The Giants have said they're not looking to unload players yet, but I have to think they will be sellers sooner or later. A guy like Winn could be a great
acquisition for us given the lack of production from Bourn. He can bat leadoff with some pop and speed but is also a solid guy to put in on the corners when
guys need some time off. He is due some $8 million in 2009, so I suppose it depends on how convinced we are that Bourn will be the man next year. He also has
a no trade but I'd think he would be willing to waive it for a contender considering he'll be in the cellar in San Fran for the remainder of his
contract.
2008 Regular Season
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0 Kudo
Winn Trade Candidate?
| Author | Comment | ||
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 bsb8532 |
Winn Trade Candidate? |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 684 (05/15/2008 4:14 PM) Astros Fan |
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RyanED |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 30634 (05/15/2008 6:38 PM) Golden Boy |
Even though I've been a little frustrated with Michael Bourn's declining batting average and his sinking on-base percentage, I think the Astros have
to stay the course and be patient with him. When the team is winning, a lot of the negatives going on with the team doesn't really matter to me. He'll
have to get on base a lot more as the leadoff hitter ( obviously ), but he did hit the ball hard a few times today at least. Just some tough-luck outs ( the
ball was smashed right into somebodies glove ).
At some point, he'll be due to get hot. I hope, because can you imagine how awesome the Astros starting lineup would be if Michael Bourn got on base a lot more as the leadoff hitter? The Astros would be averaging 8 or 9 runs per game and they would probably have the best offense in all of baseball, especially as Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence start to smash the ball around -- joining Berkman and Tejada. Kaz Matsui as the number two hitter is sensational to say the least.
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Bob Hulsey |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 3768 (05/15/2008 7:15 PM) Astros Fan |
IIRC, Winn has refused trades before. I think he's one of those West Coast guys who doesn't want to play anywhere else.
"Astro Fan Since They Were First Called Astros."
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Clack |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 14075 (05/15/2008 7:32 PM) Astros Fan |
FWIW, I just saw a quote from Sabean, the Giants' GM, saying that they would not be sellers this season.
I'm surprised no one mentioned that Winn almost became an Astro. In 2005, at the trade deadline, Pupura negotiated a trade, Nieve and Astacio (I think) from the Astros, to Seattle for Winn and Moyer. The trade was reported in the media as "done," but Moyer refused to approve a trade to Houston. Seattle didn't have much time left at the trade deadline and turned around and traded Winn to SF. The Astros were searching mostly for hitting in 2005 and saw Winn as a possible hitting upgrade in the outfield. |
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RyanED |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 30643 (05/15/2008 8:55 PM) Golden Boy |
Clack wrote: Clack, I saw that quote as well when I was browsing the SFGate.com website.
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barzilla |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 4531 (05/15/2008 9:30 PM) Astros Fan |
Sabean not a seller? Ah, so he is a moron.
Check out my new blog at http://commons.chron.com/barzilla |
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PatHajovsky |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 1301 (05/15/2008 9:34 PM) Astros Fan |
Check this out, Scott (via shysterball.com). Maybe not a moron, but certainly, well......
Thursday, May 15, 2008Brian Sabean is DelusionalHe thinks the Giants can contend . . . . .this season:
"I think we've come a long way," Sabean said. "When you consider some of our challenges in spring training and some of the question marks, we've got to be considered one of the most improved teams in baseball."Of course Sabean fails to mention that the "challenges in spring training" and the "question marks" are attributable to his failure to develop talent, clear dead wood, and correctly evaluate where his team is on the success cycle. But what else is he going to say? His champion -- Magowan -- is being pushed aside, and I'd bet my second born (my firstborn just learned how to fetch beer from the fridge so she's currently indispensable) that Sabean's butt is going to be on the unemployment line before the All-Star break. He probably knows it too, and is looking for a way to spin the Giants' ultimate, ugly demise this season in his favor. Assuming he's fired, look for a quote from him come October along the lines of "well, things looked promising in the Spring. If the ownership group had stayed the course and let make the moves I had in mind, maybe things would have turned out better." UPDATE: Lest you think I'm some lone nut railing against Sabean, check this out, by frequent ShysterBall commenter John Peterson. And for more on the whole Sabean-Magowan poop sandwich, check out the latest from Maury Brown. |
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barzilla |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 4532 (05/15/2008 10:21 PM) Astros Fan |
Sabean has always been Cam Bonifay with the black dress (Barry Bonds) that he could slip on to get through the party. Without Bonds he looked like I did today
when my jeans had a "wardrobe malfunction". All the duct tape in the world couldn't cover up my gaff and all of the duct tape in the world
won't cover up this train wreck of a team. When Benji Molina is your cleanup hitter you are automatically a seller.
Check out my new blog at http://commons.chron.com/barzilla |
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Bob Hulsey |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 3769 (05/15/2008 10:32 PM) Astros Fan |
You're not going to find many GMs throwing in the towel in Mid-May no matter how bad they look. Why? Ticket sales. How are they going to sell Giants
tickets if the GM is admitting this early that "we suck and we need to sell off our best players to rebuild for next year."?
It may be obvious to a lot of us baseball folks but there are still plenty of casual fans who will come out - although they might just stay home if they hear Giants management bluntly tell everyone there's no point in coming to the park this year. So the GM is going to put the best face he can on the situation until at least late July just because they need to keep those turnstiles turning.
"Astro Fan Since They Were First Called Astros."
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RyanED |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 30647 (05/15/2008 10:36 PM) Golden Boy |
barzilla wrote: We'll see, Barzilla. I do think he's a good general manager, but it's so obvious he's bluffing. He's just trying to remain positive and
upbeat ( the owner is probably controlling him like a puppet ), because he doesn't want the ticket sales to decrease. Today's attendance at the Giants
game ( AT&T Park ) was said to be over 33,000, but half of the ballpark looked empty to me. I guess half the people didn't show up -- day game, school
day, work day? Whatever the excuse, I sure didn't see that attendance figure on my television set.
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NewMexicoStros |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 624 (05/16/2008 1:01 AM) Astros Fan |
I'd rather sign Lofton than trade for Winn. We can pick up Lofton is Bourn continues to struggle. However, I don't think we should give up on Bourn
just yet. Give him till June 1st.
__________________
"You just got lesson number one: Don't think; it can only hurt the ball club." |
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RyanED |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 30665 (05/16/2008 9:29 AM) Golden Boy |
Is Kenny Lofton still available and why is he available?
Injuries, older age or is he looking for more playing time? I had assumed some team would have signed him by now. I don't really have much interest in Kenny Lofton as a fan to tell you the truth. I was more intrigued with Jim Edmonds because he still has some power potential and he's a fearless hitter at Minute Maid Park. I think he will pay great dividends for the Cubs. I still think the Astros have a shortage of power hitters off the bench, but it was nice to see Darin Erstad hit his first career pinch-hit home run yesterday afternoon. It's critical you have guys like that available as a pinch hitter, because there will be situations during the late innings in which you need a pinch hitter to come through in a big way.
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Clack |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 14080 (05/16/2008 10:17 AM) Astros Fan |
Here is my guess why Lofton is available: given his age, teams weren't willing to give him the amount of money he wants. I recall some team offering him
a minor league contract, and he turned it down. I also recall reading that teams had inquired about signing him as a bench player, and he declined because he
wants to get more playing time than that. So, Lofton probably is waiting until some contender is desperate to sign him, and he can get a better deal and some
assurance of playing time. Probably not a bad strategy on his part: he has seen teams trade him at the deadline almost every year, and figures he can get the
benefit this time, rather than the team which trades him.
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RyanED |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 30678 (05/16/2008 12:25 PM) Golden Boy |
Clack, what's your take on Michael Bourn?
Do you think he's going to heat up offensively anytime soon? I can live with a horrible batting average, but his low on-base percentage as the Astros' leadoff hitter is going to hurt us sooner or later. Granted, the Astros offense can still kick ass and score 8 runs per game even when Michael Bourn has an 0-for-5 game like yesterday, but at what point do the Astros expect him to do more offensively? Sure, he's a great defensive player. That's awesome, but when is he going to get on base more as the leadoff hitter? I'm thinking the Astros should bat Michael Bourn in the 8th or 9th spot in the batting order -- behind the starting pitcher could be an ideal spot for him. Isn't the goal to have your best hitters earning more at-bats? Michael Bourn is getting way too many at-bats for a guy not getting on base that often.
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Clack |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 14084 (05/16/2008 4:15 PM) Astros Fan |
RyanED, I don't know about Bourn's offense; I'm as perplexed as anybody else. I agree that he should be hitting 8th or 9th in the batting order.
If it was my decision, I would move into the 8th or 9th spot and let him start there for another month or so to see if his offense heats up. I think he will
have less pressure and perhaps be able to take more walks in that spot. If he improves, then he can show that he deserves the lead off slot. However, if he
continued to put up something like his current BA and OBP, I would consider sending him to AAA or look for another player who would give the Astros the option
of some kind of part time platoon if Bourn stays on the ML roster.
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Bance Lerkman |
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Astros Fan
Posts: 910 (05/16/2008 5:09 PM) Astros Fan |
If Winn is moved at some point, I like this lineup a lot more with Matsui leading off, Pence batting 6th, and Winn batting 2nd.
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