Yesterday, the Giants moved to keep both of their lefty relievers, Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt. Lopez was signed to a two-year deal for a total of $8.5 million. Affeldt saw his option for 2012 picked up for $5 million.

Yup. $9.25 million for 2012 for two left-handed relievers.

Affeldt made $4.5 million in 2011, so he sees a good bump. Lopez sees a great bump from the $2.375 million he was paid in 2011.

Maybe I could justify signing one of them for $3 to $4 million. But both? For $4.5 to $5 million? Each? Affeldt had a WAR of 0.2 in 2011. Lopez’ WAR was better in 2011, standing at 0.7. But still – is a total WAR of 0.9 in 2011 worth $9.25 million in 2012? Not likely.

More importantly, will Bruce Bochy manage to use Lopez properly in 2012? This past season, Bochy had Lopez face 118 right-handed batters, who had a .761 OPS and .273 BA against him. Yet he faced just 104 left-handed batters, who had an OPS of just .430 and BA of .163 when facing him. His K/9 ratio drops from 8.04 when facing lefties to 5.40 for righties; his BB/9 ration jumps from 2.89 to 6.12. Obviously he’s better facing lefties, but somehow still faced more righties during 2011. Lopez has much greater value when used the right way, pitching to LHBs. Maybe not $8.5 million total value, but maybe close.

Perhaps watching the bullpens implode in the World Series this year convinced Brian Sabean that he needed to lock up his left-handed relievers, before they hit the open market. It’s a calculated risk for the team to tie up so much money in relief pitching. If it pays off, it just might be almost worth it.

GM Brian Sabean is wasting no time bringing back relievers.

According to the Associated Press, lefty reliever Javier Lopez will return to the San Francisco Giants on a two-year, $8.5 million dollar deal. In 2011, Lopez was 5-1 with one save and a 2.72/3.16/3.94 ERA/FIP/xFIP line.

Hank Schulman has also reported that the Giants have picked up Jeremy Affeldt’s $5 million option. Affeldt went 3-2 in 2011, with 3 saves and a 2.63/3.69/3.39 line. This was before his unfortunate hamburger injury.

If you’re like me and you’ve missed seeing Buster Posey catching fastballs, change-ups, and the like, here‘s a video Posey posted on his Facebook fanpage.

Though it’s only 17 seconds long, you can see Posey catching — which I’m sure is a sight for sore eyes.

The Giants are long since tucked away for their metaphorical winter naps, statistically speaking, if you picked up an adopted team for the playoffs, they’re probably eliminated by now, and if you have to hear Tim McCarver explain what “pitching around” means again you’re going to scream. So what is a Giants fan to do? A few tips to survive what remains of the World Series

Turn the volume down: When you feel your blood pressure starting to spike as McCarver and Buck act like no pitcher ever in the history of ever other than Kyle Lohse has been diagnosed with exertional compartment syndrome (*cough* Noah Lowry *cough*), when you’re wondering for the thousandth time why the Yankees and/or Red Sox are being discussed mid-game, turn the volume down. Turn on your Journey playlist. Relax. There is actually some really enjoyable baseball being played, and it’s the last we’ll get on TV for five or so months, so better make the best of it. I’ve found that ratcheting down the World Series pomp and circumstance (and the Buck/McCarver “Baseball for Dummies” commentary) can make it more enjoyable when the eliminated fan bitterness starts to set in.

Geek out: Play the “I wonder when the last time… ” game with Baseball Reference or Baseball Prospectus or Fan Graphs. Check out the stats of all the bench guys LaRussa and Washington trot out in late innings. Find some sleeper to pick up for your fantasy team next season. Bust out the graphing calculator and go to town, if you’re so inclined. If you’re statistically inclined, it’ll be fun, and if you’re not, maybe it’s a good way to get your toes into the water.

Tweet it up: If you don’t already, track down some Cardinals or Rangers fans to read and absorb their excitement. Remember the insane adrenaline of last season and be happy for them!

Cook up a storm: Make some of your favorite ballpark foods at home, grab your favorite beer (or other adult or non-adult beverage) and make a bit of an event out of it. Giants or not, this only happens once a year. I know for many of us, garlic fries hold a very special place in our heart, so in the interest of the public good, I’m going to share my own personal home made garlic fries recipe.

Garlic fries can help what ails you. Photo courtesy of Wally Gobetz via Flickr

You will need:
Yukon Gold potatoes (you can use whatever potatoes you like, but after much experimentation, I’ve found the starch content of the Yukon Golds and their general texture yields the best results)
Garlic (you can even use the pre-chopped if you’re lazy like I am, though the fries are best if you chop it fresh)
Flat-leaf parsley (you can also use cilantro if you want a Mexican take on the fries)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Garlic powder

Wash and slice the potatoes. If you like crispy fries, slice the potatoes more on the thin side, if you like softer, more potatoes fries, you can slice them in rounds.

Toss the fries in a couple tablespoons of olive oil (just enough for a light coating) and about a teaspoon of garlic powder (more or less to taste) and a pinch of sea salt. If you’re not a huge garlic fan, you can skip the garlic powder, but it really does add some nice depth to the flavor. Spread the fries out on a baking sheet in a single layer (this is very important) and put them in a 475 degree oven for about twenty to twenty-five minutes.

While the fries are baking, take a couple of tablespoons of garlic (more or less depending on how big a batch of fries you’re cooking up and how garlicky you want them) and sautee LIGHTLY in olive oil over medium-low heat. You do not want there to be any color on the garlic, you just want to take some of the raw bite off. Finely chop the parsley and toss all of this together in a big mixing bowl.

When the fries are out of the oven, sprinkle with more sea salt and toss in the mixing bowl with the garlic and parsley until everything is evenly coated. Eat quickly (and in large quantities) before they get soggy. Personally, I like them with a nice blonde beer and some tri-tip, but they’re good with anything or by themselves (I ate them as my dinner a couple of times last post-season, no lie).

Now let’s go Cards and/or Rangers, whoever is going to get us to an extra-innings game seven!

On August 26, 2011, I attended a Fresno Grizzlies game with my mom and step-dad. The evening at Chukchansi Park was agreeable — hot, the way we liked it.

Each year, my family spends an inordinate amount of time at the ballpark. Over the course of each season, fans develop favorites. In 2011, I became fixated on outfielder Justin Christian, a 31-year old player who has spent the majority of his career in the minor-leagues.

In Triple-A Fresno, Christian was consistently impressive on offense, and, skillful at stealing bases.

On the night of the 26th, I studied the LED video board each time he came to the plate. His numbers were awe-inspiring and, in fact, more favorable than the better-known first-baseman Brett Pill’s.

I knew September call-ups were a week away and was concerned the San Mateo-native was being overlooked. I did my best to spread the word to San Francisco that Christian deserved attention. I tweeted: “LF Justin Christian avg 333 obp 414 slg 550 sb 31”. I felt certain that one tweet could make a difference.

My dream for the Fresno outfielder came true on September 1st. “Hometown hero” Justin Christian had just been called-up by the San Francisco Giants! The tweet had worked!

The outfielder’s journey to the majors is reminiscent of another center fielder — San Francisco’s Andres Torres. Torres spent a good part of his career in the minors. His stellar 2010 performance helped the Giants win the World Series. Unfortunately, Torres’s 2011 production was miserable.

As for Christian, he was signed by the New York Yankees in 2004. But the Aragon High graduate was plagued by injuries and subsequently spent little time in the major-leagues.

The former-Grizzlies outfielder may land a starting spot with San Francisco in 2012. Ironically, he’d take the place of Torres whose perseverance has been an inspiration to Christian.

Once a “local” (Fresno) player is promoted to the majors, it’s assumed he’ll be successful. That’s what we — and especially I — wish for Justin Christian.

The skies are starting to take on a familiar gray tinge as a constant, spitting drizzle falls on and off here in the Bay, pumpkin spice lattes fill many a Starbucks cup, and my ophthalmologist’s office reeks of apple cinnamon potpourri, which can only mean two things. One, that I should find a new ophthalmologist and two, that the long, baseball-less months of the off-season are upon us. Dreary as this time of year can seem at first, the one thing I secretly love about this part of baseball season is that the upcoming season spreads out like a vast expanse of uncharted territory where, at least for a little while, we can all let our imaginations run wild with hopes for the next year — especially when it comes to imaging who we might see in orange and black come 2012.

Could Jacoby Ellsbury end up in orange and black? Image courtesy Keith Allison via Flickr

Looking at the free agent crop for next year, the one thing that’s striking, though this has certainly been mentioned elsewhere before, is the lack of top tier starting pitching available. This is especially interesting given that the offense rich AL East powerhouse Red Sox and Yankees are both in pretty serious need of pitching and, frankly, there is only one C.J. Wilson to go around. See where I’m going with this? Trade a pitcher, and trade him to a team that can cough up something big in return.

The Giants could go blockbuster, huge, out of character, make or break sort of trade, or they could go measured, reasonable, but still productive. It all comes down to the risk/reward balance. Matt Cain, the Giants’ beloved horse and second ace, is the type of pitcher that could draw a huge return from a team like the Red Sox or Yankees, and he would have to to make it worth it. Giving up an arm like Cain’s, even for a team as desperate for offense as the Giants, is a huge risk and had better come with a blockbuster of a deal.

» Continue reading “Trade A Pitcher? Why Not?”

Bryan Stow, the Giants fan brutally injured outside of Dodger Stadium earlier this year, has been released from the hospital, the Associated Press reports.

Doctors say the San Francisco Giants fan who was severely beaten outside Dodgers Stadium has been released from the hospital and transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

Bryan Stow’s move into rehab is step forward in his recovery after being in hospitals for nearly seven months.

If you would like to help Stow and his family, please visit support4bryanstow.com.

By now, everyone is aware that the Rally Thong clad first baseman did not live up to the expectations everyone had in his second year with the Giants.

After a terrible 2009, Aubrey Huff bounced back with a remarkable 2010, with an OPS of .891. Though that may not be the best OPS in the league, it’s certainly good by Giants standards.

2011 was not like that, however. His OPS was down to .676. He grounded out to second basemen across America — you might as well just give him the nickname “4-3.”

The unfortunate part about his 2011 season is that fans might have to endure watching the groundouts for more than one year.

According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Huff still has one year left on his contract, plus an option for 2013. If that doesn’t incite the fear of official scorekeepers at AT&T Park, what will? Maybe next year, he will have a new go-to out. A pop-up to the shortstop, perhaps?

It’s a frightening concept. Paying a man $10 million to routinely groundout? What is this nonsense?

It would be nice to trade the guy, but realistically, that’s just not gonna happen. Huff is 34-years-old. There is no team that will take the contract of an aging veteran who can’t field and can’t hit all that well.

Let’s face it: the man is going to be starting games throughout 2012. Whether it’s in the outfield or first base is to be determined by spring training. And a determining factor is the young Brandon Belt.

Who knows? Maybe Brian Sabean could actually do something like designate Huff for assignment, the way he unexpectedly did the same to Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada.

It’s a nice thought.

Six months ago, on opening day, a beloved Giants fan took a trip to Los Angeles to watch the G-men face their bitter rivals—the Dodgers.

Following the game, a tragic event took place, shaking the Giants’ fan base. Bryan Stow, was severely beaten after the game, and has been fighting for his life the whole season.

Bryan Stow, a Giants fan, with his children.

The single father from Santa Cruz has continued to make progress throughout the last six months, and according to the website support4bryanstow.com, this is where he stands as of October 6th:

“An ultrasound showed that Bryan still has blood clots. While they haven’t gotten smaller, they also have not gotten bigger so that is good. The doctors are still working on getting the right amount of blood thinners to get the clots under control.
Bry’s trach was finally removed and the site has closed up and healed, which makes him much more comfortable. Bryan continues to talk with a stronger and clearer voice, but he gets very tired easily and when he doesn’t want to talk, he doesn’t.”

As the off season hits, and this past season was one worth forgetting (unlike 2010), it would be great to see all Giants’ fans come together and rally behind Bryan.

So the Giants didn’t make the playoffs. The elimination’s sunk in and the cold, harsh reality of the offseason begins.

What’s there for a Giants fan to do?

There’s latching onto a team for the playoffs.

It’s a very bandwagon thing to do, but what else is there to do for a baseball fan with no rooting interest in any LCS bound team once the LDS is over? You could always root against a team you dislike, but that’s very negative.

If all else fails, root for the Busch Squirrel.

Following the Arizona Fall League is another option. The Arizona Fall League is a winter baseball league where prospects from all 30 MLB organizations go to play once the regular season is over.

The Giants prospects are playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Austin Fleet, Stephen Harold, Daryl Maday, Seth Rosin, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik, and Gary Brown are the Giants prospects listed on the roster alongside top talent such as the Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper (yes, that Bryce Harper) and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Mike Trout.

If that neither of those suit your fancy, the 2010 playoffs are available on DVD to relive good times.

Happy counting-to-spring!