Randy Johnson is the newest San Francisco Giant. This move doesn’t overly interest me, because he just needed a home to get his 300th win and retire (obvious, since it is a one-year contract). However, this makes the Giants more interesting. Their rotation is now this:

Tim Lincecum: Reigning Cy Young winner

Matt Cain: Great potential, age 24 and has 3 full seasons under his belt. Career 3.74 ERA.

Randy Johnson: We all know his credentials. Sometimes dominant, sometimes not so in ’08.

Barry Zito: Here’s a big if. I don’t even know what will happen with this dude.

Noah Lowry: Missed all of last year, but had a 14-8 ’07 and a 3.78 ERA in ’05. He’s still 28, though.

or

Jonathan Sanchez: 26-year old had his first year starting last year: He went 9-12 with a 5.01 ERA.

Here are your if’s: If Johnson has his good days more often than his bad, if Zito bounces back in any fashion, if Lowry recovers well, or if Sanchez actually does well, the Giants could actually have a good rotation for once. However, competing would rely on having a lineup that can produce anything. Honestly, I have no idea what the hell the Giants are trying to do. They could be trying to just sell tickets, but they could sell a lot more in the future if they build for it. If they decide to stick with this lineup this year, they best make some changes for ’10:

C Bengie Molina: 34 years old

1B Travis Ishikawa: 25 years old

 

2B Emmanuel Burriss: 23 years old

3B Pablo Sandoval: 22 years old

SS Edgar Renteria: 33 years old

RF Randy Winn: 34 years old

CF Aaron Rowand: 31 years old

LF Fred Lewis: 28 years old

This also includes backup outfielder Dave Roberts, 36, reliever Bob Howry, 35, reliever Jack Taschner, 30, and reliever Keiichi Yabu, 40. Oh yeah, and just so you know, Zito is 30 and Johnson is 45. That’s a pretty old team, with the necessary injection of young, totally untested rookies and journeymen. Honestly, with a team like this, I can’t help but be an armchair GM (I am with any team, but especially bad ones like this). Giants, this is what you need to do in the 2009 offseason if you can’t save yourselves now:

Trade Randy Winn to the Cubs for 1B Micah Hoffpauir and OF Joey Gathright

He would play center field: Reed Johnson is on the downside of his unremarkable career, and Felix Pie has had enough chances. Winn should be young enough for the Cubs to be happy to get him, and the Giants should get something in exchange for him before his contract expires. Hoffpauir is 28, but he is a better player than Ishikawa, and is young enough that he would ensure first base for several years. The Giants are also a very slow team, and Gathright, the man with one career home run, is 27 and will inject some youth and LOTS of speed into the lineup.

Trade Aaron Rowand, Merkin Valdez, and Noah Lowry to the Braves for CF Josh Anderson, RP Rafael Soriano, and RHP Tommy Hanson

 The Braves seem to be in win-now mode (as displayed by the Javier Vazquez trade), so they need a more experienced centerfielder than Anderson. The hard-nosed Rowand, at 31, is young enough to give them some good years, enough to convince them. The one-dimensional  Valdez, a fireballer, would be the clincher, someone who would help fill the gap left by two-pitch setup man Soriano, facing right-handed hitters. The young Hanson is one of the top prospects in the Braves system, and if this trade doesn’t cut it for Atlanta to give him up, I would throw in reliever Bob Howry or some other reliever. Lowry would help the Braves with their current mentality. This trade would help the Braves now and the Giants in the long-term.

Sign Matt Holliday.

They need a left fielder (Fred Lewis could compete with Nate Schierholtz for right field once Winn’s gone), and Holliday would give them a legit power threat in the lineup and several excellent, MVP-type years if he stays on pace.

 

Let Randy Johnson and Dave Roberts go for draft picks–if they don’t retire.

Pretty much self-explanatory. Probably draft a pitcher and a third baseman.

Re-sign Bengie Molina for two years–as long as you acquire a young catcher prospect to go along with it.

The Giants pitchers are comfortable with Molina, and he’s still got some left in the tank, as shown by his .292-16-95 season. However, a young prospect backup catcher is necessary for a two-year deal to have some insurance.

Trade Nate Schierholtz or Fred Lewis–whoever doesn’t win the right-field job to the Yankees for C Francisco Cervelli.

 All of the Yankees’ outfielders are either aging or underperforming, and they would probably prefer Lewis for his speed and good average. The Giants, as I said above, need a young backup catcher who Molina can mentor.

KEEP MADISON BUMGARNER.

He is an excellent young player, and is vital to the Giants’ future.He could also give them a great rotation in Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, Hanson, and Barry Zito as a weak spot.

Trade Brian Wilson and Kevin Frandsen to the White Sox for RP Bobby Jenks.

Jenks is on the trading block constantly. Wilson had a fluky 41-save season with a 4.62 ERA. Frandsen, author of a promising 2007 before missing all of ’08, may be hard to part with, but it will be worth it in the end. Jenks had a 30 save season with a 2.63 ERA, and he’s still 27.

Let Edgar Renteria go for draft picks when his contract expires.

His contract will expire in ’10, and that would be a good chance to have a higher draft pick for your biggest need: a third baseman.

Sign Chone Figgins to fill the third base void until you develop a better option.

Figgins gives you an excellent leadoff option, unbeatable versatility, and good fielding.

Sign one or two of these guys (Fernando Rodney, Salomon Torres, Billy Wagner, Kevin Gregg) for bullpen help.

Only sign Wagner or Torres if you begin competing earlier than expected, as they are aged to the point they don’t have several good years, like Rodney and Gregg, ahead of them. While these guys are not hugely talented, they could be valuble setup men to Jenks and help take steps toward a credible bullpen.

Hire or bribe the greatest pitching trainers and physicists in all the land to find out what the hell is wrong with Barry Zito.

 The guy was a great pitcher. He never put up huge win totals (except in ’01 and ’02), but he was almost always reliable for a quality start. He had an amazing curveball. Then–what happened? His velocity was never high, but it dropped to 82-83 on the fastball, and the effectiveness on his curveball dropped precipitously. There must be something he’s doing wrong that can be fixed.

This is a massive overhaul, but I am almost sure it will catapult you guys into contention by 2011. Here’s what the new roster would look like going into 2010.

STARTING POSITION PLAYERS

C        Bengie Molina   (36 years old)

1B    Micah Hoffpauir   (30 years old)

2B Emmanuel Burriss  (25 years old) 

3B       Chone Figgins  (32 years old)

SS      Edgar Renteria  (35 years old)

RF    Nate Schierholtz  (26 years old)

CF       Josh Anderson  (28 years old)

LF          Matt Holliday  (30 years old)

BENCH

C     Francisco Cervelli  (24 years old)

1B       Travis Ishikawa  (27 years old)

2B        Eugenio Velez  (28 years old)

CF        Joey Gathright  (29 years old)

ROTATION

#1 Starter

Tim Lincecum                (26 years old)

#2 Starter

Matt Cain                      (26 years old)

#3 Starter

Barry Zito                      (32 years old)

#4 Starter

Tommy Hanson             (24 years old)

#5 Starter

Madison Bumgarner       (21 years old)

BULLPEN

Closer

Bobby Jenks                 (29 years old)

Setup Corps

Rafael Soriano               (31 years old)

Fernando Rodney           (33 years old)

Salamon Torres              (38 years old)

That’s actually a pretty good team. I know you guys won’t be doing all of these, but do consider them and try to pull off some, if not most, of them.

The reason I haven’t posted a lot lately is because I’ve only had brief periods of time to be on my computer, so this post took me four days. I think I’ll be back to a regular schedule now, though.

Thank you (William H. Neukom, Brian Sabean, scouts, Bruce Bochy, the rest of the Giants organization, and readers) and goodnight.