Saltzman Says...Latest Bay Area Tweets

Just for fun
Latest from guys we like to boo (courtesy of Jerry Crasnick)
@jcrasnick: Mat Latos tells XX-1090 radio in SD that when #Padres trade Heath Bell, "This will become a heartless clubhouse." Yikes. #trades
1 hour ago

San Francisco 49ers
Latest from Matt Maiocco on the 49ers
@MaioccoCSN: Heitmann started 114 games at three different line positions. Nedney leaves as most accurate kicker in 49ers' history. http://bit.ly/qBjbEK
1 hour ago

@MaioccoCSN: The 49ers have released/failed physical two respected veterans: OL Eric Heitmann (neck) and K Je Nedney (knee).
1 hour ago

Oakland Raiders
Latest from Adam Schefter on the Raiders
@AdamSchefter: More Bengals moves: Former Raiders LB Thomas Howard reached agreement with Cincinnati on a two year, $6.5 million contract.

@AdamSchefter: Seattle reached agreement with former #Raiders Robert Gallery on 3-year deal. Gallery and Tom Cable reunite.

San Francisco Giants
Latest from Andrew Baggarly on the Giants
@extrabaggs: Maybe Giants should hang onto Dan Runzler.  Tonight for Fresno: 5 shutout innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, niiiiiiiiine strikeouts.
12 hours ago

@extrabaggs: If, and this is a big if, the Giants have Eric Surkamp make big league debut Sunday, it'd be in his hometown.  Surkamp is a Moeller HS kid.
18 hours ago

Eric Surkamp is having as good a year as any pitcher for the Giants

Latest from Zach Wheeler on leaving the Giants
@Wheelerpro45: Thanks to all my teammates that I've had with the giants. Couldn't have asked for a better group of guys. I'll miss you guys.
22 hours ago

@Wheelerpro45: Thanks to all my San Fran fans who have been nothing but good to me
23 hours ago

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...San Jose Giants moving fast up the ranks

The San Jose Giants started the season with 8 of the top 20 prospects in the Giants organization.  Four pitchers and four hitters.  CF Gary Brown (1st round, 2010), SP Zach Wheeler (1st round, 2009), RP Jose Casilla, RF Jarrett Parker (2nd round, 2010), C Tommy Joseph, RP Heath Hembree, 3B Chris Dominguez, and SP Craig Westcott.

With those pre-season rankings, it is not surprising the Giants won the 1st half title for the seventh year in a row.  The Giants are 50-23, the best record in all of professional baseball that includes two separate 12 game winning streaks.  What is surprising is how good other players have been and how quickly they are all moving up the team's system.

Recap:
C Hector Sanchez had a 14 game RBI streak at one point this season, and his bat and work behind the plate has him in Fresno now.

Sanchez is now in Fresno, one step away from the bigs.

SP's David Mixon (2.66) and Kelvin Marte (3.43) are among seven starting pitchers with an ERA below 4.

SP Hector Correa, Dominguez and Hembree have all left San Jose for Double-A Richmond as well.

Brown has been invited to the Futures Game, to represent the team on All-Star weekend.

Brandon Crawford and Francisco Peguero both started 2011 in San Jose on rehab assignments, and Crawford is now in San Francisco and Peguero should soon be back in Richmond.

Wheeler, Hembree, Westcott, Brown and SP Kelvin Marte were all named to the Cal League All-Star game.

All of this success should bode well for the big club down the road.

Saltzman Says...Jose Reyes a Giant?

It is certainly a intriguing idea.  The idea of a top of the lineup difference maker who can play shortstop for the next 5-7 years for the Giants.  At 29, Jose Reyes certainly has some outstanding years left in his body.  However, if we look at Rafael Furcal, there is certainly some red flags to signing Reyes beyond 2011.

Both play a similar brand of baseball, which is hard nose, all out and never let your body get in the way of a triple baseball.  These two lighting fast Dominican-born shortstops have a lot in common.  They are both career .286 hitters who have some pop.  Furcal had 78 home runs by age 29, and Reyes has 75.  Furcal had 251 stolen bases and Reyes already has 342, both have been caught less than 90 times in their career, so it is more than speed.  These guys scare opposing pitchers.  When Furcal signed with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2006, I knew they had signed a difference maker.

Now, since Furcal's 29th birthday, durability has been a series issue.  Years of averaging 150 games a year took its toll on his body and since he turned 29, Furcal has only played in 150 games in one season (2009).  In no other season in his 30's, has he even played 100.  When healthy, Furcal is one of the most dangerous leadoff hitters in the game...when healthy.

Reyes only played in 36 games in 2009, so durability must be looked at when evaluating the Mets shortstop.  If he can stay on the field, he is one of the games best, and clearly the top free agent option on the market this coming off-season.

If the Giants were to pull off a Reyes trade this season for a package that included Zach Wheeler or Jonathan Sanchez and other minor leaguers, they could look to offer Reyes less money over less years than he might make on the open market.  With all the chaos surrounding New York the last few seasons, it might be a nice change of pace to be in a locker room with fun loving players like Pablo Sandoval, Miguel Tejada, Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell.

Reyes might be safe for now, but trade talks should heat up this summer

When the Giants Come to Town Says...Top 50 Prospects: 2011 Edition

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Down on the Farm: DrB's 2011 Giants Top 50 Prospects

OK team, it's that time of year again to reveal DrB's 2011 Giants Top 50 Prospects. We've been doing this since about 2003 and a lot of people really seem to appreciate it. We'll post the list here along with Honorable Mentions and "Dominican Dandies" and then give a short scouting report on each one leading up to the start of the season. In researching the list, I am struck by how much younger, deeper and more athletic the Giants farm system is than just a few years ago. You will find that the Honorable Mention list is quite lengthy with quite a few names that you might think should be in the Top 50! One area of mild concern is the relative lack of strong pitching prospects in the upper minors. Luckily, the strength and relative youth of the Giants pitching at the MLB level gives them some time to correct this imbalance. As always, this list and the scouting reports to come are just one fan's opinion. As always, please don't get too hung up on the exact order. The most important part of the exercise is getting to know some of the players the Giants have in their farm system. On with the list!

1. Brandon Belt, 1B/OF.
2. Zack Wheeler, RHP.
3. Thomas Neal, OF.
4. Gary Brown, OF.
5. Francisco Peguero, OF
6. Dan Runzler, LHP.
7. Chuckie Jones, OF.
8. Ehire Adrianza, SS.
9. Brandon Crawford, SS.
10. Charlie Culberson, 2B.
11. Jarrett Parker, OF.
12. Conor Gillaspie, 3B.
13. Tommy Joseph, C.
14. Rafael Rodriguez, OF.
15. Nick Noonan, 2B.
16. Seth Rosin, RHP.
17. Mike Kickham, LHP.
18. Kendry Flores, RHP.
19. Heath Hembree, RHP.
20. Jose Casilla, RHP.
21. Ryan Verdugo, LHP.
22. Steve Edlefsen, RHP.
23. Johnny Monell, C.
24. Chris Dominguez, 3B.
25. Carlos Willoughby, 2B.
26. Jose Valdez, RHP.
27. Jorge Bucardo, RHP.
28. Jacob Dunnington, RHP.
29. Jake Dunning, RHP.
30. Hector Sanchez, C.
31. Carter Jurica, SS.
32. Dan Burkhart, C.
33. Reiner Roibal, RHP.
34. Matthew Graham, RHP.
35. Brandon Allen, RHP.
36. Roger Kieschnick, OF.
37. Clayton Tanner, LHP.
38. Craig Westcott, RHP.
39. Eric Surkamp, LHP.
40. Jason Stoffel, RHP.
41. Ryan Cavan, 2B.
42. Chris Lofton, OF.
43. Edwin Escobar, LHP.
44. Austin Fleet, RHP.
45. Wendell Fairley, OF.
46. Leonardo Fuentes, OF.
47. Marvin Barrios, RHP.
48. Juan Perez, OF.
49. Caleb Hougheson, 3B
50. Tyler Graham, OF.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Rohlinger IF, Brock Bond 2B, Jackson Williams C, Mike McBryde OF/RHP?, Darren Ford OF, Henry Sosa RHP, Waldis Joaquin RHP, Matt Yourkin LHP, David Mixon RHP, Wilmin Rodriguez LHP, David Quinowski LHP, Michael Main RHP, Drew Biery 3B, Michael Sandoval 1B, James Simmons OF, Justin Fitzgerald RHP, Kelvin Marte LHP, Ari Ronick LHP, Aaron King LHP, Nick Liles OF, Luke Anders 1B, Ydwin Villegas SS, Christopher Heston RHP, Brian Irving RHP, Jeremy Toole RHP, Andy Reichard RHP, Craig Whitaker RHP, Chris Gloor LHP, Chris Wilson RHP, Jason Jarvis RHP, Ryan Scoma OF, Devin Harris OF, Edward Concepcion RHP, Shawn Sanford RHP, Stephen Shakleford RHP, Carlton Salters OF, Joe Staley OF, Ryan Bean RHP, Jose De La Cruz OF, Sundrendy Windster 1B, Wes Hobson 2B.

"Dominican Dandies": Fernando Pujadas C, Christian Paulino 3B, Jesus Galindo OF, Shurendell Mujica SS, Luis Angeles RHP, Joan Gregorio RHP, Ariel Hernandez RHP.

Saltzman Says: Top 25 Prospects (San Francisco Giants)

2011 Top 25 Prospects (2010 Rankings):
1. (NR) Brandon Belt
2. (3) Zack Wheeler
3. (4) Thomas Neal
4. (20) Chris Dominguez
5. (5) Rafael Rodriguez
6. (19) Ehire Adrianza
7. (23) Jose Casilla
8. (40) Charlie Culberson
9. (8) Tommy Joseph
10. (10) Francisco Peguero
11. (6) Brandon Crawford
12. (27) Steve Edelfsen
13. (17) Darren Ford 
14. (16) Clayton Tanner
15. (7) Roger Kieschnick
16. (9) Nick Noonan
17. (11) Hector Sanchez
18. (12) Edward Concepcion
19. (15) Jason Stoffel
20. (18) Conor Gillaspie
21. (22) Henry Sosa
22. (29) Joe Paterson
23. (30) Brock Bond
24. (36) Eric Surkamp
25. (39) Wendell Fairley