Giants - Signed Klesko

San Francisco Giants - Signed LF Ryan Klesko to a 1-year contract.

Hey, the Giants did something I like!  Klesko was a horribly underrated player in his prime and honestly, probably a horribly underrated player out of it.  I would guess most non-statheads would think you’re a liar if you say that Garret Anderson has had exactly 1 year in his entire career in which he was a better offensive player than Ryan Klesko is in an average season.  Unfortunately, it’s not likely that this will change and Klesko will end up being one of those players whose accolades don’t match their achievements, like Sid Gordon.

Having a major injury during your walk year isn’t usually good timing and after shoulder surgery, Klesko’s not a good bet to hit with much power - he was already losing power before he started having the problems.  The Giants have little minor league depth and refuse to use any of the minor league depth they actually have and Klesko’s no older than most of the lineup, so why not take a chance?

2007 ZiPS Projection - Ryan Klesko
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              AB   R    H  2B 3B  HR RBI  BB  SO  SB    BA   OBP   SLG  
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Projection   299  43   78  19  1   8  42  49  47   1  .261  .367  .411
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Opt. (15%)   382  66  108  28  2  15  70  70  71   3  .283  .393  .484

Pes. (15%)   199  23   46  10  0   3  19  29  36   0  .231  .332  .327
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