Andrew Baggarly - MercuryNews
Over the past 15 seasons, the Giants' roster blueprint had Barry Bonds as the center column. The rest of the plan was to develop gobs of pitchers, keep the best ones and trade surplus arms for the other parts the team needed.
Bonds is no longer Part A of the grand philosophy. But what about Part B?
It's an intriguing question for longtime General Manager Brian Sabean, especially since the team holds the fifth pick in the June draft.
In the past, the draft was a spring-training topic for Giants fans only if it involved the price of beer at Scottsdale Stadium. But this year, most bloggers already know about Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez, South Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak and Miami (Fla.) slugger Yonder Alonso - the consensus best among a solid crop of power-hitting college juniors.
Sabean makes no promises about drafting a premium hitter, though. Although his revamped scouting department will strive for more balance in the system, Sabean believes that young pitching is more valuable than ever.
"The sands have shifted, not only with our philosophy of building a team around Barry, but more so in the game itself," said Sabean, who watched Arizona State's top-ranked baseball team beat Vanderbilt on Saturday. "Young pitching is the gold standard, so you'll have to find a way to do both. Develop them, hold on to the best ones and be patient with the position players. We want more balance, but you still have to have the pitching inventory."
The Giants have gone heavy on pitching ever since Sabean's first draft as G.M. in 1997, when the club spent the fourth overall pick on Seton Hall right-hander Jason Grilli.
Of the 14 first-round (non-supplemental) picks during Sabean's administration, the Giants have taken 11 pitchers. And of the first-round position players, just one of the three - Tony Torcato in 1998 - represented the club's first overall pick.
Torcato never materialized - a failure made more regrettable because the Cleveland Indians took eventual All-Star left-hander and Vallejo native C.C. Sabathia with the next pick.
Pitchers are generally considered a higher first-round risk. But with Vice President Dick Tidrow presiding over the draft, the Giants have developed a steady supply of contributing arms - including Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Noah Lowry and Brad Hennessey.
Their selection this June is their highest since they chose Grilli, who never pitched for the Giants and was traded with Nate Bump to Florida for Livan Hernandez.
Sabean said it's impossible to say what the club might do or even how it might prioritize under new scouting director John Barr.
"It's not like the NFL or the NBA where you draft for need," Sabean said. "If you look back, and if organizations are honest, they'll admit more mistakes are made by drafting for need - in baseball especially. Our game isn't cut out to be that way."
No matter whom they take, the Giants are certain to hand out a signing bonus exceeding the franchise record of $2.1 million. Sabean said the club will not avoid players with significant bonus demands.
"You want who you think is the best at that time and the fastest mover," he said.
And yes, that player could be another pitcher.
"No matter what people think, anybody that says they know exactly what they're doing the first of March isn't being honest," Sabean said. "There are too many factors involved. You have to do all the work and let it play out."
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