Hello again. It's been almost a month since the Giants season ended, although MLB will crown a champion in the next few days if not in a few hours.
San Fran has plenty of work to do to improve on their 2009 campaign and they have made a few steps to try and do so.
-- First, on October 13th manager Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean were given two-year deals to return to the club with options for 2012.
-- Hitting coach Carney Lansford was let go by the team after another dismal offensive season for Giants hitters and just today Hensley Meulens was promoted from the team's Triple-A affiliate in Fresno.
"Bam Bam" as Meulens is called has been lauded for his work with Giants prospects John Bowker and Eugenio Velez and will hopefully spark some new life, discipline and fundamentals into a line-up sorely in need of some direction.
-- Second baseman Freddy Sanchez, limited in his playing time after a mid-season trade brought him to the Bay from Pittsburgh agreed to a two-year deal, worth $12 million.
Sanchez should see plenty of pitches to hit while batting in the #2 hole directly in front of Pablo Sandoval.
-- Oft-injured Giants lefty Noah Lowry will be a free agent after the orange and black declined to exercise his 2010 option worth $6.25 million. The 29-year old Ventura native has missed all of the last two seasons with shoulder and forearm injuries.
The Giants still could bring Lowry back but there is a definite rift between the club and Lowry's agent who claimed the Giants training staff "misdiagnosed" one of Lowry's ailments and in turn made matters worse for his client.
-- Finally, Buster Posey was recognized with the J.G. Taylor Spink award as the 2009 Minor League Player of the Year. The 22-year old Catcher out of Florida State hit .325 at Single-A San Jose and at Fresno before being called up to the big club in early September.
The Giants have a big decision to make in terms of Posey's readiness to inherit the full-time starting catching job in 2010. Free agent incumbent Bengie Molina's status play a big role how that will turn out.
Molina, will want a multiple year deal and a sizable salary but he's 35, is going to catch less games each year from here on out, and should be hitting no higher than sixth in the line-up.
To tie-up money behind the plate when Posey is so close would be a strange move for an organization with so many other needs.
Stay tuned for more updates, especially when free agency and arbitration begin after the end of the World Series.
I have been talking baseball on my other blog "Tucker Talks" all throughout the playoffs. Click the link on the right to read more of that.
