Pete Putila hired as Giants GM

The Giants made their first major addition of the offseason on Monday, hiring Pete Putila to serve as their new general manager under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.

Putila, 33, spent the last 12 seasons with the Astros, rising from a baseball operations intern to an assistant GM over that span. He will replace Scott Harris, who left the organization last month to become the new president of baseball operations with the Tigers.

Putila was a finalist for the Giants’ GM opening that went to Harris three years ago. When the position opened up for a second time, Zaidi moved quickly to hire Putila, who beat out “several” other candidates who interviewed for the role.

“One of the things that really excited us about Pete is the fact that he has an extensive background in player development,” Zaidi said during a Zoom call with reporters on Monday night. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re limiting the scope to the Minor Leagues. We’ve talked a lot over the last couple of years about how much we value continued player development through and including the Major League level and think players can continue to improve. That’s really been a point of emphasis throughout Pete’s very successful career with the Astros.”

MLB rumors: Giants sign veteran infielder Wilmer Flores to two-year contract extension

The San Francisco Giants have been unable to repeat their 2021 magic in 2022, though they will keep one of their core contributors around in 2023 and 2024. The Giants have agreed to a two-year contract extension with infielder Wilmer Flores, reports the New York Post. There’s a mutual option for a third year. San Francisco has not confirmed the signing.

Flores, 31, is wrapping up his third season with the Giants. He joined the team on a two-year, $6.25 million contract in February 2020, and San Francisco picked up a $3.5 million club option to retain him in 2022. The new contract locks Flores in through 2024 with the mutual option covering 2025. Financial terms of the new extension are unknown.

Once a liability with shaky defense and low on-base percentages, Flores has closed up the holes in his game and is now a steady everyday player who no longer needs to be platooned. He owns a .251/.324/.446 batting line with 48 homers in three seasons with the Giants and has been a better than league average hitter every year since 2016.

Wilmer Flores’ agreement with the #Giants is for 13MM. $6.5MM in both 2023 and 2024, per source. Has mutual option for 2025, per sources, as @Joelsherman1 1st reported.

— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) September 12, 2022

Why San Francisco Giants have gone from 107 wins to sub-.500

Keown: This is what happens when a team built on depth no longer has it. Gabe Kapler is mixing-and-matching and playing the percentages just as he did last year, but the system-wide lack of production—up and down the lineup, in the bullpen—turned last season’s alchemy into this season’s futility.

Olney: In 2021, future Hall of Famer Buster Posey had one of the best seasons of his career—and then retired; at 34, Brandon Crawford had his best offensive showing ever; a 33-year-old Brandon Belt bashed 29 homers and posted an OPS just under 1.000. And all three were very strong defensively. If you didn’t expect a significant regression, well, you weren’t paying attention, and the Giants have taken a big step back, especially on defense.

Gonzalez: The bullpen is certainly among the most prominent reasons. The Giants’ relief corps went from either first or second in the majors in ERA, WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio last year to the bottom third in all three of those categories this year. No man personifies that better than Jake McGee, who went from being a lights-out co-closer in 2021 to released at midseason in 2022. Tyler Rogers, who shared ninth-inning duties with McGee, also took a step back, as did Dominic Leone. It should be noted, however, that the Giants’ bullpen benefited from plenty of batted-ball luck last year and is not doing so this year.

Giants, Padres to play Mexico City Series in 2023

The Padres and Giants will play a two-game series in Mexico City in April, marking Major League Baseball’s first regular-season trip to the Mexican capital.

The National League West rivals will square off at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on April 29 and 30, the league announced Wednesday.

The games will take place at the home of the Diablos Rojos, with a capacity of more than 20,000. Opened in 2019, the ballpark was built by and is named after Padres minority owner Alfredo Harp Helú. The team had previously traveled there for the stadium’s opening with a spring exhibition game against the Diablos Rojos in March 2019.

Giants are selling gear with San Francisco’s most hated nickname

This past weekend, observant journalists quickly reported on a borderline offensive product available for purchase in the San Francisco Giants’ team store. If you’re a Bay Area local, brace yourself:

The Giants are selling t-shirts that say “SAN FRAN” on them. I saw the accursed nickname shirt for myself in a trip to Oracle Park on Monday.

At the team’s dugout store on 3rd St., the shirt isn’t exactly prominently displayed — perhaps a sign that the team has some shame over it — but a shopper that isn’t making an immediate beeline towards a particular hat or something could still find it pretty easily. It sits on the bottom row of its section alongside other Nike shirts, below the immediate sightline, right in front of the “Clubhouse” section of the store which sells autographed memorabilia and custom jerseys.

Mets add Ruf in multi-player swap with Giants

The Mets replaced one right-handed bench bat with another on Tuesday, acquiring veteran Darin Ruf from the Giants for J.D. Davis and prospects, sources tell MLB.com.

Neither club has confirmed the deal.

Ruf, 36, has a long history of mashing left-handed pitching, including an .887 OPS against southpaws this season. He is capable of playing first base and both corner outfield positions, though with the Mets, he’s likely to serve mostly as a DH compliment to newly acquired lefties Daniel Vogelbach and Tyler Naquin.

Davis, 29, filled the Mets’ righty bench bat role for the first four months of the season, but he slashed just .238/.324/.359 in 207 plate appearances.

In addition to Davis, left-handed pitching prospects Thomas Szapucki and Nick Zwack and righty pitching prospect Carson Seymour are also reportedly going to the Giants in the deal, per Joel Sherman. Zwack and Seymour were both 2021 Draft picks for the Mets.

Emotional Will Clark has No. 22 retired by SF Giants: ‘This is my Hall of Fame’

Will Clark seemingly always saved his best for when the lights were brightest. On Saturday at Oracle Park, a fitting 22 years since he hung ’em up and nearly three decades since his last game in orange and black, an emotional Clark was, once again, ready for the moment.

Fifty minutes into a pregame ceremony Saturday, the southern kid turned Bay Area icon punctuated his speech by punching the air with his left fist and declaring, “I am Will ‘The Thrill’ Clark. I am a part of San Francisco. And I am forever a Giant.”

Moments earlier, a black cloth draped over his number in left field dropped to reveal Clark’s No. 22 hanging between Monte Irvin’s No. 20 and Willie Mays’ No. 24, making his the 13th number retired by the franchise — more than any club but the Yankees — and a long time coming.

Clark, who became the face of a generation of Giants baseball in the late ’80s, said he had written the speech within a day or two after receiving the news that his number would one day go up in the rafters (or, more accurately, hanging from the third terrace in left-field foul territory). But he was forced to wait once the ceremony, originally scheduled for 2020, was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had two years to practice it,” Clark laughed afterward, adding his most emotional moment came while addressing Mike Krukow, his former teammate and the current Giants broadcaster, whom he called his “best friend and mentor.”

San Francisco Giants sign Trevor Rosenthal, who hasn’t pitched in majors since 2020

ight-hander Trevor Rosenthal signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.

Rosenthal has a chance to pitch in the majors for the first time since 2020. He will be on the injured list with a hamstring strain initially, and manager Gabe Kapler said he’s several weeks away from helping the team.

Kapler called Rosenthal “one of the more effective closers in the game. The talent hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s an electric arm.”

He has the potential to earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for big league games pitched: $50,000 each for 15 and 18 games; $150,000 for 23 games; $200,000 for 28 games; $250,000 for 33 games; and $300,000 for 38 games pitched. In addition, Rosenthal also could make $1 million in performance bonuses for games finished: $100,000 for 12 games; $150,000 for 15; and $250,000 each for 18, 21 and 24 games.

Texas Rangers trade Willie Calhoun to San Francisco Giants for Steven Duggar

The San Francisco Giants acquired Willie Calhoun on Thursday, sending outfielder Steven Duggar to Texas for the outfielder who was the main return for the Rangers when they traded pitcher Yu Darvish five years ago.

It will be a homecoming for Calhoun, and a move he requested after being sent to the minors on May 1. The 27-year-old was born in the East Bay city of Vallejo and attended Benicia High School.

“We wish Willie the best in his opportunity with San Francisco,’’ Rangers president Jon Daniels said. “It’s a fresh start for him, as well as being close to home.’‘

San Francisco also receives cash in the deal.

Calhoun has spent all five-plus years of his major league career with the Rangers, playing 253 games and hitting .241 overall. He had a .136 average with a homer and two RBIs over 18 big league games this year. Just more than a month after he was optioned to Triple-A, he was designated for assignment and cleared waivers before being assigned outright to Round Rock, where he hit .217 with five homers in 22 games.

Orlando Cabrera To Retire From Baseball

OH NO, EXPO!

Last season, Orlando Cabrera batted .238 with the Indians and Giants, posting a 61 OPS+. The season before that, he posted a 76 OPS+. The season before that, he posted an 85 OPS+. Orlando Cabrera has been declining, and just turned 37 years old. As a free agent, Cabrera didn’t drum up much interest, which I’m guessing is why he’s intending to hang ‘em up. Enrique Rojas:

  “Orlando Cabrera to retire from baseball, he said in Colombia radio station. Thanks for memories!”

Cabrera had a long career that’ll be difficult to forget. He debuted with the Expos in 1997, and remained there until the giant Nomar Garciaparra three-way trade in 2004. That year, with the Red Sox, Cabrera won a World Series. He wound up with the Angels, earning the unfortunate nickname “The Wizard of O.C.”, and then he wound up with the White Sox, and the A’s, and the Twins, and the Reds, and the Indians, and the Giants ... He remained a shortstop to the end, and collected 2,055 hits. He will always be remembered as a pest. An absolute pest.

Giants and Pablo Sandoval agree to a three-year, $17.15 million contract

That can buy 1,715,000 Kung Fu Panda dolls

While the Giants have some work to do in order to keep Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for the long haul, they have at least locked up a key position player through his arbitration seasons.

The Giants just announced that they have agreed to a three-year contract with third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the deal is worth $17.15 million guaranteed and includes some performance-based incentives. He’ll make $3.2 million this season, $5.7 million in 2013 and $8.25 million in 2014.

Sandoval was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter after batting .315/.357/.552 with 23 home runs, 70 RBI and a .909 OPS over 117 games in 2011. The 25-year-old owns a .307/.356/.501 batting line over his first four seasons in the majors. If he can stay in shape and continue to produce similar numbers, he’ll be a tremendous bargain.

Tim Lincecum asks $21.5M in arbitration

That’s still just barely more than what Barry Zito will make.

Giants ace Tim Lincecum asked for $21.5 million in salary arbitration Tuesday and was offered $17 million by the club.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner’s request neared the record amount sought in arbitration. Houston pitcher Roger Clemens asked for $22 million in 2005.

San Francisco’s offer was the highest in arbitration history, topping the $14.25 million the New York Yankees proposed for shortstop Derek Jeter in 2001.

“I’m overall optimistic that we’ll find common ground without a hearing room,” Bobby Evans, Giants vice president of baseball operations, said before seeing Lincecum’s filing numbers. “It’s a process that begins long before today in terms of conversations about possible deals that work for both sides. That process has continued in a mutual fashion. At this point we haven’t reached a conclusion.”

Lincecum, the winning pitcher in the Game 5 World Series clincher at Texas in 2010, earned $13.1 million last season and completed a two-year deal worth $23.2 million.

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

BN: A Proposal To Break The Territorial-Rights Logjam Between The A’s And The Giants

With a doff of the chapeau to Mr. Calcaterra, a modest proposal indeed:

All of the two-team territories but one share the same counties: the Yankees and Mets; the White Sox and Cubs; and the Dodgers and Angels. Only the Giants and A’s split the counties surrounding their home cities. The A’s territory includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties; the Giants’ territory includes San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and Marin counties, “plus Santa Clara County with respect to another major league team.” San Jose is in Santa Clara county.

St. Louisian Don Mueller, former big-league star, dies

Don Mueller...

St. Louis native Don Mueller, who led the majors in hits in 1954 and roamed the outfield with Willie Mays of the New York Giants, died on Wednesday. He was 84.

Mueller, who played at CBC, was signed by the Giants in 1944 and made his big-league debut four years later.

At age 23, he became a starter for the Giants in right field and hit .291 in his first full season.

...A career .296 hitter, Mueller became known as “Mandrake the Magician.” He finished his career with two seasons with the White Sox in 1958 and 59.

Oakland Athletics Will Be Granted Permission To Move To San Jose, According To Report

Rosicrucia

n

l Park!

The Oakland Athletics may not be in Oakland for much longer, if new reports about the prove true: USA Today writer Bob Nightengale reports that sources say the Athletics will be granted permission to move to San Jose by February.

This move has been a possibility simmering on a back burner for some time now; Rob Neyer wrote about the potential of the San Jose A’s in September. But while it has been a possibility for many years, with the A’s looking to improve their accommodations from the outdated O.co Coliseum to a new ballpark and/or get out from under the shadow of the successful San Francisco Giants, this new approval may accelerate a timeline to get the A’s out of the city they have called home since 1968.

Schulman: Giants: The winter of our disconnect

Coherentism rocks! Sabean’s team-building philosophy rolls!

I’m bringing up ancient history because it is very relevant this morning in illustrating Sabean’s team-building philosophy.

Sabean always has believed that it makes little sense to have one or two big players if the supporting cast is weak. He would rather own a room full of toys than one Xbox 360. He was ripped for that philosophy in 1996, ripped for it again after the 2003 season when he didn’t make a move for Vlad Guerrero and is being ripped for it today. But he is not budging.

...Two months later, we know it’s not going to be this way. If the Giants’ heavy lifting is over, Cabrera and Angel Pagan will have been the primary additions for 2012. I must admit I think folks are underestimating Cabrera’s potential impact. The guy did come to bat 706 times for Kansas City last year and hit .305/.340/.470 with 18 home runs from the second spot in the order and playing 81 home games in a pitchers’ park. An outlier year? Kind of hard to say that when the guy is supposed to be 27 years old.

To compete for another division title, the Giants are banking on a healthy Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez, a fitter and more determined Huff in another contract year, Panda being Panda, a few more hits from Brandon Crawford, the potential emergence of Brandon Belt, better defense and athleticism, and the usual strong pitching staff, which largely remained intact.

NYT: Bonds Avoids Prison - Sentenced To 30 Days Home Confinement

Starts with GWB’s attack in the State of the Union, ends with a whimper. Parallels to Iraq at your own risk.

Baseball America’s Top 10 Prospects: San Francisco Giants

Come back Kenny Kolkhorst, wherever you are.

1. Gary Brown, OF
2. Tommy Joseph, 1B/C
3. Heath Hembree, RHP
4. Joe Panik, SS
5. Francisco Peguero, OF
6. Andrew Susac, C
7. Eric Surkamp, LHP
8. Kyle Crick, RHP
9. Ehire Adrianza, SS
10. Hector Sanchez, C

The current strength of San Francisco’s system is in position players, led by speedster Gary Brown and longball threat Tommy Joseph. Brandon Belt, who graduated to the majors in 2011, could make an impact for years to come. Scouting director John Barr added two polished college hitters in the 2011 draft, with St. John’s shortstop Joe Panik in the first round and Oregon State catcher Andrew Susac in the second.

However, the Giants don’t have another can’t-miss position player like Posey in the system. He’s determined to catch again and club officials will relent to his wishes, but they’ve talked about moving their best hitter out of harm’s way in the not too distant future.

Buster Posey’s leg rehabilitation progressing nicely in Georgia | SFGiants.com: News

Giants catcher Buster Posey is continuing his smooth recovery from extensive left leg injuries and appears poised to intensify his training, head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said Friday.

Interpreting Scott Boras’ Comments On Prince Fielder: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

The big concern for anyone signing Prince is that he will age like his father.

There has been some talk of Boras trying to get Fielder signed to a three or four year contract, so that Prince gets another bite at the free agency apple. That strategy, I would think, would work best for teams and Prince’s long-term earnings. Of course, who knows what silly offer could already be on the table? I am just glad the Red Sox already have Adrian Gonzalez.

Episode 60: ZiP It, Thomas

Noticed on Twitter that Szym did a long Giants podcast, so I figured I’d send it to Repoz since Szym didn’t.

NY Times: Prosecutors Seek 15 Months in Barry Bonds Case

In court documents filed late Thursday, prosecutors objected to a recommendation by a federal probation officer that Bonds get only probation when he’s sentenced for obstruction of justice on Dec. 16.

In the documents, prosecutors asked that Bonds be sentenced to 15 months in prison. ...

Federal sentencing guidelines for conviction on the obstruction charge recommend a prison sentence between 15 and 21 months. But Bonds’ lawyers have cited an investigative report prepared by a federal probation officer for the judge that recommended a sentence of probation.

Defense lawyers said in a previous motion they disagreed, however, with the probation report’s recommendation that Bonds spend an unspecified time under “location monitoring,” a form of house arrest.

Giants Acquire Pagan From Mets For Torres, Ramirez

The Giants and Mets have agreed on a deal that will send Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez to New York and Angel Pagan to San Francisco, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The deal is pending physicals, Sherman reports (via Twitter).

Thanks to Magoo.

Billy Beane dives into A’s stadium issue

Billy Beane should have never written this article.

“It’s now impacting our baseball planning,” Beane said, “so I feel a need to get involved with this.”

According to a major-league source, Beane accompanied owner Lew Wolff to meet with Commissioner Bud Selig in Scottsdale, Ariz., two weeks ago. Beane declined to confirm or deny his presence or that the meeting even took place…

Oakland lost money last season for the first time this century, with an expected shortfall of several million dollars, according to Beane. The team is consistently a recipient of $20 million or more in revenue sharing, and Oakland’s attendance actually went up in 2011, but the payroll also went up $15 million, from $52 million to $67 million.

Many fans point to the deep pockets of A’s ownership, which includes the Gap’s John Fisher, as a reason the team should spend more on payroll no matter what the revenue.

“It’s a business,” Beane said. “And the business should be able to stand on its own two feet.”