Giants decline Huff's 2013 option

The Giants have declined first baseman Aubrey Huff's 2013 option that was worth $10 million. Huff will now earn a $2 million buyout and become a free agent.

Huff spent most of the 2012 season on the disabled list with a variety of injuries. He hit just .192 with 1 home run in 95 plate appearances for San Francisco.

Analysis: Huff is not worth $1 million, let alone $10 million. The guy is too injury prone and I wouldn't want him on my team. He has lost his mobility, so forget about sticking him in the outfield. He can barely handle first base, and since he is struggling with the bat, I don't even know if he'll get a job as a DH.

Giants win the 2012 World Series

Last night, the Giants defeated the Tigers 4-3 in Game 4 of the World Series, meaning that they officially won the championship. The game went into extra innings, but the Giants managed to complete the sweep to win their seventh World Series title in franchise history.

In the top of the 10th inning, Marco Scutaro singled home Ryan Theriot to take the lead. Sergio Romo went on to strike out Miguel Cabrera looking to finish the game, and ultimately, the season.

Analysis: The Giants had an excellent season, and I honestly thought they didn't have a chance to even make the playoffs. Think of it this way, the overcame SO MANY obstacles throughout the 2012 season. First off, they lost All-Star closer Brian Wilson due to Tommy John surgery, then they lost Kung Fu Panda for quite a bit of time. Then Melky Cabrera got suspended for using PED's and many of us, including myself, thought that San Francisco didn't even have enough offense to win the wild-card. GM Brian Sabean went out and acquired Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro, who went on to be huge additions for the club. Also, it is worth mentioning that Tim Lincecum had a horrible year, and the rotation nevertheless managed to stay afloat. Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong stepped up in the post-season, and Matt Cain, is well, Matt Cain. Anyway it is worth mentioning about the Tigers also. They also had a great season and I believed that they weren't going to make the playoffs. However, they really put on their A game in the second half and made a playoff push that I believe Tigers fans can be proud of.

Posey, Rodney win Comeback POY awards

Today the MLB announced the winners of the Comeback Player of the Year awards. The NL winner is Buster Posey of the Giants, and the AL winner is Fernando Rodney of the Rays. 

Fernando Rodney

Rodney had 48 saves in 50 chances in 2012, and also had a record-setting 0.60 ERA. He also had a 0.78 WHIP with 76 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings. 

Analysis: Rodney definitely deserved this award, but I hope that he didn't unanimously win. There were a few candidates whom I thought deserved to win, such as Adam Dunn, Jake Peavy, or Joe Mauer, but they weren't mentioned. Anyway, Rodney had a great year, and it is funny that basically no one mentioned that he had the lowest ERA (relief pitchers only) in baseball history, which is quite a feat. Now I don't know if steroids helped him, or if he magically found someone in his delivery that made him a better pitcher. Either way, he was a horrible pitcher last year, and in 2012 he just comes out to have an amazing season. It sounds a little suspicious, am I right?

Buster Posey

Posey hit .336 with 24 homers and 103 RBI in 148 games with San Francisco in 2012. He missed most of the 2011 season due to a broken leg that he suffered during a home plate collision with Scott Cousins, who was on the Marlins at the time. Posey is also being considered as the front-runner for the NL MVP.

Analysis: I honestly expected Posey to come back and have a respectable season, but he had a fantastic season. I didn't realize his batting average was so high, and he is really emerging as a leader for the Giants. I really hope that they don't switch him to first base, because he is a natural catcher and that kind of collision can happen to anyone. However, I'm a big fan of Hector Sanchez (backup catcher), so if they do move Posey to first base, at least they have a good replacement. Anyway, Posey is obviously well deserving of this award, and hopefully he continues to have this success for years to come. 

Christian outrighted to Triple-A

The Giants announced that outfielder Justin Christian has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A.

Christian hit .125 in 61 plate appearances with the Giants this season.

Analysis: Christian is really just middle infield depth and you can pretty much find that anyone. Factor in that the guy couldn't hit at all in 2012 and you have yourself a player who doesn't appeal to anyone.

Loux outrighted to Triple-A

The Giants have announced that relief pitcher Shane Loux has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A.

Loux posted a 4.97 ERA in 25 1/3 relief innings with San Francisco this season.

Analysis: Loux's stats are really ugly so this isn't surprising. He is bullpen depth, at best.

Edlefsen clears waivers, outrighted to Triple-A

The Giants have announced that pitcher Steve Edlefsen has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A.

San Francsico designated Edlefsen for assignment last week after he made 27 relief appearances with the club this year.

Analysis: This isn't a suprirse. Edlefsen hasn't been able to figure himself out and no one wants to take a flier on him.

Eric Hacker elects free agency

Pitcher Eric Hacker has rejected his outright assignment and will pursue opportunities in Japan or Korea. The Giants designated him for assignment a few days ago, and outrighted him to Triple-A yesterday.

Hacker has spent most of the 2012 season in Triple-A, where he has posted a 4.01 ERA in 25 starts.

Analysis: I suppose this is a good move for Hacker. There was virtually no way that he was going to get playing time with the Giants. Their rotation is one of the best, therefore making it pretty much impossible for him to win a rotation spot.

Hacker outrighted to Triple-A

The Giants have announced that pitcher Eric Hacker has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A.

San Francisco designated Hacker for assignment earlier in the week. He has spent most of the 2012 season in Triple-A, where he has posted a 4.01 ERA in 150 1/3 innings as a starter.

Analysis: Hacker is pretty much someone you would want to have on your team as pitching depth. He is 29 years old and will probably be a #5 starter at best in the future. This isn't a big surprise that he cleared waivers.

Giants designate Edlefsen for assignment

The Giants have designated pitcher Steve Edlefsen for assignment to create space for pitcher Yusmeiro Petit.

Edlefsen has appeared in 27 games with San Francisco this season, posting a 6.75 ERA in 26 2/3 innings. He has thrown 38 relief innings down in Triple-A as well, posting a 3.79 ERA.

Analysis: From what I hear, Edlefsen has a nice arsenal of pitches but hasn't really been able to figure out his best pitch. Supposedly his 2-seam fastball is solid, but may need some minor adjustments. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if Edlefsen gets claimed because he is still young (27) and put up decent numbers in the minor leagues. However, he is probably a setup man at best at the MLB level.

Correa outrighted to Triple-A

The Giants have announced that pitcher Hector Correa has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A.

San Francisco designated Correa for assignment four days ago after he posted a 7.50 ERA in 8 games down in their Single-A affiliate.

Analysis: Not surprising. Correa has a good arm but the stats don't lie. He'll need to lower that ERA before a team considers him.

Giants designate Hacker for assignment

The Giants have designated pitcher Eric Hacker for assignment. Hacker had a brief stint with San Francisco this year, tossing nine innings of work, including a six-inning start in April.

Hacker has spent most of the season in Triple-A, putting up a 4.01 ERA in 25 starts.

Analysis: Eh. Hacker isn't really anything special. Just more pitching depth. The Giants clearly have enough pitching, thus making Hacker expendable.

Giants designate Correa for assignment

The Giants have designated pitcher Hector Correa for assignment. The move clears a 40 man roster spot as the rosters expand today.

Correa has posted a 7.50 ERA in 18 Triple-A innings this year. He has also had some injury issues.

Analysis: Correa has a nice strikeout ratio, but he'll probably clear waivers because he isn't that durable.

Giants interested in Steve Pearce

The Giants are interested in Astros outfielder Steve Pearce. Ever since the Melky Cabrera suspension, San Francisco has been searching for an outfielder who handles left handed pitching as well as Pearce, who has a career .275 batting average against them.

The Astros claimed Pearce off of waivers from the Orioles last month. If Pearce is traded, that would mean that he was with five different clubs in 2012. This season, he has played with the Twins, Yankees, Orioles and Astros.

Analysis: I doubt that the Astros care if Pearce is on the team or not, so I'd just let San Francisco have him for cash considerations or a PTBNL. Nothing special.

Melky Cabrera suspended 50 games

MLB has suspended outfielder Melky Cabrera for 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. MLB has confirmed that the substance was testosterone and the suspension will take effect immediately, costing him the rest of this season and the beginning of the next.

"My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used," Cabrera said. "I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down."

Cabrera has had a breakout season in 2012, and was on track to get a big payday in the fall when he becomes eligible for free agency. Both Melky and the Giants have recently put contract extension talks on hold after discussing for quite a long time. Cabrera has hit .346 with 11 homers in 501 plate appearances this season for the Giants, and made his first All-Star team as well.

Analysis: Wow! Many of us believed that Melky found his swing this season sort of like how Jose Bautista did a few years ago. This is huge for the Giants, and I feel bad for them. Melky has been a fan favorite this season, and his production will definitely be missed. Now it looks like San Francisco will have to try and find production at other parts of the field, because this is a crushing blow that may even end their season.

Should the Giants try to trade Zito this month?

I recently read an article on bleacherreport.com  that talked about whether the Giants would consider trading Barry Zito and the rest of his massive contract to a different team sometime this month. At first I agreed with the article, thinking that moving his contract would free up a lot of payroll. Then I thought, Zito has actually had a pretty decent season this year, and why would the Giants get rid of him? We all know that the Giants have one of the best rotations in baseball, but what if one of their pitchers gets hurt and they need  a replacement. Now I realize that Zito wasn't really brought into San Francisco just to provide rotation depth, but at this point, that's all you can really use him for.

Zito is owed $19 million for this season, and $20 million for 2013. After 2013, he will be eligible for free agency, if San Francisco chooses to buyout his contract for $7 million. I'm sure that Zito would interest a lot of teams if put on waivers, such as the Orioles, Yankees, Rangers or Cardinals. I doubt that a team would want to take his ginormous deal and stash it in their payroll.

The reality is, the Giants are actually better off with Zito on their team. Now if I said that a few years ago, I'm sure that the entire city of San Francisco would be calling me crazy. Like I said earlier, Zito is pitching exceptionally well, and he is currently serving as the team's number 5 starter. If the Giants were to replace Zito, there really wouldn't be any solid replacement with postseason experience. Eric Surkamp could have been a candidate, but he had Tommy John surgery in July. They also have Brad Penny, who has been working out of the bullpen this season. We don't know if he is ready for a starter's workload and if he is going to even stay healthy.

In my opinion, I think the Giants should keep Zito. Trading him wouldn't be smart considering that San Francisco is in a tight race with Los Angeles for the division. Despite Zito's contract, I feel like he can still be an asset for San Francisco.

Giants claim Jose Mijares

The Giants have have claimed left handed relief pitcher Jose Mijares off of waivers from the Royals. Mijares will give Manager Bruce Bochy a third left handed relief option to go along with Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez.

Mijares has a 2.56 ERA in 38 2/3 innings for Kansas City this year. He will earn $925K this year, and is going to be arbitration eligible this fall. He will remain under team control through 2014.

Analysis: Nice move by San Francisco here. Mijares has had a really good comeback season and I'm surprised that the Royals let him go. He is still 27, so he could have been part of Kansas City's future plans. Also, I'm surprised that the Royals didn't get anything for him. They definitely could have gotten a decent prospect or two out of him.

Giants sign Xavier Nady

The Giants have signed veteran outfielder Xavier Nady to a minor league contract. Nady took batting practice with San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate this afternoon, and is likely going to be activated tomorrow.

The Nationals designated Nady for assignment in late July before releasing him on Sunday. He has been sidelined since mid-June due to a wrist injury, and has hit .157 with three homers in 109 plate appearances so far.

Burriss outrighted to Triple-A

The Giants announced that infielder Emmanuel Burriss has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A. The Giants designated Burriss for assignment four days ago.

Burriss has hit .214 in 144 plate appearances for San Francisco this year.

Huff hits the 15 day DL, again

The Giants have placed first baseman Aubrey Huff on the 15 day disabled list with an apparent knee injury. He just recently returned from his last stint on the disabled list, and he re injured his knee last night while running to first base. The Giants recalled first baseman Brett Pill in a corresponding move.

Huff has played just 34 games for San Francisco this year, and this will be his third stint on the disabled this season.

Giants acquire Hunter Pence

The Giants have acquired outfielder Hunter Pence from the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league relief pitcher Seth Rosin, and minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph.

Pence has hit .271 in 440 plate appearances this year. He is under team control through 2013, and he will give the Giants' weak lineup a boost. GM Brian Sabean acquired one of the best bats available on the trade market last year in Carlos Beltran, but Beltran was just a rental player. Pence is more than a rental player because he is locked up for next season as well.

Pence joined the Phillies a year ago in a trade with the Astros. Considering that the Phillies are in last place in the NL East, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has decided to clean the house in Philadelphia.

Schierholtz has hit .257 in 196 plate appearances this year but is vastly known for his great throwing arm. He will earn $1.3 million this year, and is under team control through the 2014 season.

Rosin, 23, has a 4.31 ERA with 10.9 K/9 in 56 1/3 innings for Single-A this year. He has a fourth round pick in the 2010 draft by the Giants, and has struck out three times as many batters as he has walked in the minor leagues.

Joseph has hit .260 in 335 Double-A plate appearances this year. Last season, he hit 22 homers with 95 RBI in 560 plate appearances at the Single-A level.

Analysis: I think the Giants did very well in this deal. Pence is an excellent player, and he will really help the Giants. I'm not surprised that the Phillies traded Pence, because they seem to be set to rebuild their franchise. The Phillies, in my opinion, did not get that much for Pence. Schierholtz is a good bench player, but I doubt he has a future in Philadelphia. Rosin looks like a good pitcher, if he could get his ERA down. His strikeout rate is impressive, and it will be interesting to see how he develops. Joseph, from what I have heard, is a really good prospect. His minor league stats show that he has some power and may even be the Phillies' catcher of the future once Carlos Ruiz leaves.