re: Orlando Cabrera

Last night the Giants basically traded for another Miguel Tejada, only without the expectation of power.

I don't know why Sabean is soooooo enamoured with 80 year-old short stops.

OK, I'm officially over Mark DeRosa now

I'm not a piler on, and I don't blame the guy, but Mark DeRosa is now on the DL.  Again.  According to Andrew Baggarly.

All due respect to the guy that was apparentlysupposed to be the guy despite the fact that he has the career that never was, but I was unenchated with the acquisitoion of DeRo last year.  Then he hits .194 and everyone sez "Oh don't worry, he just had a bad wrist."

Well, before Sabean was a World Champion GM, I was ready to rake himover the coals.  Why are we signing a guy that's over the hill with a gimpy wrist?  Why is the team doctor and training staff not seeing this?  Whether Sabes is getting bum info or ignoring it, it all rolls back up to him -- and let me tell you: this dude is a bust.  A hard core bust.

There are a few guys I'd rather have on the roster over DeRo,

Burriss
Ford
Belt (though I'd like him to stay in Fresno for a bit if he's not going to start)

So, put DeRo on the shelf permanently, give him a asst bench coach job, put him on TV --whatever: just know that his career is over!

This Whole Barry Zito Thing

Z's been threatened with a trade or all-out pay-off and release according to Bruce Jenkins and his source: some guy "close to the team".

Finally, a little bit of drama out of camp.

There's two things going on here:

1. Zito is under performing for any contract, let alone his big one
2. The Giants are uncomfortable paying dozens of millions to a guy that can't even make their post season roster

If there is anyone in the organization that would be disgruntled with Z's performance to the extent that they want him off the team, it'd be the coaching staff: most natoably Rags and Boche.  The coaching staff's job security is tied to player performance and team winning percentage, they have very little to say about the dollars and cents.

Meanwhile, the men in the front office (Sabes and Neukom) would be very unlikely to cut a guy to whom they'll still owe $60 million dollars over the next three years.  After all, good or bad, you don't want to loose a guy into the free agent market and pay him so that he can perform for another team.

Still, this threat smacks of front office motivational techniques.  I'd have a hard time believing that Rags or Boche would leak information like this knowing full well that Z's temperamental and their best back up plan is Jeff Suppan (I mean come on, Jeff Suppan?).  This would be something that the coaching staff would bring up the third week of March, if at all before the season.

Meanwhile, a feigned sigh, shrug, and finger wag might be the only thing Brian Sabean can do to light a fire under Z.  Let's be honest "a source close to the team," whoever that is, is operating as a mouthpiece for Sabes and Neukom.  Nobody in the front office would piss in front of the press without the GM signing and initialing three pieces of paper to OK it.