DeRosa passes Giants physical; announcement tomorrow

Henry Schulman
SFGate/The Splash blog/San Francisco Chronicle

UPDATE: A Giants spokesman just told me DeRosa was in San Francisco today for his physical, which he passed. The deal is done and will be announced tomorrow.

Doesn't look like an Uribe announcement is imminent.

If my friends Ken Rosenthal at Foxsports.com and Jayson Stark at ESPN are correct -- and they usually are -- the Giants have reached agreement with free-agent infielder Mark DeRosa on a two-year deal worth $12 million, which would be the team's biggest move this winter to bolster the offense.

DeRosa, who turns 35 in February, is an interesting case. He can play any infield position except short and the outfield. He seems to be the type of complementary offensive player the Giants used to acquire to fill out a lineup for Barry Bonds.

In truth, that is the only kind of player available in free agency now aside from Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, who can be considered offensive "difference-makers." If you believe the reports, one (Holliday) is demanding too much money and the other (Bay) doesn't want to play in San Francisco.

Trading for that kind of hitter would require the Giants to weaken its biggest asset, its pitching, so the strategy appears to be adding what GM Brian Sabean likes to call "professional hitters" to the lineup in hopes they and perhaps a burgeoning prospect such as Buster Posey will help score enough runs to support the pitching.

I'm sure the Giants would have loved to get Nick Johnson and his .400 on-base percentage. DeRosa is not that kind of hitter. But he does have a career .343 OBP, which is not bad by current Giants standards, and hit 23 home runs with 78 RBIs for Cleveland and St. Louis last season.

He hurt his wrist shortly after he was traded to the Cardinals in July and had surgery after the season. That makes the Giants' physical, which reportedly occurred today, more than a formality.

I'm not sure what a DeRosa signing would mean for talks with Juan Uribe. Conceivably, the Giants could sign both. DeRosa could play some games in left field with Uribe at third and Pablo Sandoval at first. Or DeRosa could play third or first with Sandoval at the other corner, Uribe at short and Edgar Renteria on the bench.

In any case, the dual signings would give manager Bruce Bochy more flexibility.

Still on the docket for the Giants: a catcher, a fifth starter and some relief help. And who knows? Maybe Bay has balked himself out of consideration in Boston and New York and might decide San Francisco and the Giants' money -- if they're willing to spend it -- don't look so bad after all.

Source: Mark DeRosa ungergoes Physical for Giants

Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

Mark DeRosa took his physical for the San Francisco Giants on Monday, according to a source familiar with the club's negotiations. So only that physical stands in the way of DeRosa agreeing to a two-year deal with the Giants.

As ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported last week, DeRosa has been on the verge of accepting a two-year contract offer from the Giants since before Christmas. That offer, according to si.com, is for a total of $12 million over the two seasons.

The 34-year-old free agent has been pursued by a number of teams this winter, including the Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Cardinals, Braves and Phillies, but hasn't been able to find a club willing to give him the three-year deal he was originally seeking.

The Giants would use DeRosa primarily at third base, but he is also expected to see action at several other positions. He has played more than 20 games at every position except catcher and pitcher in his 12-year career.

DeRosa had wrist surgery in late October to repair a torn tendon sheath. So the physical, in his case, is more than a formality. However, he's expected to be ready for spring training.

San Francisco also is working to finalize a contract to bring back infielder Juan Uribe.

Jayson Stark is a senior baseball writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Uribe close to deal with Giants

Ken Rosenthal
FoxSports.com

Free-agent infielder Juan Uribe is close to returning to the Giants on a one-year contract with a club option for 2011, according to a major-league source.

The Giants are still looking for a regular first or third baseman. The addition of one or the other likely would mean that Uribe would remain in a super-utility role.

The team’s other targets include free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre and free-agent infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa. A trade for Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla also is possible.

Uribe, 30, batted .289 with 16 home runs, 55 RBIs and an .824 OPS in
398 plate appearances last season. He appeared at second base, shortstop at third.

Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria, 34, played in only 124 games last season and second baseman Freddy Sanchez had shoulder trouble, increasing Uribe’s value to the team.

In nine major-league seasons with the Rockies, White Sox and Giants, Uribe has a career batting line of .257/.298/.430.

San Francisco Giants look to add a hitter

Andrew Baggarly
Mercury News

There shouldn't be any question what Giants general manager Brian Sabean needs to find when the checkered flag falls on the winter meetings at the end of this week.

A hitter. Probably two. Or at least a few solid leads.

It could be a slugging trade target like Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla. It could be a free agent with on-base abilities like first baseman Nick Johnson.

But the action is on Sabean to find someone. He might have just received a two-year extension from managing partner Bill Neukom, but fans are restless. The Giants have played two seasons in the post-Barry Bonds era, and Sabean is no closer to building a respectable lineup.

Their dynamic pitching staff, fronted by Tim Lincecum's once-in-a-generation arm, led the Giants to an 88-win year — snapping a streak of four losing seasons — but nobody felt good about depriving that talented staff a shot at the playoffs.

When the Giants scored at least three runs, they were 76-25, the best winning percentage in the majors. When they didn't? Try 12-49.

Even a league-average offense would have been good enough. But the Giants ranked last with a .309 on-base percentage, making them the most prodigious collection of out-makers in the major leagues.

So Sabean isn't discriminating. He will take a productive stick wherever he can find one. He would like to keep Pablo Sandoval at third base and Freddy Sanchez at second base, but both players can slide to other infield positions, giving the Giants flexibility to maintain a longer list.

Uggla, a sorely needed right-handed pull hitter, is widely believed to top that list. With the Marlins perennially fighting to keep their payroll at modest levels, they are expected to actively shop the arbitration-eligible second baseman. But Sabean said he won't give up any prime assets for a player getting close to free agency, and the Marlins are asking for players like left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Expensive veterans such as Randy Winn, Randy Johnson and Dave Roberts are off the books, and the Giants will save a chunk by letting Bengie Molina, their ill-fitting cleanup hitter the past two seasons, sign with another club.

But there's no windfall to spend without a serious payroll spike, which isn't in the plans. Lincecum is expected to receive a record-setting raise in salary arbitration; left-hander Jonathan Sanchez and closer Brian Wilson are due raises, too. Sabean already has said the Giants won't have the money to pursue outfielders Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, the top two offensive free agents on the market.

The Giants will go shopping on the second tier. Along with Nick Johnson, that market includes first baseman Adam LaRoche, outfielder Jermaine Dye, third baseman Adrian Beltre, outfielder Xavier Nady, outfielder Johnny Damon and infielder Miguel Tejada.

Dye, an Oakland native who grew up in Vacaville, might be the most affordable hitter with demonstrated power potential. He fits the Sabean mold of a battle-tested veteran with postseason success and a proven track record. He also hit .179 in the second half of last season, though, and advanced metrics grade him as one of the poorest defensive left fielders in baseball.

The Giants already made perhaps their most important decision this winter, determining that prospect Buster Posey isn't ready to be an everyday catcher in the big leagues. Ivan Rodriguez, Yorvit Torrealba and Brad Ausmus have been linked to the Giants, but players such as Miguel Olivo, Rod Barajas and Jason Kendall might be more likely targets.

Ideally, the Giants also would sign a No. 5 starter so their other top prospect, Bumgarner, can begin the season at Triple-A Fresno. Brad Penny rejected a one-year offer, and if he doesn't circle back, Sabean will look to sign another starter to an affordable one-year deal.

If the market leaves him with few choices, Sabean said he would look to re-sign Bob Howry or another veteran reliever to fortify the staff that way. Regardless, it doesn't appear the Giants have the starting-pitching depth to trade an arm for a bat.

Neukom's timeline calls for the Giants to contend in 2010 and beyond. They took a 16-game step up in the standings last season, but it will take a lot more roster refurbishing to continue their upward trajectory.

Sabean might have won Neukom's approval, but for many of the team's paying customers, he still has a lot to prove.

Giants do not offer arbitration to Molina or any of their other free agents

Andrew Baggarly
Extra Baggs Blog/Mercury News

The Giants did not offer arbitration to any of their free agents, including Type A catcher Bengie Molina. While this doesn’t mean the organization is cutting ties with Molina, it’s clear that GM Brian Sabean didn’t want his cleanup hitter back on a one-year contract. Molina would’ve earned more than his $6 million salary last season.

Randy Winn and Bob Howry were Type B free agents. The Giants won’t get any draft-pick compensation if those players sign with other clubs.

Lincecum's the one; that makes two Cys

Wainwright finishes third despite getting most first-place votes

Chris Haft
MLB.com
From now on, when Tim Lincecum steps onto the pitcher's mound, he'll stand alone in more ways than one.

Many pitchers have recorded more victories and strikeouts than Lincecum. Several have earned more Cy Young Awards. None, however, thrived to the extent that Lincecum has during a career that has been as brilliant as it is brief.

On Thursday, Lincecum became the only pitcher to capture the Cy Young Award in each of his first two full Major League seasons. The Giants right-hander was named the National League's repeat winner Thursday in balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

"It's a tremendous honor for me," said Lincecum, 25. "To be up there and do what I've done means the world."

Several aspects of Lincecum's triumph combined novelty with history:

• This was one of the closest Cy Young votes ever. In balloting that assigned five points for a first-place vote, three for a second-place vote and one for a third-place nod, Lincecum totaled 100 points and 11 first-place votes. He edged St. Louis right-handers Chris Carpenter (nine first-place votes, 94 points) and Adam Wainwright (12 first-place votes, 90 points).

"Both the guys I was going up against had tremendous seasons," Lincecum said, calling Wainwright a "workhorse" and praising Carpenter's speedy comeback from injuries.

The 10-point margin separating the top three finishers was the second-closest in NL voting. It's exceeded only by the 1987 results, in which Philadelphia reliever Steve Bedrosian edged Chicago's Rick Sutcliffe, 57-55, while Rick Reuschel, who pitched for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Giants that season, finished third with 54 points.

Lincecum's six-point victory matched the third-closest election in the NL since the ballot expanded from one to three pitchers in 1970. Chicago's Bruce Sutter also scored a six-point victory in 1979, edging Houston's Joe Niekro, 72-66. In strike-shortened 1981, Los Angeles' Fernando Valenzuela nipped Cincinnati's Tom Seaver, 70-67, in the second-most contested 1-2 finish.

"I had no idea how this voting might go, because of the other two candidates," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said.

• Lincecum set a new standard by winning the Cy Young with 15 victories, the smallest total for a Cy Young winner who was a full-time starting pitcher in a non-strike-shortened season. The previous low was established in 2006 by Arizona's Brandon Webb (16-8) and tied only Tuesday by Kansas City's Zack Greinke (16-8), the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner.

Lincecum's 15-7 finish paled beside the records compiled by Carpenter (17-4, 2.24 ERA, 144 strikeouts) and Wainwright (19-8, 2.63 ERA, 212 strikeouts). Lincecum's victory total not only tied him for fourth in the league with seven other pitchers but also represented a dip from last year, when he went 18-5 and joined 1967 Cy Young recipient Mike McCormick to become only the second Giant to win the award. Yet Lincecum earned 23 of 32 first-place votes despite amassing four fewer victories than Webb.

While Wainwright led the league in victories and Carpenter was tops in ERA, Lincecum led the league with 261 strikeouts, reflecting his dominance. His superiority in more esoteric statistical categories also was believed to have influenced voters in his favor.

"You can see where it's taken a turn to complete numbers," Lincecum said, referring to the evolving thought process of Cy Young electors.

Lincecum led the Major Leagues by making seven starts in which he worked at least eight innings and didn't allow an earned run. Greinke recorded five such outings. Carpenter and Wainwright had four and three, respectively. Lincecum's eight double-digit strikeout performances, highlighted by his 15-strikeout effort July 27 against Pittsburgh, represented another Major League best.

Lincecum topped Wainwright and Carpenter in several other statistical categories, including opponents' batting average, strikeouts per nine innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio.Wainwright became only the second pitcher to garner the most first-place votes and not win the award. In 1998, Atlanta's Tom Glavine collected 11 first-place votes to 13 for San Diego's Trevor Hoffman but amassed the most points, 98-88, and took home the trophy.

The simple fact that a scrawny, 5-foot-11, 170-pounder could transform himself into one of the game's most elite pitchers since making his Major League debut in May 2007 is singular enough. So it seemed fitting that Lincecum could defy conventional elements such as vote totals.

"I never could have seen this happening growing up. You try to put in the hard work and do the good things necessary to put yourself in this position," said Lincecum, who thanked his father, Chris, the man most responsible for his pitching development.

Lincecum also expressed gratitude to teammates, the Giants organization, manager Bruce Bochy, pitching coach Dave Righetti, the fans and catcher Bengie Molina. "He's half the reason I'm here," Lincecum said of Molina, a free agent who's unlikely to re-sign with San Francisco.

Lincecum clearly improved overall upon his first Cy Young season. He trimmed his ERA from 2.62 to 2.48. Opponents hit .206 off him this season, compared to .221 in 2008. After walking 84 in 227 innings a year ago, he improved to 68 walks in 225 1/3 innings this season.

The NL's starter in this year's All-Star Game, Lincecum became the first Giant to lead the league in strikeouts for two years in a row since Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson (1907-08). Lincecum also topped the NL with 26 quality starts while ranking second in ERA and opponents' batting average and third in innings. He tied teammate Matt Cain for the league lead with four complete games and joined four other pitchers atop the NL list with two shutouts.

Lincecum is the first pitcher to win consecutive Cy Young Awards since Randy Johnson, a Giant in 2009, won four in a row with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1999-2002. Other back-to-back winners include Pedro Martinez (1999-2000), Roger Clemens (1997-98 and 1986-87), Greg Maddux (1992-95), Jim Palmer (1975-76), Denny McLain (1968-69; he shared the honor in the latter year with Mike Cuellar) and Sandy Koufax (1965-66).

At the conclusion of a nationwide conference call, Lincecum read a statement expressing contrition for being cited earlier this month for possessing a small amount of marijuana and a smoking pipe in his car in Clark County, Wash. County prosecutors and Lincecum reached a standard plea agreement, but he must appear in court in Vancouver, Wash., on Dec. 22.

"I made a mistake and regret my actions earlier this month in Washington," he said. "I want to apologize to the Giants organization and to the fans. I know that as a professional athlete I have a responsibility to conduct myself appropriately both on and off the field. I certainly have learned a valuable lesson through all of this and I promise to do better in the future. In the meantime, I am focused on preparing for the 2010 season."

Lincecum departed slightly from the text of the statement at an AT&T Park news conference, earnestly saying that he "completely" regretted the incident, owed apologies "especially" to the fans before concluding, in part, "I want to say that this will never happen again."

Giants to show patience with free agency

Club expected to take time while looking to improve offense

Chris Haft
MLB.com
When Brian Sabean recently announced that he planned to exercise stealth instead of speed in pursuing free agents this offseason, the Giants general manager probably didn't have history in mind.

But it's worth noting that the Giants haven't shopped methodically in the open market since the 2001-02 offseason -- which preceded their last National League pennant.

Sabean typically has reached quickly into free agency's grab bag to fill the Giants' needs. San Francisco imported at least one significant free agent from outside the organization by Dec. 15 in the previous six offseasons.

By that date last year, the Giants had signed relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry and shortstop Edgar Renteria. The year before that, the primary early addition was center Aaron Rowand. He followed outfielder Dave Roberts, infielder Rich Aurilia and catcher Bengie Molina (2006), right-hander Matt Morris (2005), shortstop Omar Vizquel, right-hander Armando Benitez and catcher Mike Matheny (2004) and second baseman Ray Durham and outfielder Marquis Grissom (2003).

But in the winter of 2001-02, the Giants didn't sign a newcomer until Jan. 5, when they secured outfielder Reggie Sanders. They added third baseman David Bell on Jan. 25. Both played key roles on the club that came excruciatingly close to winning the World Series, but was defeated in seven games by the Angels.

The Giants again should have the luxury of taking their time as open bidding for free agents starts Friday and they pursue their primary objective: Finding a qualified hitter or two who can play the infield or outfield corners. The financial crunch that has affected the entire industry is expected to decelerate the pace of negotiations. Though Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are the only true impact hitters available in free agency, the Giants should be able to wait for the right deal if they consider less-celebrated performers such as Mark DeRosa, Nick Johnson, Chone Figgins and Jermaine Dye.

"It's not a very attractive free-agent market, in my mind," Sabean said.

An 88-74 finish in 2009, representing a 16-game improvement, has enabled the Giants to resume entertaining postseason hopes. But they know they'll get shut out of October unless they improve their offense, which ranked 13th in scoring.

Economic constraints might prevent the Giants from being able to afford either Holliday or Jason Bay. Left-hander Barry Zito is owed $76 million over the next four years and Rowand is due $12 million in each of the next three seasons, consuming a substantial chunk of the payroll. Moreover, ace right-hander Tim Lincecum and closer Brian Wilson become eligible for salary arbitration for the first time and are thus destined for huge raises.

But Sabean hinted that if the Giants somehow fashion a creative offer for either Holliday or Bay, managing general partner Bill Neukom will at least listen to the proposal. "If we have something compelling baseball-wise to bring to him, he certainly will consider it and take it through the proper channels," Sabean said. "I think we'll have the latitude to see what we can recommend."

Expect the Giants' recommendations to come from the free-agent list. Sabean said earlier this week that a trade seemed unlikely, since he's reluctant to part with pitching assets that other teams covet.

The Giants have expressed interest in retaining at least three of their own free agents -- Molina, right-hander Brad Penny and infielder Juan Uribe -- but Sabean indicated that all of them will test the market.

From: Sports Illustrated/SI.com

San Francisco Giants

PENDING FREE AGENTS: C Bengie Molina, SP Brad Penny, RP Bobby Howry, SP Randy Johnson, OF Randy Winn, IF Juan Uribe, IF Rich Aurilia, OF Dave Roberts, SP Noah Lowry.

PLAYERS WITH OPTIONS: None.

PROSPECTS ON THE VERGE: C Buster Posey, SP Madison Bumgarner, UT Matt Downs, 3B Jesus Guzman, 3B Ryan Rohlinger.

BUILDING FOR: Remaining in contention by consolidating gains.

BIGGEST HOLES: The offense around Pablo Sandoval.

TARGETS: LF Jason Bay, LF Matt Holliday, LF Johnny Damon, RF Jermaine Dye, UT Chone Figgins, OF Rick Ankiel, OF Andruw Jones, 3B Troy Glaus, OF/1B Xavier Nady.

BREAKDOWN: The Giants were surprise contenders this year thanks to the majors' second-best pitching staff (just a tick behind the Dodgers), and that staff will be even stronger in 2010 with the arrival of top prospect Bumgarner. However, the Giants' offensive attack was, well, offensive, ranking 26th in the majors. (If the 2009 Giants offense was a movie, it would have been Sandoval and the Seven Dwarfs.) The Giants just re-upped deadline acquisition Freddy Sanchez at second base and are locked into Edgar Renteria at shortstop and Aaron Rowand in center, but they have hot prospect Posey ready to succeed Molina behind the plate and no obligations at the four corners other than to play Sandoval at first or third. Bay and Holliday are obviously the belles of the ball, but Figgins would provide on-base ability and speed at the top of the order and play a strong third base, pushing Sandoval to first. Damon and Dye are defensively-challenged short-term solutions, but the Giants' options are so dismal in the outfield corners, and the pitching staff so adept at striking hitters out (a major league-best 8.1 K/9 in '09), that it would be worth sacrificing defense for their offense. Ankiel, Jones and Glaus are high-upside gambles similarly worth taking. Nady is a bit too much like Ryan Garko, but if there's a team he can help, it's this one.

Hot Stove from the GM Meetings

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi
FOXSports.com

Giants trying to bring Uribe back in '10 — 2:49 p.m.

The Giants are still talking with infielder Juan Uribe about coming back to the team in 2010, sources said today.

Uribe's representatives touched base with Giants general manager Brian Sabean again today as the GM meetings adjourned.

The team was satisfied with Uribe's production as a part-time player this year.

Interest in Uggla ... at third base — 10:51 a.m.

The two teams showing the most interest in Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla would move him to third base.

The Giants and Orioles are the clubs in strongest pursuit of Uggla, according to major-league sources.

The Red Sox also have inquired, envisioning Uggla as a potential replacement for free agent Jason Bay in left field.

Uggla, 29, projects to earn approximately $8 million in arbitration. But in four major-league seasons, he has averaged 30 homers and 90 RBIs.

For the Giants, he would represent a more affordable addition than Bay or Matt Holliday. The Giants would play Uggla at third, Edgar Renteria at shortstop, Freddy Sanchez at second and Pablo Sandoval at first.

If Uggla went to the Orioles, he could replace free agent Melvin Mora at third base and also fill in at first base and DH.

The Orioles, awaiting the arrival of third-base prospect Josh Bell, do not want to block the position long-term. They also are concerned about Uggla's defense at third; their pitching is too weak for the team to give away outs. But the team would benefit from Uggla's right-handed power.

If the Marlins trade Uggla, they almost certainly will keep third baseman Jorge Cantu, who also is arbitration-eligible.

Cantu, 27, has driven in 195 runs the past two seasons and provides protection for shortstop Hanley Ramirez in the cleanup spot.

Emilio Bonifacio likely would replace Uggla at second, with top prospect Logan Morrison perhaps taking over at first.

Freddy Sanchez signs for 2 years

Henry Schulman
SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
The Giants made their first significant player move of the offseason Friday, re-signing second baseman Freddy Sanchez to a two-year, $12 million contract.

On the other side of the infield, the Giants would like to re-sign Juan Uribe, and general manager Brian Sabean has begun talks with Uribe's agent. However, a quick resolution is unlikely.

"I get the sense he's going to test the free-agent market," Sabean said.

In another move that was expected but might carry some emotional weight, the Giants cut ties with popular but injured pitcher Noah Lowry by declining his $6.25 million club option for 2010 and placing him on outright waivers.

They also outrighted long reliever Justin Miller. Like Lowry, Miller can become a free agent.

Senior vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans said the Giants would not "close the door" on re-signing either pitcher. Given Lowry's perception that the team misdiagnosed the injury that has cost him more than two seasons, his return seems less likely.

The two-year deal for Sanchez eliminated his $8.1 million option for 2010 and instead pays him $6 million for each of the next two seasons.

The Giants traded pitching prospect Tim Alderson to the Pirates for Sanchez on July 29. The second baseman's two months with San Francisco were sabotaged by cartilage damage in his left knee, an injury that occurred before the trade, and a shoulder sprain that occurred afterward. He played in only 25 games for the Giants and hit .284.

Sanchez, 31, had knee surgery in September and said the joint "feels great. It feels almost like it never happened." He also said he just began rehabilitating his sprained shoulder.

The career .299 hitter called his contract extension "a big deal for me. Obviously, they gave up a pretty high prospect for me. I feel there's a lot of work to do to show what I'm capable of doing when I'm on the field. I try to be as loyal a person as I can. Being part of the San Francisco Giants' family, hopefully I can do what they traded for me to do."

Sabean said when Sanchez was healthy, "he certainly played up to our scouting reports and expectations. It's unfortunate he ran into not being able to stay on the field, because he really would have helped the ballclub."

Manager Bruce Bochy expects Sanchez to hit second or third. If he hits third, one presumes Pablo Sandoval would hit fourth, which means the Giants were not able to find a powerful cleanup hitter via trade or free agency.

The Giants are expected to make a run for Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay, but otherwise, Sabean said he sees a "later-developing market. We don't have a relative sense of urgency like last year, which will play in our favor."

Sabean reported having "some level of conversation" with each of the Giants' potential free agents, including Uribe, Bengie Molina and Randy Winn, to let them know where they stand.

The Lowry move ends a sad saga for the Giants and the 29-year-old left-hander. A first-round draft pick in 2001, he became one of the team's most popular players and led the team with 14 wins in 2007, when his season was curtailed by arm numbness. He has not pitched since then, but agent Damon Lapa said Lowry now is "completely healthy" and throwing three days a week.

Giants' Posey wins '09 Spink Award

Catcher skipped Double-A, dominated at San Jose, Fresno Danny Wild MLB.com
Giants catcher Buster Posey, who ascended from Class A Advanced San Jose to the Majors in less than six months, was named the winner of the 50th annual J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the Topps/Minor League Player of the Year for 2009 on Tuesday.

Posey, 22, rose through the Giants' system after splitting his second pro season with San Jose and Triple-A Fresno. The Leesburg, Ga. native, who hit .351 in 10 games as a rookie in 2008, batted .325 with 84 runs scored, 80 RBIs, 18 home runs, 31 doubles and a triple in 115 Minor League games before making his big league debut with San Francisco on Sept. 11. The Florida State product was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2008 Draft by the Giants and had no trouble proving himself as a pro. He dominated the California League to begin the season, batting .326 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs in 80 games with the Giants despite missing time after getting hit in the head in June.

Posey was named California League Hitter of the Week on April 20 after beginning the season batting .405 with 10 RBis in his first 11 games. He fell a triple shy of the cycle on April 26 and drove in 14 RBIs in a six-game span from May 18-23.

The Giants ended weeks of speculation on July 14 when Posey skipped Double-A Connecticut and joined Fresno in the Pacific Coast League. He was ranked as the No. 5 Top Prospect in the Minors by MLB.com at the July 31 Trade Deadline after beginning the season at No. 14.

The former Hawaii Winter Baseball All-Star quickly adjusted to Triple-A pitching, batting .321 with five home runs and 22 RBIs in 35 games with the Grizzlies, driving in a run in each of his first four games. He matched a season high with four RBIs on Aug. 4 against Tacoma and homered for the second straight game the next day. With a dozen hits over a seven-game hitting streak Aug. 31, the Giants finally called up the 6-foot-1 backstop.

Posey, who ranked 14th in the Minors with a .416 on-base percentage, appeared in seven games with the Giants and collected his first Major League hit in his second gameas a pinch-hitter against the Dodgers on Sept. 19. He reached base in his first eight starts with Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League this month.

The award, named after J.G. Taylor Spink, the publisher of The Sporting News from 1914 to 1962, is awarded by the Topps Company of New York in conjunction with Minor League Baseball. Brewers infielder Mat Gamel won the award in 2008. The Baseball Writers Association of America also present an award in Spink's name annually for meritorious service in baseball coverage.

Lincecum named top NL pitcher by TSN

Giants righty earns award in second consecutive season

Chris Haft
MLB.com
Tim Lincecum often has said after a routinely excellent performance that it's not what you've done that counts; it's what you're doing now.

That mindset preserves Lincecum's diligence, which in turn has prompted him to sustain the excellence that led the Giants right-hander to be named National League pitcher of the year by The Sporting News on Wednesday for the second consecutive season.

Lincecum posted a 15-7 record this year, a slight dip from his 18-5 finish in 2008, when he captured the NL Cy Young Award. But the panel of 31 Major League general managers and assistant GMs who cast ballots for the TSN honor were among the observers who looked beyond the 25-year-old's wins and losses.

"In a lot of ways, he was actually better," Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti said.

Lincecum trimmed his ERA from 2.62 to 2.48. Opponents hit .206 off him this season, compared to .221 in '08. After walking 84 in 227 innings a year ago, he improved to 68 walks in 225 1/3 frames this season.

The NL's starter in this year's All-Star Game, Lincecum validated that status by leading the league in strikeouts (261) and quality starts (26) while ranking second in ERA and opponents' batting average and third in innings. He also tied teammate Matt Cain for the league lead with four complete games and joined four other pitchers atop the NL list with two shutouts.

Said Righetti: "I think the first thing that comes to mind is, how do you top last year? Part of being a professional is to repeat. For him to be able to do that this early in his career is a tremendous feat, really."

Weakened by a bout with bronchitis during Spring Training, Lincecum yielded seven runs and 14 hits in 8 1/3 innings spanning his first two starts of the season. Concerns evaporated in his next two outings, both against the D-backs. He worked eight innings in each, surrendering one run and 10 hits while walking one and striking out 25.

Other highlights of Lincecum's season included a two-hit shutout at St. Louis on June 29 and a four-hit 4-2 triumph over Pittsburgh on July 27 in which he struck out a career-high 15.

The TSN award might bode well for Lincecum's chances in the Cy Young race, though the honors obviously are exclusive of each other. The Cardinals' twin aces, Chris Carpenter (17-4, 2.24 ERA) and Adam Wainwright (19-8, 2.63), are considered the NL's strongest Cy Young contenders besides Lincecum.

Lincecum couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Giants' great Jansen dies

TomFitzGerald
SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
Larry Jansen, who twice won 20 games during his eight years with the New York Giants and was the winning pitcher in relief when Bobby Thompson delivered his pennant-winning home run in 1951, died Saturday at his home in Verboort, Ore. He was 89.

Jansen didn't get to the majors until he was 26, and it took a 30-6 season with a 1.57 ERA for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1946 to get him there. He completed 31 of his 38 starts that year. As a rookie with the Giants in 1947, he went 21-5, leading the National League in winning percentage (.808).

In 1951, he led the Giants with 23 wins and helped their legendary comeback against the Brooklyn Dodgers, although he lost his only two decisions of the World Series. That season he threw the last pitch of Joe DiMaggio's career. He twice came close to winning 20 again before arm troubles kept him from playing a major role in the Giants' championship 1954 season.

He spent 11 years (1961-71) as the San Francisco Giants' pitching coach and helped develop Hall of Famers Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry, along with Mike McCormick and Jack Sanford.

He is survived by his wife, Eileen, and 10 children, 23 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

Comment: Mike Lovell
TalkinGiants Baseball
In addition, Jansen was the winning pitcher in the 1951 playoff game versus the Brooklyn Dodgers famous for the"shot heard around the world"...Bobby Thompson's famous walk off home run.

Sabean, Bochy discuss coming season

Manager, GM talk contracts, improvements for 2010

Chris Haft
MLB.com
Though general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy sounded eager Monday to plunge into what seems to be a promising future with the Giants, neither has begun serious talks with the club's hierarchy about a contract extension.

During the Giants' annual end-of-season summary news conference at AT&T Park, Sabean said that he and Bochy will review the 2009 season together. Once that's done, they'll meet with managing general partner Bill Neukom, who reportedly is prepared to retain Sabean, the Major Leagues' longest-tenured GM, and Bochy, who led the Giants to an 88-74 record that ended a streak of four consecutive losing seasons.

Neukom has repeated that he wouldn't publicly announce a decision on Sabean's and Bochy's futures with the Giants until after the regular season.

Sabean said that once he and Bochy meet with Neukom, which could happen later this week, "there will be some sharing and caring. But I can definitively say this: There are no contracts in place. There aren't any commitments to having any contracts in place. Bill has been true to his word and we have been fine with the repeated schedule that it was going to happen in due course, and, frankly, we are both still under contract. So things will take care of itself, but you also have to understand that in this case you have to have three parties agree: the organization, myself and Boch."

Nevertheless, Sabean and Bochy addressed a wide range of personnel issues and related topics that will affect whether the Giants continue to improve next season, including: the challenge of adding an accomplished hitter or two; the free-agent status of catcher Bengie Molina, second baseman Freddy Sanchez and right-hander Brad Penny; whether prospects Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner are ready for the Major Leagues; and the impending payroll squeeze caused by salary arbitration cases with pitchers Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson and Jonathan Sanchez, among others.

Sabean acknowledged the need to obtain a competent hitter who would help give the Giants "more consistency, at least one through five" in the batting order. Preferably, Sabean said, that hitter would be a selective type who could complement the free swingers currently dominating the lineup. "The team is going to have to take on a little different personality," said Sabean, who became GM on Sept. 30, 1996.

Sabean said that the payroll, which hovered around $85 million, won't change much next year. But don't expect the Giants to outbid all rivals for the sparse number of available free-agent sluggers, such as St. Louis' Matt Holliday and Boston's Jason Bay.

"We are going to be challenged in the market," Sabean said. "I can't mention names, but you know the names that are going to be out there. There's going to be huge action on them, including from their incumbent teams."

Sabean admitted that the Giants will "agonize" over the wisdom of trading one of their prized starting pitchers for a big hitter. He stopped just short of declaring All-Star right-hander Matt Cain completely off-limits.

"It's very difficult to get value back for a position player with that type of pitcher," Sabean said. Noting that Cain is under control for two more years, due to an option the Giants hold on his 2011 contract, Sabean theorized that virtually any hitter the Giants might get wouldn't have as favorable a contract. Besides, he added, teams tend to want more than a front-line pitcher for a middle-of-the-order hitter.

One way or another, management believes that the Giants must find a bat to sustain the momentum they launched this year and upgrade the offense that ranked 13th in runs scored, 14th in slugging percentage and last in on-base percentage among National League teams. "We need to ... show this group that we're trying to take it to the next level," Sabean said.

Re-signing Freddy Sanchez, who played only 25 games with the Giants after being obtained from Pittsburgh just before the Trade Deadline, appears to be part of that plan. Despite the shoulder and knee injuries that dogged Sanchez, Sabean sounded as if a deal to retain the 2006 NL batting champion "once his contract gets worked out" is a foregone conclusion.

Sabean expressed hopes of keeping Molina, who hit .265 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs. He also voiced doubts about being able to do so, since Molina could be the most sought-after free-agent catcher on the market. "There's going to be more than the Giants interested and there are going to be teams that may be able to offer more years or salary than [us]," Sabean said. "So it's a complicated issue, but he certainly did his part and he deserves due consideration."

Sabean called re-signing Penny a "possibility," pointing out that the pitcher chose the Giants over the Yankees and Twins after Boston designated him for assignment. But Penny could command an increase from his $5 million base salary, which might be more than the Giants can afford.

That's because Lincecum, Wilson and Jonathan Sanchez are arbitration-eligible for the first time and are thus guaranteed huge raises. Lincecum might even exceed the record $10 million awarded Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard through arbitration in 2008. Even if the Giants manage to gain cost control by signing Lincecum to a multiyear deal, the ace pitcher might receive eight figures annually or close to it. "Their party won't have any downside, believe me," Sabean said.

Both Sabean and Bochy were upbeat about Posey's development after barely more than one professional season. But Posey probably needs more experience before becoming an everyday catcher in the Majors. "It's probably the toughest place on the field to break in a younger player," Sabean said. Of course, whatever the Giants decide regarding Posey influences their efforts to re-sign Molina.

Sabean expressed skepticism about Bumgarner's readiness for the Majors. He pointed out that the left-hander just turned 20 and hasn't pitched at Triple-A, though he recorded a 1.80 ERA in four late-season appearances with the Giants. "Do I think he's a Major League pitcher? Stuff-wise, yes," Sabean said. "But it would be a big leap of faith to count on him or to forecast that he'll be in the rotation." Sabean also said the issue was better suited for a "roundtable discussion" with his staff.

Panda ends season with blast

Henry Schulman
SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
The Giants' surprising season had just ended with a 4-3, 10-inning victory Sunday when Kevin Mitchell darted into the clubhouse toward Pablo Sandoval. They shared a hug, the 1989 National League Most Valuable Player and a possible future MVP, a Boogie Bear and a Panda Bear.

"Panda, man, I knew he was going to strike today," Mitchell said.

Symbolically, the season could not have ended any other way. Sandoval led off the 10th inning with a 444-foot, home run to center to break a 3-3 tie. Brian Wilson then secured the Giants' 88th win with his 38th save. Also appropriate, Wilson struck out Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff with two aboard to end it.

The Giants finished their first winning season in five years at 88-74, fifth best in the league and good for third place in the West, seven games behind the division-winning Dodgers. Their 16-game turnaround from 2008 was their best since a 22-game improvement from 1996 to 1997.

Game 162 featured a lot of goodbyes and potential goodbyes. Rich Aurilia flied out in his final at-bat with the Giants and was given a gift by teammates who cheered him in the clubhouse. Randy Winn also flied out in his final at-bat, robbed by a sliding catch.

Randy Johnson's Hall of Fame career might have ended with a blown save. An unearned run against him cost Jonathan Sanchez a victory. However, Johnson's season and perhaps career ended with a critical strikeout of 40-homer man Adrian Gonzalez, the 4,875th of the Unit's career.

But this game ultimately belonged to Sandoval, whose final swing of the year produced a game-winning home run and a bunch of round numbers. It raised his final long-ball count to 25, his RBIs to 90 and his batting average to .330. He finished second in hitting to Florida's Hanley Ramirez, who ran away with the batting title at .342.

"That's just temporary," Mitchell said of Sandoval's numbers. "That's just to let them know, 'I'm coming.' "

When a reporter recited those numbers to Sandoval, the 23-year-old scrunched his face as if to acknowledge he had a special first full season in the majors and said, "I can't believe it. Every time I went to my house, I just wanted to say thank you to God for giving me the chance to play baseball every day. I'm excited to be in the big leagues and do that well."

Sandoval was excited to have all his bones intact after a scary incident on the play that tied the game in the seventh inning. He caught a pop foul by David Eckstein and flipped over the railing of the Giants' dugout head-first. A crowd of teammates raced over to try to catch him.

Bochy addressed players before the game to thank them for their effort, which clearly extended into the season's final game.

They dispersed for the winter with a sense of accomplishment, as well as longing for the few extra wins that would have gotten them to the postseason.

"I think in the years coming up to this one we made smallish strides," Tim Lincecum said. "We didn't know what our identity was as a team. Now we're finding that."

With the season over, the onus on relieving the frustration shifts to the front office, now charged with finding some punch the Giants desperately lacked in 2009. They scored 657 runs, only 17 more than last year's 90-loss team.

Assuming some offense is added, the Giants will go into 2010 with heightened expectations.

"That's what you want," Bochy said. "We want to go into next year expecting to win and play good baseball. It's a lot better than going in the other way, when you're not expected to do anything."

Lincecum and Matt Cain helped raise the bar.

Before the game, Cain walked across the clubhouse and asked Lincecum to sign a baseball. They embraced, and Lincecum said, "It was fun. Let's do this again."

From: MLB.com

San Francisco (88-74) Won 1	San Francisco 4, San Diego 3 Today's Boxes 10/4/09 DET 5, CWS 3 NYM 4, HOU 0 CIN 6, PIT 0 WSH 2, ATL 1 BOS 12, CLE 7 PHI 7, FLA 6 BAL 5, TOR 4 NYY 10, TB 2 MIN 13, KC 4 MIL 9, STL 7 ARI 5, CHC 2 LAA 5, OAK 3 LAD 5, COL 3 SEA 4, TEX 3	San Diego (75-87) Lost 1
	October 4, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E San Francisco 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 12 2 San Diego 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 5 0
	Standings thru 10/4/09 | Recap: SF | SD | Wrap | Gameday

San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Velez, E, LF 5 2 3 0 0 1 0 .267 Torres, RF-CF 4 0 2 0 1 2 2 .270 Sandoval, P, 3B 4 1 2 1 1 0 3 .330 Uribe, SS 5 0 1 1 0 1 5 .289 Garko, 1B 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .268 a-Ishikawa, PH-1B 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 .261 Rowand, CF 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 .261 Medders, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Johnson, R, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .077 b-Bowker, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .194 Affeldt, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 c-Aurilia, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .213 Wilson, B, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Rohlinger, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 3 2 .158 Whiteside, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .228 Sanchez, J, P 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 .073 Winn, RF 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 .262 Totals 39 4 12 2 3 14 17 a-Struck out for Garko in the 6th. b-Grounded out for Johnson, R in the 8th. c-Flied out for Affeldt in the 10th. BATTING 2B: Uribe (26, Ramos, C). HR: Sandoval, P (25, 10th inning off Webb, R, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Velez, E 3; Torres 2; Sandoval, P 5; Uribe 2; Garko; Rowand; Whiteside; Sanchez, J. RBI: Uribe (55), Sandoval, P (90). 2-out RBI: Uribe. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Garko; Uribe 2; Torres. GIDP: Uribe; Sandoval, P. Team RISP: 4-for-11. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Velez, E 2 (11, 2nd base off Gregerson/Hundley, 2nd base off Bell/Hundley), Torres (6, 2nd base off Russell, A/Hundley). FIELDING E: Garko (5, missed catch), Velez, E (9, fielding). PB: Whiteside (5). DP: (Uribe-Rohlinger-Ishikawa). Pickoffs: Sanchez, J (Cabrera, E at 1st base). San Diego AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Cabrera, E, SS 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 .255 Eckstein, 2B 5 1 1 2 0 1 4 .260 Gonzalez, A, 1B 3 0 0 0 2 2 2 .277 Headley, LF 3 0 0 0 2 1 2 .262 Kouzmanoff, 3B 5 0 1 0 0 2 4 .255 Salazar, O, RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 .302 Bell, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Webb, R, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Thatcher, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hundley, C 4 1 0 0 0 2 2 .238 Durango, CF 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 .545 Gwynn, CF 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .270 Ramos, C, P 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Russell, A, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 a-Gonzalez, Ed, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .216 Gregerson, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 b-Rodriguez, L, PH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .202 Adams, M, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Macias, D, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .197 Totals 34 3 5 2 5 8 21 a-Grounded out for Russell, A in the 6th. b-Hit a sacrifice bunt for Gregerson in the 7th. BATTING HR: Eckstein (2, 6th inning off Sanchez, J, 1 on, 1 out). TB: Cabrera, E; Eckstein 4; Kouzmanoff; Durango; Gwynn. RBI: Eckstein 2 (50). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Durango; Salazar, O; Gonzalez, A 2; Kouzmanoff. S: Rodriguez, L. GIDP: Macias, D. Team RISP: 0-for-10. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING CS: Cabrera, E (8, 2nd base by Sanchez, J/Whiteside). PO: Cabrera, E (1st base by Sanchez, J). FIELDING PB: Hundley (7). Outfield assists: Durango (Uribe at home), Headley (Whiteside at 1st base). DP: 3 (Eckstein-Cabrera, E-Gonzalez, A, Cabrera, E-Eckstein-Gonzalez, A, Headley-Gonzalez, A). San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Sanchez, J 5.1 3 2 2 4 3 1 4.24 Medders (H, 8) 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.01 Johnson, R (BS, 1) 1.0 1 1 0 0 2 0 4.88 Affeldt (W, 2-2) 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.73 Wilson, B (S, 38) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2.74 San Diego IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Ramos, C 4.1 9 3 3 1 3 0 3.07 Russell, A 1.2 0 0 0 1 3 0 3.65 Gregerson 1.0 0 0 0 1 4 0 3.24 Adams, M 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.73 Bell 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2.71 Webb, R (L, 2-1) 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 1 3.86 Thatcher 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.80 IBB: Gonzalez, A (by Wilson, B), Sandoval, P (by Gregerson). HBP: Cabrera, E (by Johnson, R). Pitches-strikes: Sanchez, J 90-54, Medders 14-9, Johnson, R 12-10, Affeldt 21-12, Wilson, B 16-9, Ramos, C 73-50, Russell, A 24-16, Gregerson 20-13, Adams, M 12-10, Bell 17-13, Webb, R 4-3, Thatcher 9-7. Groundouts-flyouts: Sanchez, J 6-6, Medders 0-1, Johnson, R 1-1, Affeldt 4-2, Wilson, B 1-0, Ramos, C 8-1, Russell, A 0-2, Gregerson 0-0, Adams, M 1-0, Bell 0-1, Webb, R 0-1, Thatcher 0-1. Batters faced: Sanchez, J 22, Medders 2, Johnson, R 6, Affeldt 6, Wilson, B 5, Ramos, C 20, Russell, A 6, Gregerson 5, Adams, M 3, Bell 4, Webb, R 2, Thatcher 2. Inherited runners-scored: Medders 2-0, Russell, A 1-0. Umpires: HP: Dan Iassogna. 1B: Larry Vanover. 2B: Sam Holbrook. 3B: Mike Winters. Weather: 67 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 17 mph, L to R. T: 3:09. Att: 25,082. October 4, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner