SF Chronicle: Sabean: Giants don’t plan on Molina or Posey as Opening Day catcher

The Giants’ brass met several times this week in preparation of the winter meetings, which begin Monday in Indianapolis, and the feeling was Posey’s not quite ready to play everyday in the big leagues, meaning the Giants will need a buffer, someone to catch regularly until Posey emerges for good.

General manager Brian Sabean said the front office had a “raging debate” over whether Posey would be the No. 1 catcher, adding, “We came to the overall conclusion it would be a tall order to ask him to do that. He just hasn’t played a lot.”
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Sabean offered contracts to Brad Penny (one year) and Juan Uribe (one year with an option) but received no positive feedback. “Talks have really gone nowhere,” the GM said. “I don’t know if we’ll revisit or not. We moved on to other ideas.”

As for Pablo Sandoval, who finished seventh in the MVP voting, the brass sees his 2010 home at third base, not first base. With Freddy Sanchez staying at second, that would seem to rule out any talk a trade for Dan Uggla or a free-agent third baseman such as Adrian Beltre.

It also would mean the Giants are focusing on finding a new first baseman. Nick Johnson, Mark DeRosa and Adam LaRoche are among the free-agent options.
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Free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba has been linked to the Giants, but he’d be ruled out if only because he, like Molina, is pursuing a multiyear deal. The Giants aren’t high on old-timers Ivan Rodriguez, Brad Ausmus and Jason Kendall, all past their prime.

Heading off possible snark: And if the GIANTS think you’re an old-timer….