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It never ceases to amaze me how Brian Sabean manages to find the least creative possible solution to every problem. As we've discussed already (Durham, Roberts, Molina), that isn't always a bad thing... but the combination of that philosophy with a non-Yankee-level payroll pretty much guarantees mediocrity.It never ceases to amaze me how Brian Sabean manages to find the least creative possible solution to every problem. As we've discussed already (Durham, Roberts, Molina), that isn't always a bad thing... but the combination of that philosophy with a non-Yankee-level payroll pretty much guarantees mediocrity.
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No, it isn't always a bad thing.
Old example: 1996. Sabean was a fairly recent arrival as GM. I lived in SF. He traded Matt Williams. Outrage filled the Bay Area papers and talk radio stations! He traded a guy who might have slipped a little bit due to injuries, but this was Matt Williams! He would've hit 60 just a couple years earlier if it hadn't been for that strike. And he was still young enough to rebound. I guess Sabean was throwing in the towel for the next half decade.
He got Jeff Kent and Julian Tavares, Barry got Balco, and the next decade brought Giants fans a pretty damn good run.
Counterexample: who held onto Larry Walker until he was worth Chris Narveson and a bag of cash? Who's held onto Todd Helton until he isn't worth Howie Kendrick + Willy Aybar even though a bag of cash would be going with him to Anaheim?
Recent example: the Rockies passed over Tim Lincecum in last year's draft in favor of Greg Reynolds. From what I saw/read, I thought Lincecum was clearly the better pitcher. Sabean may sometimes "underthink" the situation, but O'Dowd is guilty of the opposite: sure, Lincecum has better stuff and performed better in college (particularly his last year) and showed tremendous durability, even coming out of the pen on 2 days rest after a start. The obvious conclusions would be: he's a better pitcher, more likely to succeed in the big leagues, and sooner to wit.
The "see zebras where others see horses" guys like O'Dowd say: where you see durability, I see overuse. Where you see better stuff and better results, I see a short guy lacking in "projectability." "I'm going with the guy who's really tall and may learn to become a ground ball pitcher."
I expect to see Lincecum starting for the Giants by the All Star Break. Reynolds? Expect a September call-up when the Rockies are mathematically eliminated.
Zito
Cain
Morris
Lincecum
Lowry
That's looking pretty decent to me ...
... in fact, I'll go out on a limb and say the Giants will be the surprise team of '07. No, that doesn't mean I think they'll win anything. But we're starting with a team that most project to win in the low-70s, and I think they'll manage to stick right around .500 ... and if Barry can play 120 games, the playoffs are certainly not that long a shot.
The point: I'm not a big Sabean fan. Some of his moves are inexplicable and awful. (Steve Finley, some of the trades of young talent for washed-up vets, etc.) But the Giants have consistently contended since he's been there, and they've done it with MLB-average level payrolls.
Dan O'Dowd has never competed, not with a higher than MLB average payroll (2001-2) and not with a bottom quintile payroll (ever since).
Feel free to trash Sabean ... I just demand equal trashing time for O'Dowd.