By Brian Murphy
What to do if the pilot light in your Giants Hot Stove League goes out?
That’s where we are, Giants fans. Two weeks out from Christmas, and the only presents under the tree are lefty bullpen arm Sam Hentges and backup catcher Daniel Susac, acquired via the Rule 5 draft this week.
Not that we don’t like Susac, the pride of Roseville, CA. Seems like Susac is a very nice player. The younger brother of Forever Giant Andrew Susac is a 2022 first-round draft pick of the team formerly known as the Oakland A’s and hit .280 in over 1200 minor league at-bats. He sported a nifty .785 OPS, which students of Pat Bailey’s offensive numbers will note portend more production in the batter’s box than our resident Gold Glover.
But if we’re being honest, only two presents under the tree is a lonely look.
And if we’re being more honest, Hentges and Susac are the kind of presents you give early on Christmas morning, to warm up the room a little. You know, the socks and paperback books that set the stage for the big boys: the new iPhones, AirPods and e-bikes that bring down the house Christmas morning.
So let this Jock Blog be both a lament for the lack of action thus far and a public plea for patience — mostly a plea for myself to show more patience, actually. The Jock Blog can be personal therapy, too.
In Buster Posey’s 14 months on the job, the man has shown gumption. Willy Adames. Trade deadline moves: Doval, Yaz, Tyler Rogers. Firing Bob Melvin. Hiring Tony Vitello. And of course, landing his Moby Dick — an actual slugger for Oracle Park named Rafael Devers.
So it is my assumption that Posey is going to swing big before the Giants go to Scottsdale in February. It’s his nature.
He may sign a top-line starting pitcher, like Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez. He may trade an established Giant like Heliot Ramos, or even Pat Bailey?
And of course he may light up sports talk radio like the aforementioned Christmas tree and trade Bryce Eldridge, the kind of move that would cause KNBR, The Sports Leader to call in re-enforcements to handle the calls — both outraged and excited, pending Posey’s haul.
Funny that the baseball gods put Jeff Kent into the Hall of Fame this week, as it was a controversial trade that brought Kent to San Francisco. When new general manager Brian Sabean traded homegrown and beloved third baseman Matt Williams to the Cleveland Indians for Jose Vizcaino, Julian Tavarez and this no-name second baseman called Kent, the meltdown in the Bay was legendary. Sabean had to call a press conference and make his famous declaration: “I am not an idiot.”
As all-time lines in Giants history go, it’s up there.
Would a trade of Eldridge be akin to trading Matt Williams, in terms of outrage?
I wouldn’t rule out Posey making that kind of move.
Larger point is, he hasn’t made those moves — yet. Hence, the pilot light being out on our Hot Stove League.
The fact that the Dodgers landed Edwin Diaz, the best closer on the market, only adds to the pre-Christmas stress. But voices like Randy Winn, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow all told us this week that you can’t live in a world worrying about the Dodgers. The Giants just have to do their thing, they told us.
Which is fine — except when the Giants haven’t done anything. With apologies to our friends Hentges and Susac.
The Jock Blog leaves you with the question: Are you willing to be patient and trust Posey takes another big swing? Or are you already writing off this holiday season as a big lump of coal?
Enjoy the egg nog, sports fans.
