2012 First Baseman

[nate82]

I don't know what the Giants payroll looks like, but if you are the SF Giants how do you not go and get Prince? Your rotation is great, they just don't have any hitting. Adding Prince to that lineup would make them an instant favorite to win the NL Penant ... Especially since they won the World Series without him. Now you add that bat to the lineup. Look out.

The Giants wouldn't be able to afford an extension for both Lincecum and Cain if they sign Prince this off season. The Giants may not be able to afford both Lincecum and Cain anyways and if they sign Prince will they also be able to sign Lincecum or Cain also long-term? I don't think the Giants are going to want to try and get that big bat in Prince. I think they will just go with a bat like Bletran and see what Belt can do.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I think the Marlins are the darkhorse destination for Prince. Moving into a new stadium, could use his bat and a new face of the franchise. They could then flip Sanchez for help in other areas.

[nate82]

I think the Marlins are the darkhorse destination for Prince. Moving into a new stadium, could use his bat and a new face of the franchise. They could then flip Sanchez for help in other areas.

Or they may go after Pujols. Pujols makes a lot more sense as the Marlins are really trying to target the Hispanic population in Florida especially in the Miami area. I don't see any other Hispanic player who would bring a bigger boost for the Marlins in free agency than Pujols would bring. Only other player would be Reyes and the Marlins already have Ramirez at SS so that wouldn't make sense.

But I do agree that Prince could be signed by the Marlins. The best case scenario really is Prince signing with Toronto as that gives the Brewers the best pick option out of all the possible destinations Prince could go to.

 

[chuckiehacks]

I can't believe any marquee free agent would go to Florida. No fan support and horrible owners, who had several run-ins with players this year alone. Money talks, I suppose.

[sbrylski]

Jeffrey Loria still owns the Marlins, so it's highly unlikely they spend for a top free agent. Or maybe he's just been saving up all these years!

[MNBrew]

If Prince is gone but Pujols hasn't signed, I'd make a serious play for him (and trade Hart if we actually got him).

 

I've been wondering if Michael Young isn't a fair-game sort of potential acquisition. The guy rakes, plain & simple.

 

Neither of those options get Gamel into the lineup unless Hart's also gone. But they're both top-notch hitters.

[markedman5]

If we can't afford to sign Prince we sure as heck aren't going to be able to sign Pujols..................

[RockCoCougars]

Besides being his home, Florida could have an edge in signing Prince due to the lack of a state income tax. If I guesstimate that he wouldn't have to pay state taxes on a little over half his salary (games played in Florida). I would guess this could mean somewhere in the neighborhood five million over the course of the contract when we are talking a nine-figure deal. On the other hand, if he went to Toronto, perhaps the opposite would be in effect.

[madtowndrunkard]

There is no way the Marlins are going to sign Prince or any other $200million player. That team is probably losing $ with their entire payroll around $55 million.

 

If Hanley or Stanton have the season they are capable of....they'd be better off trying to extend their contracts. Or putting the $ into pitching. That young team is going to put up some runs eventually. The last thing they need is a superstar 1st basemen locking up their entire payroll flexibility.

[madtowndrunkard]

Prince will got to the Nationals if they lose out on Pujols. My prediction is that Pujols will stay in St. Louis. The Nationals will beat out Seattle and the Giants for Prince Fielder. The Cubs will focus on building a pitching staff.

 

The Brewers will off an aging vet with some pop a 1 year deal...maybe 2 years. If a long term deal is given, I'd take a serious look at Micheal Cuddyer.

[nate82]

Prince will got to the Nationals if they lose out on Pujols. My prediction is that Pujols will stay in St. Louis. The Nationals will beat out Seattle and the Giants for Prince Fielder. The Cubs will focus on building a pitching staff.

The Nationals really do not make much sense with Morse right now but if they are looking more long term they could go with Fielder but I am not really sold on the Nationals but they could be a wild card team. Don't forget about Toronto as they maybe looking for a 1B/DH type of a player and Fielder or Pujols would really help Toronto and would put them as one of the favorites to win the AL East.

The Giants make no sense at all really they will probably not have enough to resign both Lincecum and Cain long term let a lone sign either Fielder or Pujols also. I believe the Giants will pass on both Prince and Pujols as they will just go with Belt. The market for Prince and Pujols is going to be very limited as the big market teams will not be involved. The best option for the Brewers and the one everyone should be hoping for is for Fielder to sign with Toronto as that gives the Brewers a 1st round pick if Prince signs with the Nationals the Brewers just get a comp pick and a 2nd round pick.

[TooLiveBrew]

The market for Prince and Pujols is going to be very limited as the big market teams will not be involved.

 

I would be surprised if Boston wasn't in on Pujols (but I think he'll stay with STL). They could even be in on Fielder. Both are hitters that I wouldn't block with a guy like Youkilis at age 33, but that's just me. Youkilis could wind up being a decent trading chip with a team like Milwaukee -- reasonable contract, & cheap club buyout option for 2013.

[chadomac]

I think the Giants do make sense. Mostly because they really need offense, and Sabean loves making bad long-term decisions.

[nate82]

Youkilis could wind up being a decent trading chip with a team like Milwaukee -- reasonable contract, & cheap club buyout option for 2013.

 

 

I agree. I think Youkilis would be a target for the Brewers if the Brewers believe Gamel is not the answer or trade him for another position of need. Hart or Marcum would be who the Red Sox would want for Youkilis in return.

I think the Giants do make sense. Mostly because they really need offense, and Sabean loves making bad long-term decisions.

Sabean hasn't really made that many bad moves. Yes he whiffed on Zito but Zito was arguably the best FA available when the Giants signed him. The Rowand deal is the only one that sticks out to me as being a bad long term deal. Some wanted Rowand to become a Brewer instead of Cameron if my memory is correct which it probably isn't. The Zito contract looks bad now but when the Giants signed Zito, Zito was a top of the rotation talent and he was going to be pitching in one of the more heavily favored pitching division in the NL West. I don't fault Sabean here as a lot of teams were willing to give Zito a big contract. Sabean knows his bread and butter is pitching in that league and that Tim Lincecum is the face of that franchise. Until Lincecum is locked up long term for the Giants I don't see them going after many if any big name free agents. They may look at Prince and see if a deal could be done but I don't believe anything serious will come out of it.

[pingman]

Given the Giants strategy of building around their strong pitching staff combined with their ballpark, I could see them being more interested in Reyes than Fielder.....they could move Posey to 1B as a strategy to keep him healthy & in the lineup everyday; and he can rake when healthy....

[endaround]

There is no way the Marlins are going to sign Prince or any other $200million player. That team is probably losing $ with their entire payroll around $55 million.

 

If Hanley or Stanton have the season they are capable of....they'd be better off trying to extend their contracts. Or putting the $ into pitching. That young team is going to put up some runs eventually. The last thing they need is a superstar 1st basemen locking up their entire payroll flexibility.

The Marlins make money hand over fist. They are the team other owners hate.

[RockCoCougars]

Sabean hasn't really made that many bad moves.

 

He's lucky that both Liriano and Nathan blew their arms out. That was looking like one of the all-time stinkers for awhile.

[Oldcity]

It still was. Nathan was great for years in Minnesota. Liriano was great and could still be okay.

 

I think Sabean's been awful. Zito contract, Rowand contract, no offense whatsoever the last few years, and now the terrible Beltran trade.

[thebruce44]

From the locked thread Can Mat Gamel be the answer at first.

JoGrG[/url]:[/b]

---

If we can platoon him, I think he'd be a good option. But he's pretty dreadful against lefties, and who knows if they want to keep an extra righty on the bench for that (although a power hitter PH is long overdue on this team)

Of all the popular misconceptions about Gamel, this is the one that gets me the most and it comes up over and over again. He actually has reverse splits all through the minors.

I don't understand why so many fans who have clearly not seen him play much and who know little about his game feel the need to bash him.

[Hate those Rodents]

I knew about his splits Bruce. I'd prefer to just give him first base and let him play vs lhp and rhp. However, one thing I want on our team that we didn't have this past year is power on the bench and someone that can more or less be a starter at 1B or corner OF in case of injury or bad play. We didn't really have that to my liking with Kotsay this year. To get a guy like a Derrick Lee (my preference) however, we'd have to give the guy some PT. Maybe not a strict platoon, but some sort of platoon. Can Lee play corner OF in a pinch (like once a week in a Ned Yost Sunday Matinee Lineup)?

[yoshii8]

I'm almost positive that Lee will not be playing any corner outfield.

[Warning Track Power]

TooLiveBrew]The market for Prince and Pujols is going to be very limited as the big market teams will not be involved.

 

I would be surprised if Boston wasn't in on Pujols (but I think he'll stay with STL). They could even be in on Fielder. Both are hitters that I wouldn't block with a guy like Youkilis at age 33, but that's just me. Youkilis could wind up being a decent trading chip with a team like Milwaukee -- reasonable contract, & cheap club buyout option for 2013.

I disagree. Those players are not blocked by Youkilis, they are blocked by Adrian Gonzalez. I seriously doubt that any of A-Gon, Pujols or Prince would be okay with a 1B-DH time share. A-Gon and Pujols are good fielding 1B and Prince has already said he doesn't want to be a DH. Same with the Yankees and Teixeira and why I don't consider them players in the Pujols-Prince sweepstakes. The only way I see the Red Sox making a play on Pujols is if he and they agree to Pujols being the everyday 3B, but that isn't likely in my opinion.

 

The rumor in L.A. is that the Dodgers could have a new owner before Opening Day. If that process goes smoothly and swiftly, the Dodgers may yet get into the bidding for Prince and what a splash that would be for the new owner. Especially if that owner is (GOD FORBID) Mark Attanasio.

[MNBrew]

Sabean hasn't really made that many bad moves. Yes he whiffed on Zito but Zito was arguably the best FA available when the Giants signed him. The Rowand deal is the only one that sticks out to me as being a bad long term deal. Some wanted Rowand to become a Brewer instead of Cameron if my memory is correct which it probably isn't. The Zito contract looks bad now but when the Giants signed Zito, Zito was a top of the rotation talent and he was going to be pitching in one of the more heavily favored pitching division in the NL West. I don't fault Sabean here as a lot of teams were willing to give Zito a big contract. Sabean knows his bread and butter is pitching in that league and that Tim Lincecum is the face of that franchise. Until Lincecum is locked up long term for the Giants I don't see them going after many if any big name free agents. They may look at Prince and see if a deal could be done but I don't believe anything serious will come out of it.

That over-inflated 2-yr/$18M contract the Giants gave Edgar Renteria wasn't exactly a Sabean moment of glory, either.

 

No, not a heinous contract in terms of length. But it was heinous in terms of badly overestimating the market & acting early in doing so. The proactive approach here resulted in major egg on the Giants' faces.

[danzig6767]

It still was. Nathan was great for years in Minnesota. Liriano was great and could still be okay.

 

I think Sabean's been awful. Zito contract, Rowand contract, no offense whatsoever the last few years, and now the terrible Beltran trade.

Sabean has made his share of head scratching moves and i thought i read that ownership drove the signing of Zito more than Sabean did, but either way the Giants have won a lot of games with him as GM, including a championship. I'd take that if i was a Giants fan, regardless if some of his moves were dumb. Bottom line W-L results matter above all else.

[umpref]

Dodgers signed Rivera. Rosenthal writes about "what does this mean for Eithier". Some rumblings about LA going after Fielder. How about Eithier and Loney for Marcum or Wolf, Gamel and Hart and ?. Solves 1st base. Upgrades D in OF. Adds a couple LH hitters with decent ave. I'd then sign Barmes, and take a flyer on Sizemore and jettison T Plush ( I think we caught lightning in a bottle and the act may wear thin). Just a thought. All revolves around Prince signing though.