| Erik Klackner. 11th August, 2005 - 2:22 am
 The struggles of the 2005 San Francisco Giants have led many to question the strategies of General Manager Brian Sabean in constructing a team. The off-season signings of veterans Armando Benitez (32), Mike Matheny (34), Omar Vizquel (38), and Moises Alou (39) left many scratching their heads as one of the oldest teams in all of baseball got older. With frustrations mounting, and the Giants currently sitting 15 games under .500, some fans are looking for reasons to explain the dismal year. And they're looking in the wrong place.
Brian Sabean's track record of acquiring Major League-proven talent has worked with tremendous success for the better part of a decade. Since his promotion to General Manager in 1996, the Giants have won three NL West crowns, made four playoff appearances, and won a National League pennant, all employing the same strategies for building a team as the 2005 Giants. Did the plan stop working overnight?
No it did not. The four main off-season acquisitions have all performed superbly with the exception of Benitez, who remains on the DL. Mike Matheny is having the best offensive season of his career. Omar Vizquel is having another solid season, just as he did in Cleveland in 2002 and 2004. Moises Alou has battled injuries, but when in the lineup is one of the most effective hitters in the National League.
All of these guys would be key cogs on a runaway NL West champion if the Giants were not beset by injuries. Barry Bonds has missed the entire season. Alou has spent one stint on the DL, and appears headed back for another. Jason Schmidt fought ”dead arm” troubles for the first half of the season. Armando Benitez has missed virtually the entire season. Edgardo Alfonzo was off to a tremendous start before missing two months. These are not injuries to role players. These are injuries to three of the four best hitters on the team, including arguably the greatest hitter of all-time, the closer who was expected to anchor the bullpen, and the unquestioned staff ace. I highly doubt any team in baseball would be able to overcome obstacles of that magnitude, veterans or not.
The biggest complaint about Sabean has been his unwillingness to play young players, instead opting to trade them for proven pieces. Again, these complaints were awfully quiet when the Giants were winning 191 games over the past two seasons. This is the same man who acquired via trade: Jason Schmidt, Jeff Kent, Robb Nen, Ellis Burks, Kenny Lofton, and a handful of other quality players that contributed to winning teams. And the bottom line is a prospect is just that: a prospect. Not a proven player. A player with potential that may or may not become a Major League-caliber player.
Even the two trades that are viewed as epic failures by Sabean need to be reconsidered. In the Sidney Ponson fiasco, the Giants gave up Kurt Ainsworth and Boof Bonser, two highly touted pitching prospects. Ponson flopped miserably in San Francisco, but have either Ainsworth or Bonser made a contribution to the Orioles or any other Major League club? No they have not. In the AJ Pierzynski debacle, the Giants gave up Joe Nathan, who has become a great closer, and Francisco Liriano, who appears primed to be a star. But despite the acrimony that accompanied his exit, do not forget that Pierzynski batted a solid .272 and led all National League catchers in RBI last season.
I cannot think of a single prospect the Giants have traded away that has made a significant contribution to another ballclub. Ryan Vogelsong (the prospect in the Jason Schmidt deal)? Ainsworth and Bonser? The jury remains out on Jerome Williams, David Aardsma, and Jesse Foppert. Liriano certainly appears poised to make Sabean look foolish on that deal, but even he has yet to crack the Twins roster, so time will tell. As soon as the young players the Giants are trading away become proven Major League commodities, I will be first in line to criticize Sabean for not seeing them through. But as of right now, only the Pierzynski deal truly looks bad.
And lest Giants fans forget, they still have some tremendous prospects in the organization: Matt Cain, Merkin Valdez, Alfredo Simon, Eddy Martinez-Esteve, Marcus Sanders, Todd Linden, et al, in addition to players like Jason Ellison, Lance Niekro, Noah Lowry, Brad Hennessey, and Kevin Correia who have made a dent with the big club this season and should be key components down the line. Injuries may have robbed the 2005 Giants of fulfilling their potential, but with a man like Brian Sabean calling the shots, the stay in the valley will be short-lived. |
