First Round:

In the first round there a a handful of players that really grab my attention: Josh Sale, Nick Castellano, Christian Colon, Matt Harvey and A.J Cole. The reason why Castellano, Sale, Colon are attractive are more than obvious. Sale and Castellano can both be impact bats at places where the organization are very thin. Whereas Colon could potentially be a very attractive piece as an "offensive minded" second baseman or shortstop. And while I hate the the term 'offensive minded" I think that the best way to describe, Colon in terms of the the type of player he projects at the next level. Harvey, is perhaps the most underrated prospect in the draft in my opinion, partially for justifiable reasons and I also believe he has been under the microscope for far to long. Harvey is a horse, He runs his fastball anywhere from 92-96 and holds it deep into games. He throws an above average slider, and occasionally flashes the same plus curve he used in high school, though it has become inconsistent and he favors the slider. He throws a solid change, though he does also sport a below average change-up. He gets a ton of groundballs and if not for an inconsistent sophomore season, I really believe Harvey would be a top 10 pick. A.J Cole also fits a similar profile to Harvey for me, in the sense that he's another player that should warrant a higher selection, compared to where he'll end up going. The main thing that scares people about Cole, is the fact that he's the type of player you have to project three years down the road, in terms of what they'll be rather than what they are right now. In some ways he reminds me of former Giants prospect Tim Alderson. Although both were tall projectable righties with plus curveballs, Cole throws harder and also has a more conventional wind-up. Cole is 6'5 190 and scouts believe his 91-93 fastball could pick up a notch or two given some added strength and furthered maturation. If I were ranking them I would go: Sale, Colon, Castellano, Harvey and Cole a distant fifth. 

Second Round.

In terms of second rounders, heres some players I'd love the Giants to go after. I'd rank them: Foltynewicz, Clarke, Cechini, Deshields, Shipman

I for one am a self proclaimed sucker for tools, and tools does Chevez Clarke have. A probable first rounder heading into the season Chavez has had an inconsistent spring which has made him fall on some boards. Though he has enough tools that a team like, the Phillies could pop him in the first round. Chevez, is a switch hitting center fielder who has plus speed to go along with solid, average power. He, like most high schoolers also has shown a problem hitting quality breaking pitches.-Will probably be gone by the supplemental round.

Garin Cechini-If not for tearing his ACL, there's a very good chance Cechini would be taken in the first 20 picks or so. Cechini, who is committed to LSU, will be forced to move from SS to 3b at the next level, but scouts think he should be able to stay there long term. Cechini has a fluid stroke and plus raw power from the left side.

Mike Foltynewicz- Foltynewicz, is far and away the best prospect in an otherwise barren Northeast region.  Clocking in at 6 foot 4 and 190 pounds his fastball ranges anywhere from 91-94 though scouts report he has hit 96 on occasion. His second best pitch is a changeup that features good sink and scouts feel it could potentially become a plus pitch down the road. He throws a change and slider, though scouts feel the latter shows more promise- Note I don't expect him to be on the board.

Delino Deshields Jr.-Deshields, son of the former big leaguer by the same name has been a hot commodity this spring. As a result I don't expect him to fall in our lap but, you never know, Deshields features true 80 speed and great bat speed that makes scouts believe he'll hit for average power down the road. Though he is fairly raw in center field he figures to stay there, given his ability to coverage serious ground albeit a below average arm

Aaron Shipman-Shipman shares many similarities to Deshields for one both are prep center fielders from Georgia, Shipman lacks Deshields true 80 speed but possess many other qualities that could get him drafted high than Deshields. Shipman earns above average grades for his arm, center field defense and speed. His swing excites scouts because it's simple and fluid. He's not the most polished player around, but he has plenty of tools to warrant a high selection 

Third Round: Jaffe, Gumbs, Olt, Bryant

There's a couple players in particular that really interest me. One being local product Eric Jaffe, is a local product from Bishop O' Dowd in nearby Oakland. Many scouts have likened Jaffe to 09 Orioles first rounder Matt Hobgood. Like Hobgood, Jaffe is a large man standing 6 foot 3 and weighing 230 pounds. Also like Hobgood, Jaffe has to present plus pitches with a fastball that reaches 95 and a proclaimed "wipeout curve." One thing holding Jaffe back is his command, but he's a two way player who also plays a solid first base and scouts feel his command will improve once he gives up first base.

Nevada prep 3r baseman Kris Bryant as well. Bryant has monstrous power that ranks among the best in the draft. He also has a tendency to swing and miss and although he moves well for his size, some scouts question if he can stick at 3rd long term. 

Angelo Gumbs, Gumbs is a Southern California prep outfielder that has steadily risen up draft boards as the season has worn on. Gumbs doesn't have one tool that stands out though he does feature above average speed and some scouts feel he could have fiver average to plus tools in due time. The one red flag teams have about Gumbs is the fact that he sturggles against quality off-speed pitches. He is also just 17 years old. 

Mike Olt, a former shortstop, Olt moved from to third base his sophomore season at Uconn. A good athlete, some scouts beleive Olt could be a gold glover at the hot corner while the consensus is he'll be no worse than solid. Holt has above average raw power, though he struggles with pith recognition. Had Olt been say in the ACC,SEC or PAC 10 he probably wouldn't make it to the second round.

Fourth Round. 

In a draft short on prep lefty's Texas pitcher Mitchell Taylor really stands out. Taylor has made an alarming ascent up draft boards as of late. The 6'1 160 lefty throws 89-93 and is concerned a pretty polished product. He also comes equipped with a big curveball that some scouts grade better than his curveball. I liken him toRangers lefty Robbie Erlin, in the sense that if he were two inches taller, he'd be a surefire first round pick.

Brian Guinn, another local product the Cal second baseman has just made the transition from shortstop though most scouts say he's a natural already. According to Baseball America, he is amongst the top three most athletic players in Northern California this year probably due to his plus plus speed. He has long been on the radar since his father, is a scout. There is some question as to if he will hit enough to be a solid regular, but those that believe in the bat liken him to Delino Deshields.

As some of you know, I am the Giants "virtual scouting director" over at minorleagueball.com. With the draft only six days away I wanted to go over some targets I had up through the fifth round.

First Round:

In the first round there a a handful of players that really grab my attention: Josh Sale, Nick Castellano, Christian Colon, Matt Harvey and A.J Cole. The reason why Castellano, Sale, Colon are attractive are more than obvious. Sale and Castellano can both be impact bats at places where the organization are very thin. Whereas Colon could potentially be a very attractive piece as an "offensive minded" second baseman or shortstop. And while I hate the the term 'offensive minded" I think that the best way to describe, Colon in terms of the the type of player he projects at the next level. Harvey, is perhaps the most underrated prospect in the draft in my opinion, partially for justifiable reasons and I also believe he has been under the microscope for far to long. Harvey is a horse, He runs his fastball anywhere from 92-96 and holds it deep into games. He throws an above average slider, and occasionally flashes the same plus curve he used in high school, though it has become inconsistent and he favors the slider. He throws a solid change, though he does also sport a below average change-up. He gets a ton of groundballs and if not for an inconsistent sophomore season, I really believe Harvey would be a top 10 pick. A.J Cole also fits a similar profile to Harvey for me, in the sense that he's another player that should warrant a higher selection, compared to where he'll end up going. The main thing that scares people about Cole, is the fact that he's the type of player you have to project three years down the road, in terms of what they'll be rather than what they are right now. In some ways he reminds me of former Giants prospect Tim Alderson. Although both were tall projectable righties with plus curveballs, Cole throws harder and also has a more conventional wind-up. Cole is 6'5 190 and scouts believe his 91-93 fastball could pick up a notch or two given some added strength and furthered maturation. If I were ranking them I would go: Sale, Colon, Castellano, Harvey and Cole a distant fifth. 

Second Round.

In terms of second rounders, heres some players I'd love the Giants to go after. I'd rank them: Foltynewicz, Clarke, Cechini, Deshields, Shipman

I for one am a self proclaimed sucker for tools, and tools does Chevez Clarke have. A probable first rounder heading into the season Chavez has had an inconsistent spring which has made him fall on some boards. Though he has enough tools that a team like, the Phillies could pop him in the first round. Chevez, is a switch hitting center fielder who has plus speed to go along with solid, average power. He, like most high schoolers also has shown a problem hitting quality breaking pitches.-Will probably be gone by the supplemental round.

Garin Cechini-If not for tearing his ACL, there's a very good chance Cechini would be taken in the first 20 picks or so. Cechini, who is committed to LSU, will be forced to move from SS to 3b at the next level, but scouts think he should be able to stay there long term. Cechini has a fluid stroke and plus raw power from the left side.

Mike Foltynewicz- Foltynewicz, is far and away the best prospect in an otherwise barren Northeast region.  Clocking in at 6 foot 4 and 190 pounds his fastball ranges anywhere from 91-94 though scouts report he has hit 96 on occasion. His second best pitch is a changeup that features good sink and scouts feel it could potentially become a plus pitch down the road. He throws a change and slider, though scouts feel the latter shows more promise- Note I don't expect him to be on the board.

Delino Deshields Jr.-Deshields, son of the former big leaguer by the same name has been a hot commodity this spring. As a result I don't expect him to fall in our lap but, you never know, Deshields features true 80 speed and great bat speed that makes scouts believe he'll hit for average power down the road. Though he is fairly raw in center field he figures to stay there, given his ability to coverage serious ground albeit a below average arm

Aaron Shipman-Shipman shares many similarities to Deshields for one both are prep center fielders from Georgia, Shipman lacks Deshields true 80 speed but possess many other qualities that could get him drafted high than Deshields. Shipman earns above average grades for his arm, center field defense and speed. His swing excites scouts because it's simple and fluid. He's not the most polished player around, but he has plenty of tools to warrant a high selection 

Third Round: Jaffe, Gumbs, Olt, Bryant

There's a couple players in particular that really interest me. One being local product Eric Jaffe, is a local product from Bishop O' Dowd in nearby Oakland. Many scouts have likened Jaffe to 09 Orioles first rounder Matt Hobgood. Like Hobgood, Jaffe is a large man standing 6 foot 3 and weighing 230 pounds. Also like Hobgood, Jaffe has to present plus pitches with a fastball that reaches 95 and a proclaimed "wipeout curve." One thing holding Jaffe back is his command, but he's a two way player who also plays a solid first base and scouts feel his command will improve once he gives up first base.

Nevada prep 3r baseman Kris Bryant as well. Bryant has monstrous power that ranks among the best in the draft. He also has a tendency to swing and miss and although he moves well for his size, some scouts question if he can stick at 3rd long term. 

Angelo Gumbs, Gumbs is a Southern California prep outfielder that has steadily risen up draft boards as the season has worn on. Gumbs doesn't have one tool that stands out though he does feature above average speed and some scouts feel he could have fiver average to plus tools in due time. The one red flag teams have about Gumbs is the fact that he sturggles against quality off-speed pitches. He is also just 17 years old. 

Mike Olt, a former shortstop, Olt moved from to third base his sophomore season at Uconn. A good athlete, some scouts beleive Olt could be a gold glover at the hot corner while the consensus is he'll be no worse than solid. Holt has above average raw power, though he struggles with pith recognition. Had Olt been say in the ACC,SEC or PAC 10 he probably wouldn't make it to the second round.

Fourth Round. 

In a draft short on prep lefty's Texas pitcher Mitchell Taylor really stands out. Taylor has made an alarming ascent up draft boards as of late. The 6'1 160 lefty throws 89-93 and is concerned a pretty polished product. He also comes equipped with a big curveball that some scouts grade better than his curveball. I liken him to Rangers lefty Robbie Erlin, in the sense that if he were two inches taller, he'd be a surefire first round pick.

Brian Guinn, another local product the Cal second baseman has just made the transition from shortstop though most scouts say he's a natural already. According to Baseball America, he is amongst the top three most athletic players in Northern California this year probably due to his plus plus speed. He has long been on the radar since his father, is a scout. There is some question as to if he will hit enough to be a solid regular, but those that believe in the bat liken him to Delino Deshields.

Hello, I'm the Giants mock draft director over at minorleagueball, I wanted to get some draft discussion started as it's not that far away. This week I've decided to hone in on our second pick number 74 overall. Note: I don't expect Deshields to fall to us, and Shipman's a reach to and yes, I'll admit the majority of my opinions are formulated from baseball america scouting reports.

ERIC JAFFE-Jaffe, is a local product from Bishop O' Dowd in nearby Oakland. Many scouts have likened Jaffe to 09 Orioles first rounder Matt Hobgood. Like Hobgood, Jaffe is a large man standing 6 foot 3 and weighing 230 pounds. Also like Hobgood, Jaffe has to present plus pitches with a fastball that reaches 95 and a proclaimed "wipeout curve." One thing holding Jaffe back is his command, but he's a two way player who also plays a solid first base and scouts feel his command will improve once he gives up first base.

Garin Cechini-If not for tearing his ACL, there's a very good chance Cechini would be taken in the first 20 picks or so. Cechini, who is committed to LSU, will be forced to move from SS to 3b at the next level, but scouts think he should be able to stay there long term. Cechini has a fluid stroke and plus raw power from the left side.

Delino Deshields Jr.-Deshields, son of the former big leaguer by the same name has been a hot commodity this spring. As a result I don't expect him to fall in our lap but, you never know, Deshields features true 80 speed and great bat speed that makes scouts believe he'll hit for average power down the road. Though he is fairly raw in center field he figures to stay there, given his ability to coverage serious ground albeit a below average arm

Aaron Shipman-Shipman shares many similarities to Deshields for one both are prep center fielders from Georgia, Shipman lacks Deshields true 80 speed but possess many other qualities that could get him drafted high than Deshields. Shipman earns above average grades for his arm, center field defense and speed. His swing excites scouts because it's simple and fluid. He's not the most polished player around, but he has plenty of tools to warrant a high selection.

Mike Foltynewicz- Foltynewicz, is far and away the best prospect in an otherwise barren Northeast region.  Clocking in at 6 foot 4 and 190 pounds his fastball ranges anywhere from 91-94 though scouts report he has hit 96 on occasion. His second best pitch is a changeup that features good sink and scouts feel it could potentially become a plus pitch down the road. He throws a change and slider, though scouts feel the latter shows more promise.

Welcome, all to the second Giants draft diary, for this post we will narrow in on our second round pick at number 74.  There are a few players I have in mind that I would like to discuss the first being..............

ERIC JAFFE-Jaffe, is a local product from Bishop O' Dowd in nearby Oakland. Many scouts have likened Jaffe to 09 Orioles first rounder Matt Hobgood. Like Hobgood, Jaffe is a large man standing 6 foot 3 and weighing 230 pounds. Also like Hobgood, Jaffe has to present plus pitches with a fastball that reaches 95 and a proclaimed "wipeout curve." One thing holding Jaffe back is his command, but he's a two way player who also plays a solid first base and scouts feel his command will improve once he gives up first base.

Garin Cechini-If not for tearing his ACL, there's a very good chance Cechini would be taken in the first 20 picks or so. Cechini, who is committed to LSU, will be forced to move from SS to 3b at the next level, but scouts think he should be able to stay there long term. Cechini has a fluid stroke and plus raw power from the left side.

Delino Deshields Jr.-Deshields, son of the former big leaguer by the same name has been a hot commodity this spring. As a result I don't expect him to fall in our lap but, you never know, Deshields features true 80 speed and great bat speed that makes scouts believe he'll hit for average power down the road. Though he is fairly raw in center field he figures to stay there, given his ability to coverage serious ground albeit a below average arm

Aaron Shipman-Shipman shares many similarities to Deshields for one both are prep center fielders from Georgia, Shipman lacks Deshields true 80 speed but possess many other qualities that could get him drafted high than Deshields. Shipman earns above average grades for his arm, center field defense and speed. His swing excites scouts because it's simple and fluid. He's not the most polished player around, but he has plenty of tools to warrant a high selection.

<!--StartFragment-->Mike Foltynewicz- Foltynewicz, is far and away the best prospect in an otherwise barren Northeast region.  Clocking in at 6 foot 4 and 190 pounds his fastball ranges anywhere from 91-94 though scouts report he has hit 96 on occasion. His second best pitch is a changeup that features good sink and scouts feel it could potentially become a plus pitch down the road. He throws a change and slider, though scouts feel the latter shows more promise. <!--EndFragment-->

Hello All! And welcome to the Giant's first entry of the season. I am very excited to once again hold the banner as the "virtual" scouting director. As I'm sure you know we hold the 24th, 74th and 105th pick in the draft. (I'm only naming the first three as a result of last years mock draft only going three rounds. With only three weeks away until the draft it's time to buckle down and focus on what players we could potentially target starting with the 24th overall pick. Fortunately the Giants have never been shy to hand out large bonuses to amatuer player's as a result I plan to draft who I, along with you consider the best player on the board. At this juncture in time there a couple players who stand out in my mind. 

MATT HARVEY

Now before we all cringe, "eww Scott Boras" "eww another pitcher" I'd like to factor in a couple of things. Harvey as of late has been pumping his already exceptional fastball to the tune of 96-97 mph. Harvey, a former top high school prospect once featured a plus curveball but now relies/trusts his slider now and throws his slider with more regularity but still flashes the curve on occasion. He has a fringe average change. Red Flag: Scouts are a bit worried he may return to his once poor mechanics that stagnated his progression early in his college career. 

AUSTIN WILSON:

When reading scouting reports on the Harvard-Westlake standout, John Mayberry Jr keeps popping in my head. With that being said the two have their similarities. Wilson's a big strong, fast, lean outfielder who may have as much potential in this draft besides anyone named Harper. With that being said, it's going to take a lot of money for him to justify turning down a full ride scholarship to Stanford. Red Flag: Scouts are concerned about his ability to recognize, let alone hit quality breaking pitches.

NICK CASTELLANOS

In a draft very thin on position players, let alone corner infielders Castellanos very well could be the best. Currently a high school shortstop, he will certainly move to third base in the near future. With plenty of present and projected power many believe he could be a perrenial middle of the order threat with the ability to his 30 plus home runs a year. According to Jim Callis, the Padres appear to be enamored with him and rumor is he wants six million plus. Red Flag: Though he is a quality athlete right now, some scouts believe once he fills out his considerable 6'4 frame he could lose speed, agility and force him to move to first base down the line. 

YORDY CABRERA

The main reason why I'm putting him here is speculation. Yet another prep player from Florida Cabrera also figures to move to third base down the line. Currently a 19 year old prep player, Cabrera impresses scouts with his raw power that is among the best in the draft. With that being said Cabrera has hardly dominated the opposition this spring which concerns scouts, due to the fact that not only is he a projected first round pick but at least a year older than his competition. With that being said he has considerable power to go with his significant upside at the plate.

Hello all, I wanted to make a futures game thread so we could talk about Bumgarner, Villalona among Giants reps' I'm very excited to see a hand full of other prospects though mainly Heyward(whom I wanted the Giants to pick), Stanton (power/hype) The U.S squad also has a very number of interesting arms I'm probably most curious to see Kyle Drabek since I wanted the Giants to pick him in 06 before Lincecum fell. In my opinion the world teams talent is underwhelming compared to the U.S team I'm only curious to see hand full of players mainly the backstops Carlos Santana and Jesus Montero and yes Villalona. Other than that the roster seems pretty pedestrian. heres the rosters.....

Hello everyone this is essentially a post for fun just to reflect on which minor leaguers are having the best sesons in our system. It seems to me our consensus to four prospects.(Bumgarner,Posey, Alderson, Villalona) have done nothing to warrant anyone leap frogging them. It seems to me the middle of our list. Nonnan, Gillaspie haven't done enough to warrant keeping their spots whereas the back end of the top 10 or early teens. (Crawford,Roger K, Neal) have done more than enough to warrant a higher ranking. Where would you rank Zack Wheeler? Or Rafeal Rodriguez? Without further ado here is my list. Which players do you believe are overrated/underrated?

 1.Bumgarner

2.Posey 

3.Alderson 

4.Villalona 

5.Neal

6.Kieschenick

7.Wheeler

8.Pucetas

9..Sosa

10.Crawford 

11. Guzman

12.Adrianza

13.English

14.Gillaspie 

15 Rodriguez .

Hello everyone! I'm caincecum also the Director of the A's draft for this year. No worries I have conducted a draft many times on the site. Anyway as I'm sure you know we only have two picks in this draft though, I am very interested to see how our community draft goes. We have pick #13 overall in the first round and we also have pick number #92 overall as well. There is an interesting mix of players that should be avaiable when it's our thirteenth overall pick. The latest mock draft on baseballamerica had us taking Tyler Matzek. I personally don't see him falling that far/into our lap but what a coup it would be. For those who don't know Matzek is a big high school lefty with lots of projection still remaning. He sits 90-94 right now and he is 6'3 184 pounds so it's realistic to think he can add some to his fastball. He already has two average pitches to go with his fastball in his curve and slider and has little feel for a change. Many call him the best prep lefty in CA since the great Cole Hamels

Another interesting selection or possibility would be Jacob Turner, Turner is a high school righty from St. Louis who has a good mix of polish and projection. Since his last start he has shot up draft boards due to his peaking fastball. He was primariliy sitting 90-92 but has touched 94-95 in his last start. he throws a decent slider and has little feel for a change according to reports. In a sense he seems like someone who would spend more time in the minors than Matzek but he posesses a significant ceiling.

There is also a chance Grant Green could fall to us due to his poor performance along with the fact that he wants to be paid like an elite talent. In the real draft I don't expect him to make it pass San Francisco. Green is an interesting case, last August his draft stock was hotter than a Lil Wayne single. After a mediocre season in this fall at USC scouts are starting to question how "elite" of a talent he really is. Coming off his Cape Cod league MVP campaign he was compared to scouts as a Tulowitzki/Longoria hybrid which sounds like an all star shortstop. Since then he's faltered a bit and scouts are starting to over disect his game. He is far big (around 6'2 215) but similar to Tulowitzki he has average range but an above average arm. He profiles anywhere from the 2-5 hole in a lineup. The most glaring alarm about him is his heap of strikeouts and inability to make consistent contact this season. In that sense he's similar to 08 Giants draft pick Brandon Crawford.

Another possible intruiging selection would be Kentucky's James Paxton. (from milb.com i don't want to right another report.) Paxton is a college lefty who was on the rise late in the Draft season. The Kentucky product has two potential plus pitches in his fastball, which has been up to 98 mph, and a short power slider. The third pitch, a changeup, hasn't always been on display, but he hasn't needed it much at the college level. He repeats his delivery well and can carry the velocity throughout starts, though there are some who think his command and arm action may mean he'll be a reliever in the future. At least some feel he can start and it's likely to be one of those teams that takes him off the board early.

Max Stassi (from milb.com i don't want to right another report.)

I'll be more hands on with the next post I just wanted to get it out there for disscussion I'm in class so I can't type much more anyway debate away! Who shoulkd be our first round pick?

Hey all my blog did a Q and A with giants beat writer Henry Schulman.....anyway here are the results of the session.

"Jeremy from Kentfield, CA asks: Out of the four highest touted prospects in the Giants system (Bumgarner, Alderson, Posey, Villalona) who do you think is the most likely to "bust" and why and if you could pick one whom would it be?"

This is a great question. I don't think any will be a bust, but I'd have to answer Villalona. It is very difficult to look at a 16-year-old and say this is a "can't-miss guy." He has had weight issues, and there was some fear he'd eat his way out of the game, but I think he's controlled that. Still, the others you mentioned are further advanced with more easily predictable career paths.

"Henry from Tiburon CA asks: "Don't you think it's in the Organization's best interest to trade Winn and the rest of his 8.5 million contract to give substantial playing time to Nate Schierholtz? I'm under the belief that Nate, can put up better power production than Winn which we surely need and will be about eight million dollars less. He can also come close to matching Winn in all other phases of the game and figures to play a prominent roll in our future?"

It might be in the best interest of the future to let Nate play, but the Giants think they can win in '09. The only problem with your scenario is, it's hard to imagine anyone taking Winn's entire salary, so the Giants would have to eat some. I also don't think you can say Nate can match Winn in all other phases of the game. That is an unknown. Nate will get his opportunities.

Henry from Tiburon CA asks: "Do you think it's in the Giants best interest to put Henry Sosa in the bullpen for good due to the fact that he has lingering injuries and lacks the stamina and efficency to be as successful as he could be as a starter at the major league level?"

I really haven't spent enough time talking to Giants people about Sosa to answer this knowledgeably.

Henry from Tiburon CA asks "Who do you think has the inside track to win the starting second base job this spring and whom would you award it to?"

I would say Frandsen has the inside track because of his offensive potential and the Giants' possible desire to send Burriss to the minors to get more seasoning. I'd give it to Frandsen, but only if he earns it in spring training.

Henry from Tiburon CA asks " Don't you think Emmanuel Burris would be better suited playing second base full time where his range would be a plus, his arm wouldn't be exposed and the offensive expectations at second base is substantially lower. The way I see it he would be a plus defender there as opposed to being a defensively at ss?"

I think Burriss surprised the brass with his range and arm at short, but yes, I think second base is a better fit.

Henry from Tiburon CA asks " Were there any members of the oganization or the club as a whole that were split on the selection of Buster Posey as opposed to Justin Smoak. I personally prefer Smoak because at his absolute ceiling he would be reminiscent of Mark Teixeira whereas Buster Posey seems to have an offensive upside of Jason Kendall in his prime and though he may posses great physical tools is still very new to catching?"

Nobody told me, privately or otherwise, about any rift on the pick. But I do know the Giants view Villalona as their first baseman of the future while being very thin at catcher. It is easier to find a good first baseman on the market than a catcher. I think Posey's power potential -- and that includes gap power -- exceeds Kendall's.

Henry from Tiburon CA asks "Right now do you think this team as currently built can/will win the West?" 

I think it can, but only if the pitching performs as well as it should on paper, Aaron Rowand has a consistent season and Pablo Sandoval becomes a middle-order threat at the plate. I don't like making predictions on who "will" win because there are so many unknown variables.

Henry from Tiburon CA asks "Being someone whom is interested in working in baseball when I get older, what does your job entail? How did you get to where you were today? Do you travel with the team occassionaly? Any interesting stories?

I need to correct you on one point. I don't work "in baseball." I work "in newspapers." There is a vast difference. I believe you mentioned you would like to be a GM someday. That is a very different career track. I am a reporter, not a talent evaluator. My background is in writing and reporting. I got a poli sci degree from Cal and worked my way up through the news ranks as a reporter and business writer before starting my baseball career in 1988 with the Oakland Tribune, eventually landing with the Chronicle 10 years later. I do not travel with the team, although I (we) used to. Nor do I stay in their hotel. I have many interesting stories, but they will be in my book someday. :-)

Michael from Greenbrae CA asks "Supposing Noah Lowry is fully recovered by Spring Training and he outperforms Sanchez for the 5th spot in the rotation what do you do with Sanchez? Many people have said that Sanchez would be better served coming out of the bullpen permanently, do you agree with that? Would you trade Sanchez mid-way through the spring if it is apparent Lowry is back to his old form from his 15 win season? With Bumgarner or Alderson dominating the minors maybe it would be a good time to trade Sanchez, as the spot that the Big Unit fills this year could very well be filled by Bumgarner or Alderson next year."

I agree Sanchez should not be whipsawed back and forth anymore, and I do believe the Giants will try to trade him in spring training if Lowry is heatlhy. But that is a big if. I'm a big believer in having six quality starters available, even if one is in the 'pen. Wouldn't shock me if the Giants decided to start Lowry in the 'pen as he builds up stamina and innings.

anyway I didn't see this posted yet and thought it would be interesting to disect.  I think it's a pretty solid list but my only issues are that he has Villalona rated a notch to high in my opinion and putting Romo ahead of Kiesch and Wendell 

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Team Audit | DT Cards | PECOTA Cards | Depth Chart

Five-Star Prospects
1. Madison Bumgarner, LHP
2. Buster Posey, C
3. Angel Villalona, 1B
Four-Star Prospects
4. Tim Alderson, RHP
Three-Star Prospects
5. Rafael Rodriguez, RF
6. Conor Gillaspie, 3B
7. Nick Noonan, 2B
8. Travis Ishikawa, 1B
9. Henry Sosa, RHP
10. Sergio Romo, RHP
Two-Star Prospects
11. Roger Kieschnick, OF

Just Missed: Ehire Adrianza, SS; Wendell Fairley, OF; Joseph Martinez, RHP

Ranking Challenges: Bumgarner is an obvious number one, but Posey isn't all that far behind him. Some might flip-flop Villalona and Alderson at three and four, but I can't see either player ranked lower that those two slots. Where Rodriguez slots in is really a matter of your evaluation philosophy, but after that, it's anything goes for the remaining six—Adrianza was the only player close enough to almost make the list.

over at mccoveychronicles there's a great dispute between whom has the better top 4 prospects in the system the A's or Giants. A's fan obviously believes they do whereas we believe we do question is would who would you rather have?

Bumgarner,Posey,Alderson,Angel V

Cahill,Anderson,Inoa,Cunningham 

heres the link for reference feel free to comment:http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2008/12/16/695168/top-4-prospects-per-system?login=1229482193

In my opinion the top 7 systems (in no order) are the Giants, Braves,A's,Rangers,Baltimore,Tampa,Marlins

I wanted to take each systems top 4 prospects and compare them. As a way of measuring which system had the best elite talent

OAKLAND: Cahill, Anderson, Inoa Cunningham   

ATLANTA: Heyward, Hanson, Schafer, Freeman

Florida: Maybin, Stanton, Morrison, Coughlan GIANTS: Bumgarner, Posey, Alderson, Angel V

Rangers: Feliz,Holland, Smoak, Andrus

TAMPA Baltimore: Wieters, Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta 

Price

Davis

Beckham 

Brignac

• Also rank the systems 1-7. My personal ranking: 1.Rangers 2. Baltimore 3.Tampa 4.Giants 5. Atlanta 6.Florida 7. Oakland
  
• Florida and Atlanta could have gone either way a but Stanton and Maybin have scary strikeouts to go with their huge ceilings.
  
• Rangers great upside from each position as a variety of positions sealed the deal
• Baltimore-love Weiters can put up .310/.380/520 as a catcher potentially with good D remaining three can be front of the rotation starters 
• Price to good to ignore, Davis another high upside arm not that full away. Beckham toolsy as they come but very far away not a big fan of Brignac but Price/Davis to good to pass up. 
• Giants mix huge upside from their arms with high ceiling first baseman and premium talent behind the plate. 
• Oakland-Cunningham could be weakest number four. Inoa offers ridiculous upside but hasn't even thrown a pitch in the U.S Anderson and Cahill don't have upside of other pitchers on the list.

Hey everyone the Braves system vs our system gave me an idea......how do are top 4 prospects stack among the top seven systems in baseball?

OAKLAND: Cahill, Anderson, Inoa Cunningham   

ATLANTA: Heyward, Hanson, Schafer, Freeman

Florida: Maybin, Stanton, Morrison, Coughlan GIANTS: Bumgarner, Posey, Alderson, Angel V

Rangers: Feliz,Holland, Smoak, Andrus

TAMPA Baltimore: Wieters, Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta 

Price

Davis

Beckham 

Brignac

• Also rank the systems 1-7. My personal ranking: 1.Rangers 2. Baltimore 3.Tampa 4.Giants 5. Atlanta 6.Florida 7. Oakland
  
• Florida and Atlanta could have gone either way a but Stanton and Maybin have scary strikeouts to go with their huge ceilings.
  
• Rangers great upside from each position as a variety of positions sealed the deal
• Baltimore-love Weiters can put up .310/.380/520 as a catcher potentially with good D remaining three can be front of the rotation starters 
• Price to good to ignore, Davis another high upside arm not that full away. Beckham toolsy as they come but very far away not a big fan of Brignac but Price/Davis to good to pass up. 
• Giants mix huge upside from their arms with high ceiling first baseman and premium talent behind the plate. 
• Oakland-Cunningham could be weakest number four. Inoa offers ridiculous upside but hasn't even thrown a pitch in the U.S Anderson and Cahill don't have upside of other pitchers on the list.

"

C-Russel Martin LA, Chris Ianetta CO 1b. Adrian Gonzalez SD 2b. Blake Dewitt, Emmanuel Burris Sf  SS.Troy Tulowitzki CO, Stephen Drew AZ 3b.Kevin Kouzmanoff SD, Ian Stewart CO 1f.Connor Jackson AZ, Fred Lewis SF  Cf. Matt Kemp LA, Chris Young AZ rf.Justin Upton AZ, Andre Eithier LA
SP.Tim Lincecum SF SP.Brandon Webb AZ SP.Clayton Kershaw LA SP.Matt Cain SF SP.Chad Billingsley LA
RP.Manny Corpas CO  RP.Huston Street CO RP.John Broxton LA   RP.Hong-Chi Kuo LA RP.Sergio Romo SF CP.Brian Wilson SF 
I'll make a minor league team soon as well to make us feel better

www.caincecum.blogspot.com

         Well, well, well it's the end of the first day in the winer meetings and shockingly the giants haven't signed another player! (Buh dum dum chh) Cheesy punch lines aside the first day came and went without any earth shattering news, though there was plenty of speculation. According to our friend Andrew Baggarly the Giants touched base with other teams to discuss the avaiability of numerous power hitting position players. Thankfully we have also learned the Giants have never and will never inquire about the avaibility of a Miguel Tejada and Paul Konerko. We have also learned that team after team has inquired about the possibility of Senor Sanchez playing for their team next year. This has made me come to think of the value that Sanchez really has. One could argue he has the upside of a number 2 starter and that his struggles in the 2nd half can largely be attributed to the 106 IP increase from the previous year. 

          This has also convinced me to believe that perhaps it's best to stand pat unless a oppurtunity presents itself. We came into this offseason looking to solidify our bullpen. Check. We came into this offseason looking to get more production out of our SS which was an MLB worst last year. Check We came into this season looking to add a legitimate middle of the order hitter? Not so much...... at the same time I look at it this way in order to add another check to the list we would have to deal from an area of strength , our starting pitching. If we were to trade Jonathan Sanchez our starting pitching would go from good to very mediocre faster than an Eugenio Velez stolen base. If Sanchez were to depart we would have a rotation consisting of Lincecum, Cain, Zito, ?, ?. As you can see the two 4,5 starters would be unknown quantities meaning I have no clue who they would be. Also, where would the acquired slugger play? Presumably 3rd base but thats where Pablo Sandoval looks to be entrenched for at least next season. Move him to 1st base and you never get to see if Travis Ishikawa's resurgence was for real. Can't trade him for an outfielder because we have more outfielders than we already know what to do with which leads me to tomorrows post trade Aaron Rowand..........

"Possibly demonstrating that he's in the final stages of his decision-making process, Furcal, widely considered the top shortstop available in free agency, traveled to Oakland to meet with A's officials. Accompanied by his wife, Glenny, and his agent, Paul Kinzer, Furcal stopped at the Oakland Coliseum, drove through neighborhoods where he might live and had lunch with A's general manager Billy Beane." 

"Although Furcal was in Northern California, he didn't bother to tour the other side of San Francisco bay -- home of the Giants, his other serious suitor. Kinzer said that he hadn't spoken with Giants officials in two days." 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081125&content_id=3693616&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak&partnerId=rss_oak 

This obviously leads me to believe the Giants and Renteria have come to an agreement if, Furcal and his agent haven't spoken to the Giants in two days even though there in the Bay Area

(this is written as an article because i copied

and pasted from my blog))

If you claim to associate yourself with the Giants you would know rumors were flying around today that we had signed Edgar Renteria to a two year eighteen million dollar contract. At first I was infuriated why was Sabean signing a rapidly declining 32 year old shortstop? The other increasingly baffling part was that Sabean was signing Renteria a week away from the arbitration deadline, why would Sabean sign a Type A free agent before the team can even offer the particular player arbitration ( this would ensure the Tigers our 2nd round draft pick due to the fact that we have the number six overall pick  in order to have your first round draft pick protected you must have a record among the fifteen worst in baseball if you sign a type a free agent before their previous team can offer them arbitration or sign the type a free agent after the team has offered them arbitration.)? After thinking for a good chunk of time I came to the conclusion that the value a team would get in return from signing Renteria compared to Furcal would be astronomical.  First of all the latest rumored "high bidder" for Furcal is thought to be the Braves whom are rumored to be offering a 4 year deal worth 52 million. The Giants so called offer stands at 2 years 18 million but he would also probably accept a 3 year 21 million dollar deal.  Furcal's contract comes out to around 13 million on average over 5 years whereas Renteria comes out to only 7 million over 3 years, a whole lot less risky considering the fact furcal only played in 36 games last year.  Over his career Furcal has averaged 11 r 66 rbi's and a .286 average which is not shabby at all. as well as .353 obp and .412 slg resulting in a line of .286/.353/.412 but, with stellar defense. Renteria on the contrary has averaged 11 hr 72 rbi's a .290 average and an obp of .347 and a slg% of .405  which = a line of .290/.347/.405. Oddly how remarkable similar the two players are huh?  Both players have their fair share of questions marks though, Furcal is comming of an injury plauged season and his defense has regressed a bit. Renteria is comming off a season where he hit a very low (for him) .270 and only drove in 55 runs but also made 9 less plays than the average ss according to the fielding bible. At the same time I found it remarkable how similar last years stats were for Renteria compared to his previous only trip to the AL with the Red Sox in 2005 Renteria hit .276 with 8 hr and 77 rbi's before being shipped back to the National league where he hit .296 with 14 hr and 76 rbi's. You have to remember prior to going to the Tigers he hit .332 12 hr and 57 rbi's. And last year he hit   .270 10 and 56. Again I don't expect the guy to hit .332 next season but I definetly think .290 12 and 65 is well in reach, which would be great offensive output from the ss position for us, only the orioles has worse production from the ss position last year. I think much of his regression last year could simply be attributed to playing in the American league similarly to what happened to him in 2005.  Over the last five years Renteria has 54 home runs compared to Furcal's 53. Renteria has average 64.2 Rbi's over the last five seasons compared to Furcal's 48.3 (albeit he only played 36 games last year but that's still a difference of about 8 rbi's per year had he been healthy) And lastly Renteria has averaged a .291.6 average the last five years while Furcal has hit, .284.4. As you can see not only is Furcal the much more expensive riskier option, but he has also not been as consistent or performed as well as my new friend Edgar Renteria. At the same time I truly do believe the Giants have a deal in place for Renteria but don't want to announce it out of fear of the Tigers offering Renteria arbitration to claim the Giants 2nd round pick I expect the deal to be announced sometime soon after December 2. I commend Sabean and the organization if this is the case for making a great decision they very well could be gaining the greater offensive player for half the price. Thank you

Hey guys, I know I have already made a post about my blog and it's much appreciated that many of you took the time to check it out. i just wanted to let everyone know I have a new post up about the Affeldt signing  (and several others about the Giants.) And thought they could be thought provoking my aim isn't to take anything away from this website because as many of you know i'm a big fan and a contributor to posts. But, I just want to share my opinion and create interest in my own blog if grant has a problem i'll take it down ASAP but I assume he won't because it's all in good fun and it's a giants blog thank you. 

P.S If any of ou have blogger accounts I would greatly appreciate it if you became "followers" to create a fanbase thank you. 

Hello everyone I have recently made a new blog not to take anything away from this one but to share more opinions and thoughts this isn't going to be strictly Giants but will have a heavy Giants focus. http://caincecum.blogspot.com/ I would appreciate it if you guys took a look and gave me some feedback I'm trying to just generate interest in it, thanks you. I'm open to any ideas or feedback 

So I briefly talked to him over facebook this is what he had to say....... 

as a giants fan im wonderin? are u close to signing?

ya im close i hope can get it all worked out

hopefully next couiple of days

hahaah ok thanks so muchg its just if we sign you we get another legit 1st round talent thanks a lot good luk hope it work out

thanks man

GO GIANTS

Henry

haha yea ur preaching to the choir good for you is that you could advance quick due to the state of our current team......q: when you were drafted by the giants were u less enthused becuase of our struggles at the major league level?

10:55pmr

Roger

no not at all, you never look at that that way b/c each year is a new  season and a new team you know

(from mlbtraderumors.com) 

Marlins Inquire On Bengie Molina By Tim Dierkes [July 27 at 3:31pm CST]

According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, the Marlins recently inquired on Giants catcherBengie Molina.  Frisaro believes the asking price may be too high, but the situation is worth watching.

Molina, 34, is hitting .282/.313/.421 in 368 plate appearances this year.  Molina rarely draws a walk or strikes out. Behind the dish, he's thrown out a third of attempted basestealers, fifth in baseball.  Jason Kendall leads that stat by a wide margin, which is surprising to me.

Molina is owed another $2.2MM this year and $6MM in '09, plus performance bonuses for games started as a catcher.  He has some level of no-trade protection, though it's unclear which teams are included. 

Honestly, I would love to move Molina his value will never be higher, were not going anywhere so why not unload him? Ecspecially because we can get a good position prospect in return.  We may as well have Alfonzo/Holm start until Sandoval or Posey are ready 

In return I think we could expect a Chris Coghlan type player who projects as an offensive minded 2b who reminds me of Todd Walker http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Chris%20Coghlan&pos=2B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=458085 

I wish we could get low a of Mike Stanton in return http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Michael%20Stanton&pos=CF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=519317 who has all the raw power upside and tools in return but could very well be the Marlins top prospect 

I would be less satisfied but happy with Gaby Sanchez an old but good prospect at AA (24) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Gaby%20Sanchez&pos=1B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=459991 whoose slugging in AA and needs to be promoted he could be Connor Jackson with more speed only problem is he's been pegged to 1b by scouts? 

what do ya'll thank?

tonight Wendell Fairley makes his debut tonight for the mighty salem keizer volcanoes forgot who said this but it feels like we gain another draft pick anyway yea i have to get to the 75 word limit so.......................................................................................................................................................  

tonight Wendell Fairley makes his debut tonight for the mighty salem keizer volcanoes forgot who said this but it feels like we gain another draft pick anyway yea i have to get to the 75 word limit so.......................................................................................................................................................  

tonight Wendell Fairley makes his debut tonight for the mighty salem keizer volcanoes forgot who said this but it feels like we gain another draft pick anyway yea i have to get to the 75 word limit so.......................................................................................................................................................  

I'm going 2 try and lay out what I realistically think the Giants draft plan should be for the first five rounds

1ST ROUND:

Ideally Pedro  Alvarez would fill 2 huge roles our future 3b and a legitimate 3 hole hitter. SHould put up numbers around .275 35-40 hr and 100-120 rbi's with his fair share of k's but at the same time is exactly what the Giants need problem is however, he's the drafts consensus top talent and the only way he'll fall will be because of bonus demands or if Tampa takes Posey, Pit takes T Beckham, KC passes and BAl takes Mastusz inforfortunatley the chance that happens is very very slim. But then again Matt Wieters the consensus top talent dropped to five last year and both KC and BAL passed on him but, would KC pony up the cash to sign him? 

Justin Smoak: Smoak is a switch hitting gold glove masher at 1b for the south Carolina Gamecocks, he shouls put up very similar numbers to Alvarez, but at a less premium position. It's realistic to think .275 35-40 hr 100-120 rbi's much like Alvarez and he doesnt have the price tag but, it's much more valuable to find that in a 3b than a 1b 

Tim Beckham: Beckham (the hs ss from Georgia) oozes tools he's compared to the Upton brothers but, he lacks the Upton brothers power but, unlike the Upton's he should actually stay at ss. He should take 3-4 years to reach the majors but the reward will well be worth the wait expect .300 20 hr 80-100 rbi's 30 sb's at his peak 

Buster Posey: Catcher from Florida State that is thought to be the D' Rays current choice at number 1. But don't be fooled he's not number 1 caliber that because the ray's have so much depth at other positions they want to take the catcher. He doesn't have a huge upside but is also a pretty safe bet to be an above average catcher (Note: if the Giants take Posey over any of the above 3 I'll be furious.) 

1st Round Supplemental: 

In this round I think we should target High Upside talent such a player whom I feel would fit this role Is Alabama wr recruit and current hs OF is Destin Hood. Hood is very comparable to 07 first rounder Wendell Fairley both are very raw, but with both of them the sky is the limit he was the co champion of the hs Aflac all star game with Ethan Martin (his scouting report below).  http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=hood 

Another very Intruiging prospect is Canadian ss Bret Lawrie, Lawrie is a stocky ss from Canada whom is yes very raw but has "plus, plus raw power"  and a plus arm with average range he may have to eventually move of of ss but even so his bat would let him play anywhere. here's his scouting report.  http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=lawrie 

3RD ROUND (no 2nd rounder because of Rowans signing)

Daniel Schelereth son of NFL lineman Mark Shlereth is a lefty setup man at Arizona and has a plus 93-95 mph fastball a plus curve and an average changeup is he was a starter would be an early 1st round pick but, has potential to be dominant setup man. heres his scouting report: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=schlereth 

Sonny Gray yes, sonny gray is around 5'11 180 but who cares isnt tim lincecum 2? Gray would have been at the top of most draft charts had he not sprained his ankle running out a grounder in april as a result he's been shut down, but that shouldnt impact his pitching in any way he does have a strong commitment to Vanderbilt but so did Jake Mcgeary with a low 90's fastball and power curve 2 boot its worth the risk  report: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=gray 

Roger Kieschnick: strong powerful corner of who could club 25-30 hr a year with no glaring weaknesses except for his ability to make consistent contace against better pitching http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=kieschnick

4th Round 

Ricky Oroespa was a probable first round pick comming into this season thanks to his huse raw power and strong arm but he's struggled this season and fallen down draft charts but if anyone's worth the risk in this round its him only negative he might have to eventually move off 3rd: report: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=oropesa 

Tyler Landorth: speedy jc shortstop with solid tools but game changing speed drafted by the giants last draft but didnt sign. also has above average power but struggles to make contact: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=ladendorf 

5th round 

Jake Jeffries solid average catcher for UC Davis but has no glaring holes nor and weaknesses should be fringe average starter at highest level offers little to no more projection http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=jefferies

Harold Martinez consensus top 15 overall selection heading into season has struggled mightily this season and fallen out of the first 3 rounds all together but has a high upside and is similar to Marlins 3b Matt Dominguez but with better bat  report: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=martinez

1. Villalona
   
2. Alderson
   
3. Schierholtz
   
4. Sosa
   
5. Bumgarner
   
6. Noonan
   
7. Velez
   
8. Burris
   
9. Fairley
   
10. Bowker

    My favorite arm in the ceiling is Alderson with his insane control and plus stuff he'll be in the majors i believe in mid 2009 looking forward to see how he will do in Augusta. Not such a big Bumgarner fan his lack of any second pitch scares me and yes lefties throwing 95 are damn rare but I would have much rather have drafted Jason Heyward.  

    2008 Breakouts:
    Waldis Joaquin
    Angel Villalona (i believe he'll be promoted mid season put up crazy numbers in the cal league)
    Tim Alderson (i believe he'll be promoted within a month and tear through any league)
    Emmanuel Burris(cal league should make him put up maybe a .400 slg)
    John Bowker (going to the pcl can only improve numbers)
    Henry Sosa ( pitching in Connecticut will turn him into a top 30 prospect)
    Jesse English- IF HEALTHY

    2008 Disappointments
    Clayton Tanner might get eaten by pitching in cal league
    Madison Bumgarner lack of any pitch other than fastball will prove to be very costly expect growing pains
    Wendell Fairley might be to raw for full season ball