Sabean looks to draft

G.M. is searching for key No. 5 pick

Andrew Baggarly - MercuryNews

With the amateur draft a few weeks away, Giants General Manager Brian Sabean is preparing to depart for another shotgun tour of college tournaments and high school all-star games.

The Giants select fifth overall, their highest position since they took pitcher Jason Grilli with the fourth pick in 1997. Given their current rebuilding state, Sabean and Co. absolutely cannot afford to take the wrong player.

There are a number of college hitters who could matriculate to the big leagues quickly, including Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez, Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham, South Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak, Florida State catcher Buster Posey and Miami (Fla.) first baseman Yonder Alonso.

But Sabean also has scouted Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham, and Florida high school first baseman Eric Hosmer could have the most upside of any hitter in the draft.

Sabean also hasn't ruled out taking a pitcher, with University of San Diego left-hander Brian Matusz and Missouri right-hander Aaron Crow the consensus top two arms. But it's more likely the Giants will seek to find the next Matt Williams or Will Clark.

Sabean has little indication who will be taken with the first four picks but said it was important the organization get blanket coverage on the top dozen players available.

"You don't stop at five or six because you never know what can happen with injuries or you get a (high school) player who won't sign," said Sabean, who hoped to personally scout the top players multiple times. "Plus you get a better comparison when you go deeper."

While predraft agreements have become more common with the top-10 players, Sabean said he doesn't anticipate cutting a deal. He also isn't planning scouting trips around a player's bonus demands. Hosmer, for instance, is a Scott Boras client.

"It'll affect a few situations," Sabean said. "I don't worry about it too much right now. It really only comes into play the last week to 10 days."

• It remains to be seen whether the Giants will augment their draft budget to draft premium players in later rounds. That's what they did in 2002, when they took Travis Ishikawa in the 21st round and gave him $955,000 to entice him away from a scholarship at Oregon State.

The Giants certainly aren't going to rob from their draft fund to boost the major league payroll. Including deferred money to be paid this year, the Giants' major league payroll expenditures are projected to be roughly $87 million - well below the mid-$90-million figure that they spent last season.

• Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, annoyed that opponents have run wild against him, is working on a pickoff move. Even though he has the natural advantage of being left-handed, Sanchez has allowed six stolen bases in six attempts - the most among Giants pitchers.

"Before, I only threw over when they tell me," Sanchez said. "Now I'm going to do it on my own. I don't want them to feel so comfortable to run."

• Barry Zito turned 30 on Tuesday.