The Giants need to be creative

This Thursday Jonathan Sanchez pitched 8 innings, let up 3 hits and 1 run against the first place Padres.

The result?

LOSS.

The Padres came into San Francisco with a mere 1/2 game lead.

They left with a 3 1/2 game lead. The Giants scored a grand total of 4 runs in the whole series.

And Tim Lincecum was lucky to get a win out of the bullpen yesterday.

I know the Giants have climbed back to 1 1/2 games behind the Padres, but there's still stuff that needs to be done. The Giants need to shake some things up without blowing up everything.

I already talked about how they need another bat and a bullpen arm.

But let me throw a few more specific suggestions at the Giants.

1) Give Jermaine Dye a shot.

This idea is already being kicked around and it is all reward and no risk.
It wasn't that long ago that Dye was an All Star and an MVP contender.

Now all he has to do is outhit Mark DeRosa.

And if it doesn't work, it didn't cost the Giants any players.


2) And while you are at it, give Pat Burrell a shot.

Pat Burrell was dumped by Tampa and could be done. But then again, a player as talented as Burrell might be could get a jolt of incentive to show up his old employer.

Besides, he's only a couple of years removed from being a 30 homer guy.

And if it doesn't work, who cares? Tampa is paying the bills.


3) Just recall Buster Posey already!

It is insane that he is still in Fresno. The Giants have no offensive attack and they have a phenom batting .349 and a .999 OPS in AAA.

Look, he can hit. Why not see if he can hit big league pitching?

Oh yeah, he's working on his catching skills. Fine, stick him in the outfield or at first and have Bengie Molina take him under his wing. I am going to go out on a limb and say Bengie knows a thing or two about catching and could teach Buster... all the while the Giants, and not the Fresno Grizzlies, benefit from his swing.


4) While you are at it, recall Eric Hacker.

The guy is putting up terrific numbers in Fresno and yet at age 27 he's a little too old to be a prospect.

Why not throw him in the bullpen and see if he can get big leaguers out an inning at a time.



5) Make Madison Bumgarner the lefty out of the bullpen

Along with Posey, Bumgarner is the Giants top prospect. But he should be helping the parent club instead of toiling in Fresno.

Now Bumgarner is only 20 years old, so no doubt the Giants are going to baby his arm.

Well why not cut down his innings while facing lineups that don't know him yet? Lots of pitchers were broken in during the rookie year as relievers. before making the transition back to the rotation the next year. Jim Palmer, Jimmy Key, Orel Hershiser, Mark Buehrle, Adam Wainwright and Pedro Martinez all cut their teeth as relievers.

Bumgarner would love to have any of their careers (and so would the Giants!)



6) Consider trading top prospect Zack Wheeler for offense

I know you can never have enough pitching... but I think the 2010 Giants are in a unique position.

They have tons of solid young arms and they need a bat more than anything. And teams in the trade market looking for prospects want pitching more than anything.

I think the Giants can afford to part with a top pitching prospect if it means it can bring an impact bat to AT&T Park.

The Giants could sacrifice Dan Runzler, who looked good in early call ups. 23 year old Waldis Joaquin could also get some attention. But I thought dangling young Zack Wheeler could get the most back. The #6 pick in last year's draft was one of the top high school arms and has a big upside. And yeah, parting with a talent like that could bite the Giants in the behind a la John Smoltz with the Tigers.

But this could be one of those perfect storm years where the West AND the National League are both winnable and a pennant could be won. Sometimes a big prospect needs to be sacrificed to make the final push (think of the Red Sox parting with Hanley Ramirez and others to get Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell... they let go on a future MVP but won a World Series.)


Nothing I just wrote is outrageous and nothing involves tearing apart the rotation as it currently is set up.

Giants fans have waited 52 years for a World Series title.
This is a time to go for it.

10 reasons why the Pirates should sign Jermaine Dye

Seriously... it makes all the sense in the world for both Dye and the Pirates.

Don't believe me? Let me list the reasons...


1. It's good for Dye because it is employment!

The options for Dye are drying up pretty fast.

The White Sox said good bye.
The crosstown Cubs went with Xavier Nady and Marlon Nyrd.
The Red Sox brought in Mike Cameron.
The Rangers signed Vlad Guerrero.
The Giants oddly avoided Johnny Damon and brought in Ryan Garko.
The Mariners traded for Milton Bradley for unknown reasons.

Spring training is starting in a few weeks... and technically the Pirates are still a big league club.



2. It's good for the Pirates because he won't be THAT expensive.

Over the past 17 seasons, the Pirates have operated with three constants:

They will draft poorly...they will trade away all their good players for little returm... and they will ALWAYS slash the payroll.

In an age where the low budget Twins have a $90 million payroll and the Marlins locked up Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez to deals, the Pirates remain special with their miserly way. What other team can see a $48 million payroll in 2009 and think "SLASH IT!"?

With a projected $34 million payroll going into 2010 (which is less than the combined annual salaries of Barry Zito, Vernon Wells and Luis Castillo) the Pirates can afford to offer Dye $5 million and still have a sub $40 million payroll.

Maybe don't pocket ALL the revenue sharing!!!


3. It's good for Dye because he won't be on the bench in Pittsburgh

Most of the teams still looking for outfield help are basically looking for depth and a potential DH.

The Pirates have room in the starting line up... and what better way to show your way to a better contract than proving you can start for a big league club.

(Technically, the Pirates are a big league team.)


4. It's good for the Pirates because they'll have a little bit of depth

Yeah the Garrett Jones story last year was great... but are you really expecting a career minor leaguer to keep up his torrent second half pace?

And if he does continue to hit, he could move to first... or give the Pirates depth.

Now Pirate fans younger than 25 have no idea what "depth" means. Look it up.



5. It's good for Dye because he'll probably make the All Star team.

Or at least he will have a better shot with the Pirates.

Once again coming off an All Star season, even one worthy of the Mike Sharperson Award, is good for contract negotiations.



6. It's good for the Pirates because they might have an All Star people have heard of!

One glance at the current roster doesn't bode well for picking a legit All Star.

Zach Duke is a former All Star from last year... but in the last two seasons they have jettisoned off former All Stars Freddie Sanchez, Nate McLouth, Jason Bay and Jack Wilson.

And those guys weren't exactly household names then either.




7. It's good for Dye because he gets to be the respected veteran who has walked the walk

Remember when Terry Pendleton joined a last place Braves team after the 1990 season?

The club had a lot of young players and very few experienced veterans. And they were a loser year in and year out (including 97 losses in 1990.)

Pendleton came in and was the guy who had been a winner and led by example. The other players looked up to him and followed his lead (which included a batting title.)

Stats wise, Barry Bonds had a better year statistically... but Pendelton's prescience made him the MVP.

In 1996, Pendleton's final year with the Braves, Dye made his big league debut with Atlanta.

Now I am not saying Dye will lead the Pirates to the World Series. But the Braves were an embarrassing and irrelevant team... kind of like the Pirates are now.

And I am guessing it would be cool to have an entire team looking up to you... kind of like that scene in Bull Durham when Crash Davis was describing his cup of coffee in the show.



8. It's good for the Pirates because Dye could be Crash Davis to Lastings Milledge's Nuke LaLoosh

Sorry to throw two Bull Durham references into this post, but it makes sense.

This signing would have as much to do with Milledge as it does Dye. Think of it as a chance to turn around the mindset of an immensely talented player that the Mets and Nationals gave up on... and those two teams aren't exactly brimming with young talent.

Take the multi million dollar talent with the 10 cent head Milledge and have him follow Dye 24/7.

If Milledge do what Dye says and fulfill his talent, maybe he can play for 15 seasons, make some All Star teams, get some MVP votes, win a World Series MVP and make tens of millions of dollars in the process.

And it will make Milledge even more valuable when the Pirates trade him just before he becomes a free agent.


9. It's good for Dye because he will be traded to a contender at the deadline.

It's what the Pirates do... anyone of worth has their bags packed by the end of July.






10. It's good for the Pirates because they can shed his salary in July

And as we know, shedding payroll is what the Pirates do best!

Sully Baseball Honors JERMAINE DYE

It looks like Jermaine Dye's days with the White Sox have come to an end.

Chicago declined to pick up his option and Dye goes into the winter a free agent.

He's 35 years old, had a HORRIBLE second half and the days of sluggers miraculously getting stronger in their late 30s seems to be over for some strange reason.

The White Sox need to get younger and bringing Dye back would be purely an emotional decision.

Now I am not a White Sox fan, but I have a soft spot in my heart for them. But I hope that the White Sox blogs are firing 21 gun salutes for Jermaine Dye.

In his 5 seasons in Chicago, he delivered big. An MVP caliber season in 2006. All Star numbers in 2008... and of course the World Series heroics.

His first inning homer in Game 1 of the 2005 World Series off of Roger Clemens set the tone for the series.

His phantom hit by pitch in Game 2 set up the Paul Kornerko slam.

His RBI single in Game 3 helped the White Sox come back from behind, setting up the 14 inning marathon.

And of course he drove in the only run of Game 4, singling off of Brad Lidge and gave the White Sox the title.

Think about how a Chicago pennant, let alone a World Series title, seemed so elusive.

White Sox fans who want to feel all warm and fuzzy inside should thank Dye for delivering the title that so many generations craved.

And petty White Sox fans should salute Dye for making sure a White Sox title arrived before a Cubs title. (And with the Lou Piniella era sputtering to a close, Sox fans might have that bragging right for a while longer!)

So let's see those blogs sending out love.

Jermaine Dye... get ready. Your number will be retired in Chicago before long.
(Just don't sign with the Cubs.)