Mercury News
Freddy Sanchez will require surgery after the season to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, making it almost automatic that the Giants, 5-2 winners over Arizona on Wednesday, will decline their $8.1 million option on the two-time All-Star second baseman.
The club is expected to talk to Sanchez about a two-year contract at a lower figure, but general manager Brian Sabean wouldn't comment on how Sanchez fits in the team's future. The GM still doesn't know if his own option will be picked up, either.
"That's even tough for me to answer "... until we see what happens with the front office and the manager," said Sabean, before a victory at Chase Field.
Sabean is thought to be safe, unless managing partner Bill Neukom is a world-class poker player. All signs have pointed to an extreme appreciation for Sabean's efforts to rebuild the farm system. And the Giants clinched a winning record with Wednesday night's victory, too.
But the July 31 trade deadline isn't looking like Sabean's finest moment, as underscored by Sanchez's latest absence. He has played in just 25 of 50 games since the club acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Ryan Garko, acquired from the Cleveland Indians, has become buried on the depth chart, too.
Neither acquisition had the impact that Sabean envisioned. And now, after an MRI exam showed more tearing in Sanchez's left knee, it's fair to ask whether the Giants purchased damaged goods when they sent pitching prospect Tim Alderson to the Pirates. Sanchez said he knew he would need offseason surgery even before the Giants completed the July 29 trade. And there's no blaming the Pirates for subterfuge; the Giants' medical staff conducted its own examination of Sanchez because the trade was completed after a three-game series at San Francisco in which he sat out all three games. The trade cost the Giants almost $4 million, accounting for the remainder of Sanchez's salary and the $1.29 million bonus they gave Alderson as a first-round pick in 2007. But Sabean did not express regret over the deal. "I know at the time we made the trade everybody was all-in, including the medical team, that we could keep him on the field," Sabean said. "The bigger thing with Freddy is he hasn't been on the field because of other things, including the left shoulder. He didn't have the chance to be out there on a regular basis." There's still an excellent chance Sanchez will return on a multiyear contract. Few players do well on the free-agent market while coming off surgery, and Sabean didn't acquire Sanchez to be a half-season rental. "You can't deny that Freddy, when he's been out there, has been every bit a No. 2 hitter that we didn't have, and an All-Star second baseman," Sabean said. The Giants' biggest midseason boost might have been the decision to put Juan Uribe in the everyday lineup. Uribe hit a run-scoring double in the second inning and blasted a two-run home run in the sixth off Arizona's Kevin Mulvey as the Giants won their 82nd game. Pablo Sandoval had drawn walks ahead of Uribe's hits. The Giants managed to split their six-game trip even though a starting pitcher hadn't completed five innings before Thursday. Jonathan Sanchez broke that streak, lasting into the sixth while striking out nine. The Giants are four games out in the wild-card standings with 10 to play, picking up ground with the Colorado Rockies' loss. The Atlanta Braves also are four out. Freddy Sanchez said his surgery will be arthroscopic and he expected to recover within a few weeks. He plans to see Dr. Ken Akizuki today to determine whether he can play again this season. Giants manager Bruce Bochy wouldn't rule it out as long as the club remained in contention. "Stranger things have happened," Bochy said. "The odds are against us, we know it, but it's been done before." From: MLB.com
 San Francisco (82-70) Won 1 | San Francisco 5, Arizona 2 |  Arizona (66-87) Lost 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standings thru 9/23/09 | Recap: SF | ARI | Wrap | Gameday |
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