PHOTO: ROBERT EDWARDS
By Brian Murphy
The Dodgers are spending more money to win than any team in baseball history.
The Giants appear to be dumping salary.
This, sports fans, is what you call “sub-optimal”.
It stinks that all-time Giants icon Buster Posey has to preside over a Giants team whose ownership group is telling him to spend less, not more, on the roster.
I’m not saying this because I have a quote or a transcript from Giants primary investor Greg Johnson. I’m saying this because I’m doing what our parents told us to do since we were kids: Judge people on their actions, not their words.
And while the action of signing Willy Adames to a club-record seven-year, $182 million deal was an exciting way to start the Posey Era in the front office, the ensuing actions are telling us that they’re not all in to do all they can.
Corbin Burnes, considered the type of starting arm the Giants desperately needed to back up Logan Webb and lead the way for the likes of Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong, slipped away to division foe Arizona. Was it because of cost (six years, $210 million — $64 million deferred) or because of opt-outs that would disrupt long-term plans (Burnes can opt out after two years)? Either way, Burnes is not a Giant. History will show if that was a prudent decline by Posey, or if the Giants will lose games to a division rival.
Bottom line — fans were disappointed.
Signing Justin Verlander for one year, $15 million was a fun move and provides some help, but nothing long-term.
Other possible adds did not choose the Giants, or did not receive sufficient financial love from the Giants. The power void at first base — a need until phenom Bryce Eldridge arrives — could have been addressed by Paul Goldschmidt (one year, $12.5 million from the Yankees) or Christian Walker (three years, $60 million with the Astros). Those feel like misses. If you wondered how involved the Giants were, one wonders if they were involved at all when we saw the trade go down this week:
Taylor Rogers and his $12 million salary shipped to Cincinnati, with the Giants eating half of it.
Now, let’s be clear — Taylor Rogers was not the linchpin to the Giants’ hopes and dreams of winning the World Series in 2025. But he is a lefty, and the bullpen only has one other lefty, Erik Miller. So the move depletes the bullpen, and relies on a cheaper arm — former big league southpaw Joey Lucchesi, who signed a non-roster deal for $1.5 million, if he makes the big club.
All to save $6 million from the payroll.
That’s just flat-out dumping salary and going cheaper, sports fans. The Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks are spending more on their 40-man roster, according to Baseball Prospectus.
Greg Johnson and the crew might make $6 million on beer sales alone in the first half of the season. And breaking news for the ownership group: if you put out an effort to sign better players and not give off the perception of dumping salary, more fans might come to the park and buy more beer, and you would make even more money.
I remain hopeful that Buster Posey is the right dude to lead the Giants for the next several years. I just had to be truthful in the Jock Blog. When the Giants are out here in the appearances of a team just trying to get cheaper, it’s not exactly a stimulant for spring training.
We shall see what happens in the coming weeks. Perhaps the Posey Way of taking the extra 90 feet, laying down the proper bunt, throwing the baseball to the correct base on defense and moving a runner by hitting to the right side will all result in the sort of winning ball we all want.
If so, I’ll buy one of those expensive beers and raise it. Until then, the optics are not awesome.
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