Rowand and Renteria Talk

Edgar Renteria was a huge part of the Giants' success in October/Novemeber last season and he showed he still can bring some positive traits to a ballclub, even when he's not playing. However, his days as a starter are long gone and he'll have to accept a utility role if he decides to stick around.

The Giants apparently wanted him back in that role, but he said no to a one-year, $1 million deal that would have put him back in his comfort zone and back with a contender. He supposedly wants to go to Florida or St. Louis, but I don't know many GM's who are going to offer Renteria much more than a million bucks to come ride the pine for them. I think the Giants are his best bet. The same cannot be said for the Giants though, in my opinion. There are better, more versatile infielders out there who could come in just as cheaply as Renteria. I know Orlando Cabrera isn't exactly a guy who jumps out at you, but check his track record, and look at all the winners he's played. He plays better defense than Edgar and would be more adept at moving over to 2nd base or even filling in at 3rd than Renteria if need be. Now, I'm not even sure Cabrera would take a back-up/part-time role, but with a winner like the Giants, he may consider it. Then, again, the other name who I've thrown out so many times this winter is Cesar Izturis. He's not quite the offensive player Cabrera is, but he's Omar Vizquel-like with the leather, and I'm quite sure Giants fans would become fond of watching him come in late in games for Tejada to sure up the defense. Felipe Lopez is another, 30-or-under guy, although not a groomed SS, who can play all over and has produced in the past. So, in short, if Edgar is shrugging off a million bucks to come caddy Tejada at short and be a clubhouse leader, then thanks for the memories cause I sure wouldn't cater to his demands.

Onto the next rumor that I found floating around the internet over the last 24 hours; the Aaron Rowand to Chicago for Kosuke Fukudome. First off, I didn't really think much off of it, probably some random internet rumor started by a bored Chicago Cubs amateur blogger. Then, I did start to think a bit. This would actually be a tremendous move for San Fran if if they could swing it. Heck, I'd even throw in another prospect to get it done and here is why:

*First and foremost, Fukudome is a free-agent after the 2011 season whereas Rowand is on bored until after 2012.

*Contract wise, Fukudome's due $13.5 in '11 and Rowand's due $24 over the next two. That would probably mean the Giants would have to eat at least half of Rowand's '12 salary, which still isn't a such a bad case right now.

*The Cubs could use a center fielder to allow them to move Marlyn Byrd to RF where he'd be one of the better defensive RF'ers in the league.

*The Giants get their 4th outfielder and left-handed option behind Pat Burell in left, and a helluva defensive one at that (yes, better then Scheirholtz). I mean face it, Aaron Rowand will never be a starter on the Giants again and at $12 million over the next 2 years, that's one expensive pine-rider. Not too mention, Wrigley Field is nice on right handed hitters, and I could definitely see Rowand getting back on track there. It's not a likely scenerio, but the more I investigate it, the more it starts to make some since. Rowand would allow Byrd to move to a corner spot, and Fukudome could come in and be the 4th outfielder with the Giants. Just as long as the Giants aren't on the hook for all of Rowand's 2012 salary, that's the key objective of that trade scenerio.

Now, the negative on Fukudome is that he's got very little power (check his stats while playing in the hitter friendly Wrigley Field), and that would further dissipate at AT&T. What pop he did possess declined mightily since coming to the States. Still, overall, I see Fukudome as more flexible and a better defensive player who would give the Giants a left-handed bat they need on the bench. Again, it all comes back to whether or not the Giants could do the deal without having to cover Rowand's full $13 million salary in 2012. I think both could use a change of scenery, so if the money squares out, why not pull the trigger, and I'm speaking for both clubs. I don' t know, it's just my opinion, but does anyone here actually see Rowand reverting to pre-'07 form in San Franc, cause I sure don't. And how ugly would it be if Rowand stays on the bench while raking in $12 million in '11? Bochy said at the winter meetings that Rowand has re-focused his off-season plan so hopefully improvement is on the way. If not, and they don't trade him, we're looking at a $12M fourth outfielder. Not saying I expect a Fukudome/Rowand trade to go down, I doubt it will, just stating the positives for each party.

*NOTE: I apologize for the random, wacky spelling (which has since been fixed) in the originally posted article, I typed this post on a computer I wasn't familiar with and it did auto-fill in a weird, non-english technique and didn't allow spell check or pictures... It's all fixed now though as you can see... Thanks for barring with us and keep coming back for up-to-the-minute Giants jargon off-season coverage, all winter long.