the argument that we don’t have any bona fide replacements for Freddy or Jack in the organization right now. What I don’t understand is the people who argue that we are rebuilding, but at the same time are worried about what we are going to put out there to replace them.

Honestly, for the rest of this season, who cares? The more important point that I think Charlie touched on, is that they will probably never have more value than they have today. Make the best deal possible and let’s continue the process. Obviously, we don’t give either of them away, but if we can get what NH & Co. think is a reasonable return, it’s time to pull the trigger.

Look, I don’t know if this is a salary dump or an actual move that NH feels can make the team better, but I do know one thing: If we have a middle infield tandem of Bixler/Cruz in the second half, I seriously don’t know if I can watch this team from here on out. There really would be no point in watching. It would be torture and we’d easily lose 100+ games.

While I’m definitely on board with the full rebuilding mode as opposed to the half-assed rebuilding mode we’ve had the past decade, and I’ve liked/loved the deals they’ve made so far this season, I do have to wonder why NH seems to be in such a hurry to deal these guys. Is it because he genuinely feels he’ll not get any better deals if he waits? I’m not saying there’s anything shady going on it just seems kind of….. odd

Doumit has finally broken out. He went 2-for-4 today for Indy. At Altoona, Pedro went 2-for-3 with no K’s and a walk. Gorkys Hernandez hit his second HR with the Curve.

Oh, does anybody know why the Pirates are keeping Lastings Milledge down in Bradenton this long? DK reported that he was going to be reporting to Triple-A last Sunday.

as to who will play 2nd base for Freddy when he leaves. I don’t care who plays 2nd base till 2011 at the earliest.

By then I would hope we would do one of the following

Move Andy to 2nd (My personal favorite)

Find someone in the farm system who can pose decently at a 2B

Trade for a Major League ready or near ready 2B… but I don’t think we need a 2nd baseman back for Freddy. We have plenty of other pieces to trade to get that 2nd baseman if Andy or whoever doesn’t workout. I say we get the best pieces possible.

stated that tomorrow’s callup is NOT Doumit. Short of a trade…I am now pretty sure that the callup is Luis Cruz. He DNP in the Indy game this afternoon. It’s the only 40 man roster move other than bringing up a pitcher…that makes ANY sense at all…because we know it won’t be Bixler.

I really like gonzalez, but there must be a legitimate reason as to why he is bouncing around like a hot potato. I think S.F. is in the perfect postion to be had, they are close to contention and looking for that one player to bring them into the playoffs. Freddy will never turn out to be that player, but if they think he will we might get some quality playerS in return. I know Neal is not looking for the one GREAT player from a deal like this, but if he can get two or even possibly three players with above major league average potential it would be a good deal. Lets face it Freddy is a great guy/player, but he is inconsistent, a below average fielder (RANGE!) and prone to injury. I like the guy, but just because a guy is likable it does not make the team better (A.K.A. Mr. Wilson)! I do not think anyone on the pirates deserves to be on the all-star team, so you can not really say you are trading an all-star. If anyone should have made the team it would be Mr. Duke who has resurrected his career! Our system is completely depleted and we are very limited at M.I.; we will not win in the immediate future thus we need to suffer short-term consequences for long-term achievement. I would have never believed in this philosophy and never did under incompetent regimes. The biggest issue is that when we do break through and begin to win the pressure must be kept on management (ownership) to retain all these young players. These horrible seasons endured by the fans must be rewarded by ownership when victory is within reach and winning can become a trademark! If non fans should turn on the pirates and look to another “proud franchise”!

especially if we threw in LaRoche. To be honest I don’t think MI is as pressing need as some people make it out to be. We’ve got Friday, Ford, and Negrych who maybe be able to fill in soon or Bixler as someone stated earlier (I think, it may have been in another post)

Honestly, I still think we try and make LaRoche move to 2nd. If he stays at 3rd and even if he moves into 15 HR territory, his bat is average at best at 3rd. Even if he plays below average defense at 2nd, if hes hitting .290 + with good pop I’d take it. I also think this is imperative because I personally want to keep Alvarez at 3rd, where his bat will play very well. Fill in those two pieces with a premium bat at 1b (I address this possibility in a second) and a superb fielder at SS (Jack for now, and maybe D’Arnaud can do that in a few years) and our potential outfield (Milledge, Tabata, and McCutchen). Mix all that in with Sanchez at catcher and even if he isn’t that great offensively, I think you have a decent defensive team with a solid offensive potential.

I’m still new to this whole, following the behind the scenes, minor leagues, prospects, projections, trades etc. thing so I really have no clue how on target or off base I am.. BUT

I’d be all for trying to trade Freddy, Adam, and (gasp) Gorkys Hernandez for a package like

Madison Bumgarner
Angel Villalona
Tim Alderson (or more likely, if we get the two above, someone like Henry Sosa or Kevin Puctas or some other interesting arm)

I throw in Hernandez because
1. I don’t think hes all that great of a prospect. I think hes a tad overrated
2. Which is good if we are trying to trade him
3. The Giants, from my digging have one decent young outfielder, who is already in SF. Other than that they are T-H-I-N.

What they are not thin in are pitching prospects and arms. With Lincecum and Cain not necessarily getting any younger and being a few years from getting hope from guys like Bumgarner
Villalona
Alderson
The Giants should be playing for now and trading away their young guys. Also, Hernandez is closer to the majors than any of the guys we get back.

That gives us a young core of pitching prospects that will hopefully hit the majors around the time guys like Tabata, Sanchez, and D’Arnaud. Milledge and McCutchen should be peaking.

Can you imagine a 2012(13?) opening day roster with something along the lines of

1st – McCutchen CF
2nd – Milledge LF
3rd – Tabata RF
4th – Alvarez 3B
5th – Villalona 1B
6th – Andy LaRoche 2B
7th – Sanchez C
8th – D’Arnaud – SS

Rotation
1st – Bumgardner
2nd – Locke
3rd – Duke (I like Duke, I say we keep him around, haha)
4th – Lincoln
5th – Morris

Ah, my crazy dreams!

We may not be able to get Bumgarner, but the Giants are desperate. I think they would be willing to give up one of their top prospects for both Freddy and Adam. They need to win, now.

if we are to trade away our lone all-star then we better get something that we need. we now have way too much depth at the outfield and catcher positions. aside from alvarez we have nothing promising in the infield and we still need more pitching. as someone said in an earlier post ‘you can never have too much pitching.’ if sanchez and laroche go, which i think they should, then huntington needs to address some of our real needs, im all in favor of taking the best available player in a trade, which was the case in the morgan deal, that mite be one of the best trades the pirates have made this decade, but we really need to address our issuses or else 2011-2012-2013, our so called promise land year, will look just like the last 17 years, a few good players with no team around them just waiting to be traded to a contender. I’ll be very disappointed if we dont address our real needs when it comes time to trade away our better players.

will in NO WAY be moved for anyone, let alone Freddy Sanchez. Villalona is asking alot as well for a 31 year old with a probable 8 million dollar option next year.

Look, Sanchez definitely helps the Giants out, more so I think than the Rockies, and the fact that they play in the same division could help out his trade value with this “auction” idea. However, to think that the Giants, with a top ten farm system (BA #5) will part with any of their top 5 prospects for Freddy, that’s insane. Maybe if we include LaRoche and eat alot of salary between the two we can get more of a full package you’re looking for. McLouth couldn’t haul Schafer, Yunel, Hanson or Heyward, do you really think Sanchez will attract similar guys?