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An open letter to Brian Sabean as he heads to the Winter Meetings

Dear Mr. Sabean,

 

I wanted to address you post haste. As you’re well aware, Monday is the start of this year’s Winter Meetings in fabulous Las Vegas. I’m pretty sure you’re going, right?  Well, I also presume that you know you’ll be joined in Sin City by players vying for that new big deal, agents hoping to ride their coattails to one for themselves, and GM’s looking to re-brand their image at no matter the cost. It will be a downright boondoggle of big league deal making.

 

So, Mr. Sabean, please pay heed. These deals that you may make are for real; they’re going to count, no lemon laws, no cooling off period. The veterans you sign, the prospects you trade away, and the players you get back in return are all a part of non-refundable transactions (pending physicals). Bear in mind this isn’t some bachelor party where you can gamble away your allowance playing Pai Gow, get a few inebriated lap dances from “Amber” (who’s just working her way through UNLV), wake up the next morning on Dick Tidrow’s hotel room floor and pray that he was even more hammered than you last night so that you can tell your wife you were the responsible one once you’re back home. The whole “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” thing is just a slogan.

 

Okay, I’m glad I got that off my chest and I hope that we understand each other. I also want you to realize why I’m so concerned. The past five years haven’t been your best; you’d admit that, right? I know we (fans) can be hard on you, but it’s only out of love and a belief that the ’97-’02 GM is still inside there somewhere. It just seems that lady luck hasn’t been on your side ever since the Jason Schmidt trade. Sure, you were named baseball’s executive of the year after the ’03 season, but many of the moves that were touted at the time have become black marks on your record. 

 

You have also bet wrong a few too many times when dealing away prospects for what you assumed were good veteran additions. Truth be told, outside of drafting Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, based on what we know to this point, not much at all has gone well. 

 

Do you realize how many guys careers literally died after you brought them in? I do, and it’s a shocking figure. Now I won’t blame you for Robb Nen, or Mike Matheney, the Barry Bonds saga, or even Omar Vizquel. I’m also going to let slide the Manny Aybar types; the guys you just took a flyer on, you know, the low risk high reward player. Nevertheless my count (and I may have missed some) shows that since moving into the new digs at King and Third, 16 players played their last major league game with your Giants.

Mark Gardener: a good Giant who you couldn't say goodbye to.
Shawon Dunston: clutch in game 6, but would any other team have employed him?

Dave Burba: you traded for “Burbs” in September of a year you won 90 and placed.

Eric Davis: classic formula: add veterans to Bonds, said veterans way over the hill.

Tim Worrell: back to the well; free agent in December of ’05 pitched six games in ’06.

Ryan Klesko: most teams just thought he was done, you let him prove it.

Steve Kline: signed for two years in ’07, released during spring training in ’08.

Kirk Reuter: designated for assignment while pulling down $6.9 million in ’05.

Todd Greene: signed in ’06, out of baseball in ’07.

Jeff Fassero: the 43 year old pitched 44 games in ’05, but only 10 in ’06 prior to mid-season retirement.

Marquis Grissom: caught lightening in a bottle in ’03, but the bottle was empty by ’05.

Marvin Benard: I guess that’s just life.

Ruben Rivera: signed 1/03, released 6/03, no other team has given him a shot since.

Russ Ortiz: Broke in ’98, couldn't pitch in ‘08. I love symmetry.

Russ Davis: best known for being announced “Roose” by a Junior Giants announcer.

Alex Sanchez: enjoyed his last 19 big league games in a Giants uniform.

 

Well, I suppose those could happen to anyone.  A major league career is fragile and I don’t expect you to have a crystal ball. But here’s a list of gentlemen whose careers may not have died while they were Giants, but as we now know they barely made it out of China Basin alive.

 

Jason Christiansen: released by the Giants in ’05, went on to pitch in only 12 more big league games, all with the Angels.

Damian Moss: part of the Russ Ortiz trade was in turn dealt for Sir Sidney Ponson. Moss has only pitched in four big league games since. But you did try to give him another shot in ’07.

Andres Galaragga: I sort of have a hard time putting him on this list; we knew he was toward the end, and he contributed. But he only played 7 games after his tenure with the Giants ended.

Jeffrey Hammonds: A mid-season acquisition in ’03 left the game after 13 contests with the Nats’ in ’05.

Michael Tucker: A free agent that was intentionally signed a day before arbitration in order to send a first round pick to Kansas City as compensation (I guess that was financially motivated). He mustered 57 more career games away from San Francisco.

Jose Vizciano: Brought into be a veteran influence, was more of a geriatric irritation. After being released the season you acquired him, ’06, he only had 16 more lifetime games.

Steve Finley: You traded one corpse for another here. Unloaded Alfonzo got Finley. After his ’06 campaign with the Giants Finley’s career tour of the NL West had only 43 more shows, all in Colorado.

Deivi Cruz: A guy you were determined to make it work for finally petered out after 20 games with the Nats’ the same year you dumped him.

Shea Hillenbrand: The center piece of the Accardo deal was a dud. At least you didn’t re-sign him out of guilt for giving up such a young and talented arm. He was only 73 games from the big dugout in the sky.

Edgardo Alfonzo: now we’re getting into some of the big game hunting you did. Alfonzo was average in ’03, traded after miserable seasons in ’04 and ’05. Upon leaving the Giants  he only had 30 games left in the tank, but lots in the bank.

Armando Benitez: only played 8 games with the Blue Jays in ’08, but Giants fans know his career was dead as of April of 2005.

Matt Morris: Signed to big coin in 2006, traded in ’07, lasted 18 games with Pittsburgh before hanging ‘em up. At least they paid him the rest of the way.

 

The point I’m trying to impress with you, Brian, can I call you Brian? The point I’m trying to make, Mr. Sabean, is that these are the reasons we are questioning your decision making. You have watched as 28 of your moves turned out to be washouts.  That's the equivilant of more than one regular season 25 man roster! These discretions don’t even take into consideration some of the just plain old bad contracts you’ve offered guys recently, like Dave Roberts, Barry Zito, Ray Durham, Tyler Walker, Randy Winn (too high!), and Aaron Rowand (maybe too soon, but too high!). 

 

I imagine you are not likely still reading and I don’t blame you. You are probably just as frustrated with this morgue of talent you’ve acquired as anyone, right? But I felt the need to put this in writing; signing veterans whose career trajectory is pointing downward so dramatically should be avoided from henceforth. I’ll give you a pass on Renteria, as you’ll note this letter is post dated to that transaction, and I do like the fact you only committed two years to him. However, it should be noted that we encourage you to look at guys whose value may be down right now, but could come on the cheap if offered a fair incentive laden contract, like Joe Crede or Rocco Baldelli, maybe even an Adrian Beltre. But don’t fixate on these familiar names. Ask yourself  "why doesn’t their current team want them?” Also, there is only one guy who you should go Zito for, and its Mark Teixeira. Not , CC, not Manny. And don’t even think about the ghosts Jeremy Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra or Richie Sexson. I don’t care how much you wanted them five years ago, you’re not to do it!

 

Hope you have a great trip; see you when you get back.

 

Sincerely,

 

Theo Fightmaster

 

P.S. Aren’t you happy I didn’t even bring up Nathan/ Liriano for Pierzynski? Oops.