would be the most financially sound, along with being more future-proof than the Upton/Johnson/McCarthy deal. The Upton deal is unlikely at this point, but it does accomplish most of the Giants’ goals in one fell swoop. The Scherzer/Plouffe option would be the best on the field for the Giants, but money could be an issue. In the end, some combination of these will likely be employed by Sabean. The Giants will sign a starting pitcher; the front office has made this very clear. The Giants need someone to fill in for the weak Petit/Lincecum spot, and to provide insurance in case of injury or lack of production, whether that be McCarthy, Scherzer, or even Ervin Santana.

Stats and info courtesy of FanGraphs, Baseball Reference

Morning Wrap: MLB All Stars No-Hit by Japanese All Stars

((ht: mlb.com))

Okay, so maybe Japan has caught up to the Major League Baseball in terms of overall talent.

Well, if the current Team Samurai vs. MLB All Stars series is any indicator, they may have surpassed the Major Leaguers.

Early Saturday morning, while many of us were sleeping, Team Samurai used 4 pitchers to no-hit the MLB'ers in the Tokyo Dome.

Team Samurai is Japan's national team and yes, they are pretty good. Takahiro Norimoto threw 5 perfect innings with 6 strikeouts and the 3 relievers did the rest against a Major League team featuring both AL Batting Champ Jose Altuve and NL Batting Champ Justin Morneau.

Read into this whatever you will, but the Major Leaguers have lost 3 of the 4 games they've played so far. Two games and an exhibition remain on the slate.

Your final out from MLB.com:

Marlins Man Gives Up World Series Seat to God Bless America Singer

((ht: ftw.usatoday.com))

Nice....

If you've been watching this years World Series, chances are you've seen "Marlins Man" aka attorney Laurence Leavy sitting behind home plate in his orange Miami Marlins gear.

Mind you the Marlins are not playing in said World Series.

Leavy has been taking heat for sitting behind home plate with the Kansas City Royals going so far as to offer him Royals swag and a different seat to watch the game.

But Leavy has declined, drawing attention to the Marlins and himself just by sitting there.

Well "Marlins Man" did something Friday night that he'll be remembered even more for.

After hearing Steven Powell of the U.S Navy battle a bad microphone while singing "God Bless America" at ATT Park in San Francisco, he offered up his seat to the sailor.

We had a GREAT TIME ladt night. Thats what life is about. And.... paying it forward every single day pic.twitter.com/yyC0TS4zB0
— Marlins Man (@Marlins_Man) October 25, 2014

Well played Marlins Man, well played---

Here's some Vine Video of Powell struggling with the mic:

ICYMI: Royals Magical Mystery Tour Continues--One Game from World Series

The Kansas City Royals are 7-0 in the American League Playoffs right now.

Yes, at the risk of jinxing their crazy ride, they've won seven straight games. And sometimes with some crazy finishes, sometimes with amazing plays and sometimes just by plain luck.

Tuesday night, the Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 American League Championship Series.

They did it in large part with their pitching and defense Tuesday. Mike Moustakas made a crazy, lunging, diving over the dugout railings catch and Jerermy Guthrie along with 4 relievers combined to hold the Baltimore Bats in check.

Oddly, the winning run came on a 6th inning sacrifice fly by Billy Butler.

K.C will trot out Jason Vargas to try and clinch their World Series berth since the early 1980's, which ironically is roughly the last time the team was in the playoffs...

That game kicks off Wednesday afternoon...

Here are your Tuesday night highlights...

Moustakas's crazy catch:




And closer Greg Holland finishing the game;

Orioles Slugger Chris Davis Suspended 25 Games

Baltimore Orioles 1st Baseman Chris Davis did a no-no. He managed to get suspended for 25-games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for an amphetamine.

And it appears it all could easily have avoided.

Davis mentioned in a statement released by the MLBPA that he made a big mistake by taking Adderall and that he had permission to use it in the past but did not seek the exemption this season.

Interesting.

The Orioles are leading the AL East by 10 games with 17 games left to play. Which means in theory, if they have any playoff success, Davis would be eligible before the end of the playoffs.

That being said, Davis hasn't exactly replicated his monster 2013 season where he hit 53 homers with a .286 average. In 2014 he has hit 26 home runs, but is hitting a Dan Uggla like .196.

Hmm....

Kid Gets Foul Ball to Young Lady Behind Him

((ht: mlb.com))

Oh to be young and willing to give.

Check out what happened Friday night at the Boston Red Sox/Toronto Blue Jays game in Beantown.

Bottom of the 4th inning and a foul ball rolls down the 3rd base side of the field. The ball girl picks it up and walks over and hands the ball to a little kid sitting on the front row.

Cool. It's what you should do, give a little kid the ball if you get one.

What happened next, well, the little kid (12-year old Ryan) turned chivalrous and hands the ball to a young girl (Reese) sitting right behind him much to the surprise of the young lady and her mom.

Wait, it gets better.

After seeing what happened, the Red Sox TV team (Dan Orsillo and Jerry Remy) decided to send down a gift bag to the young lad.

He proceeded to share it with his new friend.

Awww....

Rays Protesting Blue Jays Win Over Replay Snafu

((HT: MLB.com))

Rays manager Joe Maddon is protesting the Rays-Jays result from earlier today because of how the replay function of Major League Baseball was handled during the game.

Here's how all hell broke loose with the new baseball wrinkle...


Maddon says he would be surprised if the protest isn't upheld because of how the whole thing was run.

The San Francisco Giants became the first team since 1986 to win a protest after it was determined the tarp at Wrigley Field had not been properly put away after its previous use. The Giants beat the Cubs 2-1 two days after initially being given a 2-0 loss.

Houston Astros Spoof Crappy Viral Ad for Missouri Mall

Haha!

This is one of the more inspired things done by the Houston Astros in recent memory.

Okay, so maybe the George Springer promotion to the majors might top this...

But follow along.

Check out the Astros spoofing a Viral Video done produced originally for the East Hills Mall in St. Joseph's, Missouri.

The original, which we'll post here, features some god-awful singing...and dancing...sort of.



Now check out the Astros version--and see who's is better:

Mascot War: Teddy Roosevelt With Flying Clothesline on Pittsburgh Pierogi

((ht:washington nationals))

Somethings you just can't make up. This really happened.

During the famed "Mascot" race at Friday nights Washington Nationals/Pittsburgh Pirates we got to see something you just don't see very often.

A pro wrestling move.

One of the Nationals most popular racers "Teddy Roosevelt" won the race and at about the time he finished, some "Pittsburgh Pierogi's" ran onto the field.

Teddy got some helpers to put down a chair, ran, hopped on the chair and took down a Pierogi with a flying clothesline that would make anyone in the WWE proud.

Oh the hilarity.

Your turn Pittsburgh...

Video from the Nationals their own selves:

Mo'Ne Davis: LLWS Star Girl Throws 2nd Straight Shutout vs. Boys

The Little League World Series has grown wildly in popularity over the past several years.

This year ESPN is televising each and every game.

And already, just a few days in, a star has been born.

13-year old Mo'Ne Davis, pitcher for team Philadelphia has become a media sensation. Partially because she's a girl playing with the boys and mostly because she's dominating those boys.

Davis pitched her second game of the series on Friday, throwing a 2-hit shutout as Philadelphia beat Tennessee.

For those keeping track, it's her second shutout win of the series.

And Ms. Davis has drawn the attention of the whole wide world of sports.

As well she should...
Here's the quick version of the highlights

And The Last 8-3 Put Out Would Have Been When...???

((HT: CBSSports Network))

Here's the play, first of all...
Which is cool and remarkable- unless you're a fan of the team batting...


Now, the details...

From the National Youth Baseball Championships (a tourney with 12-year olds), San Gabriel Valley (CA) center fielder Joseph Naranjo with the heads-up play against BPA DeMarini.

Yasiel Puig Breaks Bat on Check Swing

((ht: mlb.com))

Whoa! Despite our general disdain for the fact Yasiel Puig seems to make the highlight reels for just showing up, we had to share this.

Check out what happened Friday night during the Milwaukee Brewers vs. LA Dodgers game at Chavez Ravine. A game won by the Brewers 9-3.

Puig tries to hold back his swing on the pitch and is able to do so. However the barrel of the bat didn't cooperate. The barrel goes flying and the ump has no choice other than to call it a strike.

Which leads to the question: Was the bat defective or was Puig's grip just that strong?

Frenchy's Revenge: Chihuahuas Prank Jeff Francoeur Again as He Gets Call Back to Padres

((ht: deadspin.com))

Former Atlanta Brave, New York Met, Kansas City Royal and San Francisco Padre Jeff Francoeur can now add another Major League Baseball team to his ever-growing resume--the San Diego Padres.

Francoeur on Wednesday got a call up from the Padres Triple-A team in El Paso.

But not before his friends and teammates on the Chihuahuas got one last practical joke in....

Check out what happened to our hero when he tried to use the coaches bathroom this past weekend before a home game.

His teammates/friends decided there'd be no getting out for one of the goofiest, easy-going guys in the game.

The put together quite the mousetrap to keep him locked in.

But alas, Frenchy eventually made his escape through the roof.

And tried to crawl back up there after his friends found him.

Luckily nobody was hurt other than Francoeur's dry-fit, plenty of players have gone on the DL for less.

Your video courtesy teammate/filmmaker Cody Decker:

Walk Off Winner: A's Donaldson Hits 3-Run HR For the Win and Gets Pied

Oh, those wacky Major League Baseball players....

And if you are the Oakland A's, well, there's lots to celebrate. The A's hit the All-Star break with the best record in baseball and had a ton of guys play in the All-Star game.

Including 3B Josh Donaldson, who got the proverbial 2nd half of the season off to a rousing start.

Donaldson smacked a first pitch, bottom of the 9th inning, 3 run homer off Zach Britton to give the A's a comeback 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

The shot to dead centerfield set off the fireworks and celebrations all through the Oakland area....
But what followed during the post game interview with CSN Bay Area might have been better....

Phillies Play-By-Play Guy Catches Home Run

((ht: mlb.com))

Apparently he was happy about it, but wasn't allowed to say he was, which made it even funnier.

Check out the reaction of CSN Philly's Tom McCarthy, stationed in Centerfield to do Friday nights Braves vs. Phillies game in Philadelphia. McCarthy, who does play by play, decided to take his glove with him to his station near the bullpen in dead centerfield.

And low and behold as in the first inning, Atlanta's Freddie Freeman hits a monster 3-run homer to deep centerfield. Right where McCarthy and his cohorts were sitting (standing).

McCarthy made the catch, said that he was happy but not happy and proceeded to throw the ball right back on the field.

By the way, the Braves took care of the Phillies 4-2....

Your video from MLB.com:

Crazy Kid: Dancing Marlins Fan Becomes Internet Rage

((ht: mlb.com))

Um...okay. Yeah, sure, it's great to be a kid. To not have a care in the world and to be genuinely be excited when the roving TV Camera finds you between innings at a Major League Baseball game.

Check out this kid at a Florida Marlins game Tuesday night.

To say he's excited...well, that wouldn't really do justice to the term "excited"....

And now, he's quite the rage on these here Interwebs...

Behold---

Minor League Baseball Team to host Mark Emmert Fan Appreciation Night

((ht: collegefootballtalk.com))

Bwhahahaha! This is fantastic....

The Lake County Captains, the Class A Minor League affiliate for the nearby Cleveland Indians have come up with a wickedly smart promotion that some may not get, but if you know your college sports, you definitely will.

The Captains will hold Mark Emmert Appreciation night on July 2nd.

Yes, that's NCAA President Mark Emmert...

The Captains came up with the idea after Emmert, while testifying in the Ed O'Bannon college athlete trademark case said "We know that in the U.S, minor league sports aren't very successful either for the fan support or for the fan experience.

A link to the Captains press release: RIGHT HERE

Here are your rules:

--All fans who do nothing but stay until the 3rd inning, get credit towards a future game of their choice.
--In honor of the new ruling allowing student-athletes to eat food whenever they want it, 4 college students at the game will get "All-you-can-eat" wristbands and tickets to a future game.
--During the game, fans can move from their ticketed seat location to another seat, subject to a one inning waiting period...if they want a different view.
--Copies of the book "Undue Process--The NCAA's Injustice For All" will be given to lucky attendees.
--Other prizes include: "One and Done" player basketball cards and copies of college football and basketball video games.
--Participants involved in the in-game promotions will NOT be rewarded for their efforts, instead, they will have the satisfaction of just having a chance to participate
--Fans who wear a "Generic" college jersey that may...or may not correspond to a famous athlete who may...or may not attend the same college will be greeted by a Captains Booster who will give them a $100 handshake
--And...the team says they considered offering free tickets to any local student-athlete for the game, but due to regulations, they'll have to show a student I.D to receive a $2 discount.

This folks, is subtle, somewhat passive-aggressive and very sarcastic humor at it's finest. Whomever the Lake County Captains P.R folks are, they should be applauded for this.

Bravo!

ICYMI: Game Winning Walk Off Infield Hit Sends Vandy to CWS

((ht: espn.com))

Imagine for a minute you play a sport or are part of the athletic department at a major SEC University  and your school has had exactly one appearance in an NCAA title game.

And the sport the title was won in: Bowling.

Now imagine the jubilation on the Nashville campus of Vanderbilt University after their baseball team won a berth in the College World Series baseball finals.

The Commodores punched their ticket with a 4-3 win over Texas Saturday night in 10 innings. The game was decided after Tyler Campbell beat out a bases loaded infield hit with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th inning.

And the celebrating began...

The win sends Vandy into Monday's Best of 3 series with Virginia and gives the Commodores a shot at their 1st ever major sports National title.

Should make for some fun baseball:

ESPN.com gives us the highlights:

ICYMI: Best Bear Costume Ever at Padres Game

((ht: mlb.com))

Yikes! Even though this happened Friday night, we had to share it after we saw it.

Check out this guy at the Padres/Nationals game at Petco Park in San Diego. Without question, the most realistic bear costume we've ever seen....

Or as the Nationals announce team says....That's "Mr. Bear"

Wonder if he rents that thing out for parties?

Thanks MLB.com for sharing:

Tampa Bay Rays Moving Tribute to Don Zimmer

((ht: mlb.com))

He wasn't a "Star" player, but he's someone if you are over the age of 30 or follow baseball seriously, you knew about.

He wasn't front page pretty or a living, walking quote machine, but he spoke for everyone in the game.

Don Zimmer managed or at least seemed to have managed roughly half the teams in Major League Baseball in his career. He began that career as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Which is the jersey the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners donned Saturday night as they lined the field during a moving celebration of Zimmer's life.

Zim passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83. He was a "Special Advisor" to the Rays. And the Rays did him right by celebrating the incredible life and amazing experiences of a man that most everyone in baseball knew and loved.

Watch and enjoy.

Thanks MLB.com for sharing: