San Francisco Chronicle Would the Giants trade Matt Cain for Alex Rios?
Late Tuesday, it was learned that the "interesting" proposal Brian Sabean had mentioned Monday involved Rios, the Blue Jays' outfielder. He has three more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming eligible for free agency after the 2010 season.
The Blue Jays want Cain for Rios, according to a high-ranking Toronto official, and the Giants seem more willing to part with Tim Lincecum.
Rios, who turns 27 in February, batted .297 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 161 games. He scored 114 runs and stole 17 bases. He could be a perfect fit for the Giants and the National League, considering his vast all-around game (minus his range in right field) and favorable contract situation. He made $2.5 million this year.
The Giants need a young hitter with pop to replace Barry Bonds and make the team respectable again, and the Blue Jays need more pitching to keep up with the Yankees and Red Sox in the American League East.
Though Sabean has suggested Cain and Lincecum are virtual untouchables, the Blue Jays could have an offer that's too good to pass up as they zero in on the promising young pitchers, who are either the foundation of the Giants' future or the bait that rebuilds an anemic offense.
Toronto wants Cain instead of Lincecum because Lincecum isn't as proven as a big-leaguer and could have durability issues because of his slight frame and irregular mechanics. Conversely, Cain could evolve into a Curt Schilling type, a horse of a pitcher with an overpowering repertoire.
"There's only one scenario that is intriguing," said Sabean, referring to trade offers for either of his two young pitchers, "but it's not intriguing enough to pull the trigger."
That could change. The teams were scheduled to talk again here. The Giants could sweeten a Lincecum package with other players or agree to surrender Cain.
"We need to decide internally the weight of it," Sabean said.
It's a tough call for Sabean, who hasn't had the luxury of two starting pitchers with so much upside since he became the GM more than a decade ago. Cain and Lincecum are both 23.
Cain's 7-16 record last season is misleading. The bullpen blew five saves and the offense scored two or fewer runs in 21 of his 32 starts. He had a 3.65 ERA, and batters hit .235 off him, seventh lowest in the league.
Lincecum debuted in 2007 and went 7-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 24 starts. He struck out 150 batters in 1461/3 innings. With the Giants out of contention early, Lincecum was a refreshing newcomer and helped keep Giants fans awake with his impressive stuff.
The Blue Jays' brass got familiar with Lincecum on Monday after watching video of his delivery, and general manager J.P. Ricciardi seemed determined to move Rios to upgrade his rotation.
"You have to pitch to win our division," said Ricciardi, who spoke to reporters of an outfield without Rios, with Adam Lind in left, Vernon Wells in center and Reed Johnson or Matt Stairs in right.
There was talk that the Blue Jays spoke with the Giants about Lincecum, offering Lind instead of Rios. The Blue Jays probably would need to offer more, and want to shed third baseman Troy Glaus and his hefty contract. The Giants have no interest in Glaus, who has been linked to the Florida pharmacy being investigated for steroid distribution.
Rios is familiar with the Giants' ballpark, having played in this year's San Francisco-hosted All-Star Game. Unlike Bonds, he participated in the Home Run Derby and hit the most homers (19) but finished second in the competition after losing the final round to Vladimir Guerrero.
Late Tuesday, it was learned that the "interesting" proposal Brian Sabean had mentioned Monday involved Rios, the Blue Jays' outfielder. He has three more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming eligible for free agency after the 2010 season.
The Blue Jays want Cain for Rios, according to a high-ranking Toronto official, and the Giants seem more willing to part with Tim Lincecum.
Rios, who turns 27 in February, batted .297 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 161 games. He scored 114 runs and stole 17 bases. He could be a perfect fit for the Giants and the National League, considering his vast all-around game (minus his range in right field) and favorable contract situation. He made $2.5 million this year.
The Giants need a young hitter with pop to replace Barry Bonds and make the team respectable again, and the Blue Jays need more pitching to keep up with the Yankees and Red Sox in the American League East.
Though Sabean has suggested Cain and Lincecum are virtual untouchables, the Blue Jays could have an offer that's too good to pass up as they zero in on the promising young pitchers, who are either the foundation of the Giants' future or the bait that rebuilds an anemic offense.
Toronto wants Cain instead of Lincecum because Lincecum isn't as proven as a big-leaguer and could have durability issues because of his slight frame and irregular mechanics. Conversely, Cain could evolve into a Curt Schilling type, a horse of a pitcher with an overpowering repertoire.
"There's only one scenario that is intriguing," said Sabean, referring to trade offers for either of his two young pitchers, "but it's not intriguing enough to pull the trigger."
That could change. The teams were scheduled to talk again here. The Giants could sweeten a Lincecum package with other players or agree to surrender Cain.
"We need to decide internally the weight of it," Sabean said.
It's a tough call for Sabean, who hasn't had the luxury of two starting pitchers with so much upside since he became the GM more than a decade ago. Cain and Lincecum are both 23.
Cain's 7-16 record last season is misleading. The bullpen blew five saves and the offense scored two or fewer runs in 21 of his 32 starts. He had a 3.65 ERA, and batters hit .235 off him, seventh lowest in the league.
Lincecum debuted in 2007 and went 7-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 24 starts. He struck out 150 batters in 1461/3 innings. With the Giants out of contention early, Lincecum was a refreshing newcomer and helped keep Giants fans awake with his impressive stuff.
The Blue Jays' brass got familiar with Lincecum on Monday after watching video of his delivery, and general manager J.P. Ricciardi seemed determined to move Rios to upgrade his rotation.
"You have to pitch to win our division," said Ricciardi, who spoke to reporters of an outfield without Rios, with Adam Lind in left, Vernon Wells in center and Reed Johnson or Matt Stairs in right.
There was talk that the Blue Jays spoke with the Giants about Lincecum, offering Lind instead of Rios. The Blue Jays probably would need to offer more, and want to shed third baseman Troy Glaus and his hefty contract. The Giants have no interest in Glaus, who has been linked to the Florida pharmacy being investigated for steroid distribution.
Rios is familiar with the Giants' ballpark, having played in this year's San Francisco-hosted All-Star Game. Unlike Bonds, he participated in the Home Run Derby and hit the most homers (19) but finished second in the competition after losing the final round to Vladimir Guerrero.
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