Waiting game could suit Giants

Club may benefit by eyeing Spring Training or midseason moves

By Chris Haft / MLB.com
This seems like a good time to be Travis Ishikawa, Jesus Guzman or any other Giant aspiring to win a corner infield job.

The Giants' need for another legitimate hitter has been well-documented. So has their preference for this hitter to play first or third base, spots where the team lacks depth. For various reasons -- the club's reluctance to trade Jonathan Sanchez, the absence of a fit in the free-agent market, the scarcity of available infielders who treat defense as more than just incidental -- the Giants haven't found their man.

They broadened their scope by considering left fielder Manny Ramirez, by far the best unsigned free-agent hitter. But in an interview that appeared in Saturday's editions of The San Francisco Chronicle, Giants managing general partner Bill Neukom confirmed that signing Ramirez appears "unlikely," as has been widely believed. Neukom proceeded to say that the Giants might wait until close to midseason to acquire the offensive force they need, since by then financially challenged clubs -- and there will be some in this economic climate -- might be more eager to part with useful, albeit high-salaried, hitters.

"There may be teams that get in a situation where they might need to move some players in June or July. That could work to our advantage. So we've had internal debates about whether we should keep our powder dry," Neukom told The Chronicle.

General manager Brian Sabean hinted at this approach during last month's Winter Meetings, when he said that the Giants were prepared to open the season with Ishikawa at first base and Pablo Sandoval at third, if necessary.

Waiting past Spring Training may disappoint some Giants fans who fantasized about Ramirez batting fourth. And the strategy comes with some risk, at is could test the patience of fans who envision another run-impoverished season if Bengie Molina remains the team's best alternative for the cleanup spot.

But in this case, he who hesitates isn't necessarily lost. After all, this is the NL West.

Arizona, Colorado and San Diego have done little or nothing to improve their rosters, although the Diamondbacks will welcome back a strong starting rotation. Los Angeles retains an enviable nucleus of young players, but the Dodgers must replace starters Derek Lowe and Brad Penny and reliever Takashi Saito.

Thus, no NL West club is a lock to build a huge lead in the division standings by midseason. So one school of thought is the Giants can afford to survey the landscape before asserting their presence within it.

Barring further player acquisitions, they can give Ishikawa the chance to prove he deserves to be the Opening Day first baseman. Ishikawa must avoid the fate that befell Dan Ortmeier, who was projected to be last year's starting first baseman but essentially benched himself with a disappointing Spring Training performance. Ishikawa displayed just enough power late last season, collecting three homers in 95 at-bats, to suggest to the Giants that he might be able to provide more. The club also likes his defense, an essential commodity for a team that will have to thrive on pitching.

The Giants also can give Guzman free rein to demonstrate whether he's a big leaguer or just a "4-A" player. Joining his third organization in three years, Guzman has hit proficiently almost everywhere he has gone. That includes this offseason in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he was named Most Valuable Player. As impressive as that was, bear in mind that last winter's Venezuelan MVP was ex-Giants catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, who went on to endure a challenging season. To skirt that path, Guzman must not only hit but also play adequate defense, which is said to be a shortcoming of his.

Even if Ishikawa or Guzman excels in Cactus League games, Spring Training performances are often illusory. That's another potential benefit of the Giants' wait-and-see posture. The first two or three months of the season should separate the prospects from the suspects, enabling the Giants to evaluate their roster more thoroughly. What the Giants don't need is another Randy Elliott, a journeyman who made their 1977 Opening Day roster by hitting .547 in exhibition games. Elliott sagged to .240 in 73 regular-season games that year, his only season in San Francisco.

Waiting until summer to trade for a hitter also could help the Giants make a more reasoned decision on which pitcher they can afford to relinquish, since pitching is the commodity other teams seek from them. Sanchez? Noah Lowry? A budding Minor Leaguer? By June or July, the Giants should know how they can trim their staff but not their depth.

Neukom's remarks didn't eliminate the possibility of a deal or free-agent signing by or during Spring Training. They simply offered a reminder that once the offseason ends, chances for a helpful player move don't vanish with it.