Saltzman Says...Goodbye Monta Ellis

The Warriors were bought by Owners with a background in two things as it relates to sports: Owning teams, and building teams.

Peter Guber's Mandalay Entertainment owns several Minor League teams.

Joe Lacob owned part of the Boston Celtics and saw the internal workings of a organization that carved out a plan, stuck to it, and delivered a championship from it.

Bringing in Jerry West as an advisor to evaluate talent, Rick Welts to run the business side that bobby fowell used to, Bob Myers to help improve the Warriors standing with other GM's and agents, and Mark Jackson to build a team that relies on passing the basketball and defense. 

Everyone hired was hired for a purpose.

The team was not fully built by the time David Lee was traded for, but the move had the ok from ownership.  They traded three complimentary pieces:

Anthony Randolph, who is currently playing 12 minutes a game, scoring 5.9 PPG for Minnesota

Ronny Turiaf, who is currently averaging 1.2 PPG and 3 RPG for Washington

Kelenna Azubuike, who is not currently playing basketball.  

The Knicks, in essence, traded David Lee for cap space to pursue Amare Stoudemire and trade for Carmelo Anthony.  As good as they look on paper, especially now with Jeremy Lin, they aren't in any better shape than the Warriors currently.  

For all of David Lee's shortcomings on defense, he is an offensive force at times, and he has a consistent jumper that helps open the floor for his teammates.  He is also a willing passer.  It doesn't make up for his lack of defense, yet he is now going to be paired with Andrew Bogut.

Bottomline: Monta Ellis doesn't play defense.  Monta Ellis is not as good long term as Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson.  Monta Ellis is not as important to a playoff team as Andrew Bogut.

Every single Warrior that has been brought in plays defense since the front office was completely built.

Klay Thompson

Kwame Brown

Dominic McGuire

Brandon Rush

 

Nate Robinson

Andrew Bogut

Stephen Jackson

Every one of those players puts in work on the defensive side of the ball.

PG Stephen Curry (backed up by Nate Robinson)

SG Klay Thompson (backed up by Brandon Rush)

SF Dorell Wright (backed up by Stephen Jackson)

PF David Lee (backed up by Dominic McGuire)

C Andrew Bogut (backed up by Andris Biedrins)

{That would be a fun 5-on-5 to watch.}

with Charles Jenkins and Jeremy Tyler, that is a much more balanced team with a very talented bench.

If Stephen Jackson can embrace the 6th man type role that Nate Robinson has, we can be tough to beat next year.

We will certainly look to bring in a rookie or two to challenge for playing time

I could see the Warriors bringing in a rookie SF to make Stephen Jackson expendable.

(Ideally, Harrison Barnes or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist)

I could see the Warriors bringing in a rookie C to make Jeremy Tyler work and Andris more expendable.

I could even see the Warriors bring back Kwame Brown this off-season.

 

Saltzman Says...Giants Depth Chart (Updated 7/31/11)

San Francisco's Updated Organizational Depth Chart: (7/31/11 Edition)

Right Handed Pitchers:

RHSP Matt Cain (ML)

RHRP Santiago Casilla (ML)
RHSP Tim Lincecum (ML)
RHRP Guillermo Mota (ML)

RHRP Ramon Ramirez (ML)
RHRP Sergio Romo (ML)
RHSP Ryan Vogelsong (ML)

RHRP Brian Wilson (ML)

RHP Josh Banks (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHP Casey Daigle (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHRP Steve Edlefson (Fresno Grizzlies/40 Man)
RHP Waldis Joaquin (Fresno Grizzlies/40 Man)
RHP Andrew Kown (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHRP Marc Kroon (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHP Shane Loux (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHP Scott Munter (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHP Dan Ortero (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHP Ronnie Ray (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHP Felix Romero (Fresno Grizzlies)
RHP Hector Correa (Richmond Flying Squirrels)

RHP Justin Fitzgerald (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
RHRP Heath Hembree (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
RHP Mitch Lively (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
RHP Daryl Maday (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
RHP Edwin Quirarte (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
RHSP Jose Casilla (San Jose Giants/40 Man)

RHSP Jake Dunning (San Jose Giants)
RHP Jacob Dunnington (San Jose Giants)
RHP Stephen Harrold (San Jose Giants)

RHSP Chris Heston (San Jose Giants)

RHSP Michael Main (San Jose Giants)
RHP Osris Matos (San Jose Giants)
RHP Andy Reichard (San Jose Giants)
RHP Jose Valdez (San Jose Giants)
RHSP Craig Westcott (San Jose Giants)

RHP Chris Wilson (San Jose Giants)
RHP Brett Bochy (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Drew Bowlin (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Edward Concepcion (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Austin Fleet (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Taylor Rogers (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Seth Rosin (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Shawn Sanford (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Justin Schumer (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Jeremy Toole (Augusta Green Jackets)
RHP Brandon Allen (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Wilber Bucardo (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Brennan Flick (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Kendry Flores (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Matthew Graham (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Cody Hall (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Cameron Lamb (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Rafael Martinez (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Lorenzo Mendoza (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Reinier Roibal (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
RHP Stephen Shackleford (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
----------

Left Handed Pitchers:

LHP Jeremy Affeldt (ML)

LHP Madison Bumgarner (ML)

LHP Javier Lopez (ML)
LHP Jonathan Sanchez (ML)

LHP Barry Zito (ML)
LHP Dan Runzler (Fresno Grizzlies/40 Man)
LHP Matt Yourkin (Fresno Grizzlies)

LHP Justin Dowdy (Fresno Grizzlies)
LHP Geno Espineli (Fresno Grizzlies)
LHP Craig Clark (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
LHP Chuck Lofgren (Richmond Flying Squirrels)

LHP David Quinowski (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
LHP Wilmin Rodriguez (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
LHP Erik Surkamp (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
LHP Clayton Tanner (Richmond Flying Squirrels/40 Man)
LHP Ryan Verdugo (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
LHP Chris Gloor (San Jose Giants)
LHSP Kelvin Marte (San Jose Giants)
LHP Ari Ronick (San Jose Giants)
LHP Tom Vessella (San Jose Giants)
LHP Ryan Bradley (Augusta Green Jackets)
LHP Michael Kickham (Augusta Green Jackets)
LHP Mario  Rodriguez (Augusta Green Jackets)
LHP Gaspar Santiago (Augusta Green Jackets)
LHP Aaron King (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
LHP Phil McCormick (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
LHP Jack Snodgrass (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
----------

Catchers:

C Buster Posey (ML)

C Chris Stewart (ML)
C Eli Whiteside (ML)
C Hector Sanchez (Fresno Grizzlies/40 Man)

C Jackson Williams (Fresno Grizzlies)

C Max Ramirez (Fresno Grizzlies)
C Aaron Lowenstein (Richmond Flying Squirrels)

C Johnny Monell (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
C Eliezer Zambrano (Richmond Flying Squirrels)

C Tommy Joseph (San Jose Giants)
C Alex Burg (San Jose Giants)
C Jesus Navarro (San Jose Giants)
C Jeff Arnold (Augusta Green Jackets)
C Daniel Burkhart (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
C Mike Murray (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
C Joseph Staley (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)

----------

First Baseman:

1B Aubrey Huff (ML)
1B Brandon Belt (Fresno Grizzlies) 

1B Brett Pill (Fresno Grizzlies)
1B Wes Hodges (Richmond Flying Squirrels)

1B Luke Anders (San Jose Giants)
1B Josh Mazzola (Augusta Green Jackets)
1B Ryan Scoma (Augusta Green Jackets)
1B Brice Cutspec (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)

---------- 
Second Baseman:

2B Mike Fontenot (ML)
2B Jeff Keppinger (ML)
2B Freddy Sanchez (ML)

2B Manny Burris (Fresno Grizzlies/40 Man)
2B Brock Bond (Fresno Grizzlies)
2B Bill Hall (Fresno Grizzlies)
2B Charlie Culberson (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
2B Ryan Lormand (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
2B Ryan Covan (San Jose Giants)
2B Juan Ciriaco (San Jose Giants)
2B Carlos Willoughby (Augusta Green Jackets)
2B Kaohi Downing (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
2B Julio Izturis (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)

---------- 

Third Baseman:

3B Pablo Sandoval (ML)

3B Mark DeRosa (ML)
3B Conor Gillaspie (Fresno Grizzlies/40 Man)
3B Chris Dominguez (Richmond Flying Squirrels) 

3B Drew Biery (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
3B Nick Noonan (San Jose Giants) 
3B Jose Flores (San Jose Giants)
3B Adam Duvall (Augusta Green Jackets)
3B Garrett Buechele (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)

---------- 
Shortstops:

SS Orlando Cabrera (ML)
SS Miguel Tejada (ML)
SS Brandon Crawford (Fresno Grizzlies)

SS Sharlon Schoop (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
SS Ehire Adrianza (San Jose Giants/40 Man)
SS Carter Jurica (San Jose Giants)
SS Bobby Haney (Augusta Green Jackets)
SS Ydwin Villegas  (Augusta Green Jackets)
SS Joel Weeks (Augusta Green Jackets)
SS John Eshleman (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
SS Joseph Panik (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)

----------

Outfielders:
RF Carlos Beltran (ML)
LF Pat Burrell (ML)

LF Cody Ross (ML)
CF Aaron Rowand (ML)
RF Nate Schierholtz (ML)

CF Andres Torres (ML)
OF Justin Christian (Fresno Grizzlies)

OF Brad Eldred (Fresno Grizzlies) 
CF Darren Ford (Fresno Grizzlies)
OF Edgar Gonzalez (Fresno Grizzlies)
OF Tyler Graham (Fresno Grizzlies)
LF Travis Ishikawa (Fresno Grizzlies)

LF Wendell Fairley (Richmond Flying Squirrels)

RF Roger Kieschnick (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
CF Francisco Peguero (Richmond Flying Squirrels/40 Man)
CF Juan Perez (Richmond Flying Squirrels)

LF Skyler Stromsmoe (Richmond Flying Squirrels)
OF Gary Brown (San Jose Giants)
OF Jarrett Parker (San Jose Giants)

OF James Simmons (San Jose Giants)
OF Raynor Campbell (Augusta Green Jackets)
LF Dan Cook (Augusta Green Jackets)
LF Devin Harris (Augusta Green Jackets)
CF Chris Lofton (Augusta Green Jackets)
RF Ryan Lollis (Augusta Green Jackets)
LF Rafael Rodriguez (Augusta Green Jackets)

CF Jesus Galindo (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
OF Ryan Honeycutt (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
OF Charles Jones (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
OF Brett Krill (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
OF Leonardo Ochoa (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
OF Shawn Payne (Salem-Keizer Volcanoes)
----------
Designated Hitters
DH Tyler LaTorre (Fresno Grizzlies)  
DH Nick Liles (San Jose Giants)
----------

Saltzman Says...Beltran for Wheeler

Carlos Beltran is a Giant

Beltran for Giants top prospect Zach Wheeler is certainly a risk.  Beltran, who is both injury prone and a pending free agent this off-season, could be a two month rental.  Wheeler, who is pitching in High-A San Jose this season, could be a #1 or #2 starting pitcher in a year or two.

With that said, the 2011 season called for the Giants to make this move.  If Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez were healthy, the Giants don't offer Zach Wheeler to anyone.  With the offense playing the way they have all season, the Giants were not going to go into the post-season with the lineup as is. 

Beltran will be a free agent, but if he hits well at AT&T Park, it is possible to bring back the slugging switch hitter after the season.  Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Nate Schierholtz, Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell have all under performed this year.  Schierholtz and Ross are the most likely to return next year, and Torres may still be a better hitting option than speedster Darren Ford.  More importantly, a middle of the order of Beltran, Posey and Sandoval next year will be a much better Opening Day lineup.

Zach Wheeler, who is by far the Giants #1 pitching prospect, should need at least a full year in Double-A before any promotion to the big leagues.  If the Mets rush him, he might crumble in the mass media of New York.  If they are patient and let him pitch in the minors, he could be one of their top starting pitchers by 2013.

Saltzman Says...Durham, Fontenot, and Rodriguez?

Trades happen all the time in sports, and in baseball, trade talks will heat up with the weather.  We are less than two months away from the July 31st trade deadline and only three months away from the last day players can be traded to be eligible for post-season play.  While that leaves plenty of time for talk, the weeks will start to fly by.

A few seasons ago, the Giants were not in a playoff hunt, but the Milwaukee Brewers were.  Ray Durham, who was in the final year of his contract, was sent from the visitors locker room to the home team locker room during a late summer road trip.

Last season, Mike Fontenot came with the Chicago Cubs into AT&T Park to play a series and Fontenot stayed in San Francisco after the series.  Most of us have heard the story of Fontenot getting the game winning hit off of Guillermo Mota in game 2 of the series, and then being traded to the Giants the next day.  Mota gave him a sucker punch in the gut for the hit as a welcome to the locker room, and Fontenot told him not to throw a pitch down the middle.

As the Giants play a matinee game to wrap up the season series with Washington, a unique opportunity exists in June.  The Giants are getting zero offense from the catcher position.  Washington has depth at catcher, and a great veteran catcher at that in Ivan Rodriguez.  Rodriguez isn't hitting much this year, but his 20 year track record and great defense could help the Giants as they look to add some offensive punch to the position.  Posey is due back next season, so it wouldn't need to be anything long term.  With Eli Whiteside hitting below the Mendoza Line, at .164, it is possible that the Giants look to add two catchers by July 31st.  Another option could be their arch rival Dodgers, who have a power bat behind the plate in Rod Barajas, and no chance of making the post-season.

Could Rodriguez be moved before the team leaves San Francisco?

Saltzman Says...Two Trades the Warriors could do right now

Courtesy of ESPN Trade Checker

Sacramento Gets:  Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright
Golden State Gets: Carl Landry, Jason Thompson and Beno Udrih
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4dbeugw

Why Sacramento would do this trade: They get $10 million off the books for next year and become big players in the off-season.

Will Andris Biedrins ever get back to his old form again?

Minnesota Gets: Andris Biedrins
Golden State Gets: Jonny Flynn and Corey Brewer
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4soulzr

Why Minnesota would do this trade:  With Flynn and Brewer not long term answers, they can move them for a 25 year old center who can improve their defense and help Love and Beasley on the glass.

We could give ourselves a completely revamped 2nd unit.  It would increase our overall talent level and push players we do have to fight for minutes.

Our new lineup:
C Ekpe Udoh
PF David Lee
SF Dorell Wright
SG Monta Ellis
PG Stephen Curry

2nd Unit:
C Lou Amundson/Jason Thompson
PF Carl Landry
SF Reggie Williams
SG Corey Brewer
PG Jonny Flynn/Beno Udrih

Saltzman Says...The Trade Deadline is in Two Weeks

My Two Cents...

1.  If we are trading Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry at the deadline, we better be getting an All-Star type in return.  (Andre Iguodala, Nene, Carmelo Anthony, Gerald Wallace, etc...)  You don't give up either of your two best players unless you are getting an equally good player in return that fits better in the starting lineup.  Stop suggesting trades where we get trash in return but give up a stud.
2. If we are moving Andris Biedrins, the way he is playing, it will probably be for an equally bad contract.  Were not getting much back if we move him.
3. David Lee, Dorell Wright, and Ekpe Udoh are not going anywhere.  Lee is too expensive to move and is the best power forward we have had since Chris Webber.  Wright is at worst, one of the best 6th man in basketball, and is too valuable for how small his contract is.  Udoh is proving to be a great student of the game, is on a rookie contract, and has tremendous upside.
4. Our expirings are worthless.  Dan Gadzuric, Vladimir Radmanovic and Brandan Wright have zero value, so the only way a team takes one of them, is if they are desperate to get under the cap.  I don't know if there is that much desperation out there.

Honestly, I'd prefer to get better bench players for what we have.  Let the starting 5 continue to play together this year, and see if we can't move the three expirings and Charlie Bell.

Will Dorell Wright's all around game equal his 3 point shooting?