Two winters ago, the Giants placed a $126 million wager on Barry Zito. Now they arrive in Las Vegas pondering whether to double-down.
Should they plunk down another $100-million-plus contract for ace left-hander CC Sabathia? Or would it be a reckless gamble for a franchise trying to get younger and more financially nimble?
You don't need to be a seasoned baseball executive to know that starting pitchers seldom are a good bet on long-term contracts. You'll get better payoff odds from the airport slots.
Yet the Giants continue to debate the idea of signing Sabathia, and they don't expect a resolution at the winter meetings this week.
"We don't want to close things off," said Giants President Larry Baer, acknowledging the risk of investing a quarter of a billion dollars in two pitchers. "In the end, everybody would have to feel comfortable that he's the right guy and agree it's the right thing to do. None of those firm decisions have been made. In this end, I have no idea where it's going to go."
The Giants already bought a new setup staff, signing Bobby Howry and Jeremy Affeldt. They have a new No. 2 hitter after luring shortstop Edgar Renteria with a two-year, $18.5 million contract.
"None of those signings cost us a draft pick, which is very important," Baer said. "And while they might not be sexy signings, they incrementally help us. We know there are lots of other ways we need to improve."
At the same time, the The Giants could be tempted to seize the moment and make an aggressive push. Given the current economic climate, they'll need to give fans the strongest possible incentive to buy tickets. And nothing moves turnstiles like a winner, right? Baer acknowledged the state of the division but said: "We just have to stay focused on our goals. We want to take the step in 2009 to be better than .500. Whether that takes us to contention or not, we'll see. We can't close ourselves off from any possibilities, but we won't sacrifice the long-term building process we've already begun." General Manager Brian Sabean said: "We're sitting in a pretty good place. Some teams seem to be challenged to retain their own roster or go forward with the present payroll. We're doing what we can to play catch-up or leapfrog some of these people. It's one of those years when it might turn out that way." Sabean will be fielding trade offers in his suite at the Bellagio, hoping for a deal to augment his power-deprived offense. The longtime G.M. said it's possible the Giants won't make any more offensive moves, but it's hard to believe Sabean would feel confident entering the last year of his contract with Bengie Molina as his cleanup hitter. The Giants' 94 home runs last season were the fewest by a National League team since the 1993 expansion Florida Marlins (in a non-strike-shortened season). Sabean is looking for a power-hitting corner infielder, with left-hander Jonathan Sanchez his most attractive trading chip. The club has been linked to a pair of third basemen, the Cincinnati Reds' Edwin Encarnacion and the Marlins' Jorge Cantu, both of whom are capable of a 25-homer season. But Encarnacion and Cantu also are considered subpar defensive players. That looms as a significant drawback, especially since scouts noted Renteria's shrinking range and agility while playing shortstop for the Detroit Tigers last season. Defensive concerns also make it unlikely the Giants will look at Adam Dunn or Pat Burrell, two free-agent power threats who could play first base.
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