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Cover Those Bases

Athletics To Sign Santiago Casilla To Two-Year Deal 

1/11/2017

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The Oakland Athletics agreed to sign right-handed relief pitcher Santiago Casilla on Wednesday, according to media reports. 

The sides reached agreement on a two-year, $11 million contract with $3 million in incentives that would push the contract to a $14 million guarantee if met. He can earn $1.5 million in each season based on the number of games he finishes. 

Casilla will add depth to the Athletics' bullpen that has not seen a lot of additions this offseason. Oakland, however, had been in the market for a reliever for some time. 


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Giants Sign Mark Melancon To Four-Year, $62 Million Deal 

12/5/2016

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The San Francisco Giants have signed right-handed closing pitcher Mark Melancon on Monday, they officially announced. ESPN's Buster Olney was the first to report that Melancon and the Giants agreed to terms.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Melancon's deal is for four years and $62 million. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, Melancon can opt out of his contract following the second season.

In the contract, Melancon will earn $4 million in 2017, $10 million in 2018 and $14 million in both 2019 and 2020. So, if he decides to opt out, the contract goes form a four-year, $62 million deal to a two-year, $14 million deal in annual salaries. As part of the deal, Melancon will earn a $20 million signing bonus, $12 million of which will be earned up front and the other $8 million that will not be earned until the contract is up.


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Giants Have Considered Pablo Sandoval Trade With Red Sox

11/25/2016

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The San Francisco Giants have at least had internal discussions on whether to pursue a trade for Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. 

Sandoval was signed by the Giants as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2003, and he had been with their organization until he left via free agency during the 2014-15 offseason. 

Since joining Boston a five-year, $95 million deal, Sandoval, to say the least, has not lived up to expectations. 

The contract would likely be the biggest concern when matching the two sides up in a trade, but as always, the more money the Red Sox decide to eat, the more they will receive. Of course, considering Sandoval's performance, it may not be a lot regardless.

On paper, Sandoval could be a good fit for the Giants, who appear to be headed into the 2017 season with Eduardo Nunez and Conor Gillaspie manning the hot corner. Last season, Giants' third basemen posted a .704 OPS, third worst in the National League. 

As for the Red Sox, they spent basically all of 2016 without Sandoval. Travis Shaw was decent, but offensively, he did not provide a lot of spark. Boston could also turn to Yoan Moncada at third, but he did not hit in his brief stint in 2016. 

In 2016, Sandoval played in just three games with Boston. He missed most of the season with a shoulder ailment that required surgery. The year prior, he posted a dismal .245/.292/.366 line with 10 homers and 47 RBI. According to FanGraphs, he was worth -2.0 Wins Above Replacement. 

--Devan Fink

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Source: Giants acquire Matt Moore from Rays

8/1/2016

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The NL West is in an arms race. 

Between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, so many pitchers have gone out west this trade season it's been hard to count. Right before the trade deadline on Monday, another pitcher went out there. 

The Giants have acquired left-hander Matt Moore from the Tampa Bay Rays, a source confirmed to Cover Those Bases on Monday. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported the trade. 

In exchange for Moore, the Rays got third baseman Matt Duffy as well as two minor league prospects: shortstop Lucius Fox and right-hander Michael Santos. 

The Giants have been in the market for starting pitching depth for awhile now. The back end of their rotation, specifically Matt Cain and Jake Peavy, has underperformed, leading San Francisco to look for someone outside the organization. 

Moore, 27, is just that. He's 7-7 this season with a 4.08 ERA and a 109-40 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 130 innings pitched this season for the Rays. This is his first full season since having to have Tommy John surgery in 2014. 

While Moore's stats do not pop off the page, he has plenty of pluses to his profile that made him appealing for many teams. 

Moore's contract status is great for a team. He has team options for the next three seasons valued at $7 million, $9 million and $10 million, respectively. This is much less than what he would likely receive on the open market, especially considering his age. 

This is why San Francisco had to give so much up. 

​One player, Matt Duffy, 25, is a great buy-low candidate for Tampa Bay. 

Not a free agent until after the 2020 season, Duffy is hitting for a below-average .253/.313/.358 line with four home runs and 21 RBI over 286 plate appearances this season. He also spent time on the disabled list. 

But just last year, Duffy had a .762 OPS over 612 plate appearances, while also being a great defensive third baseman. He could be good in Tampa Bay at second base, as Evan Longoria is currently manning the hot corner there. 

As for Fox and Santos, they both are still far away from the Major Leagues. Fox was a highly regarded international prospect who could turn it around in the Rays' system going forward. 

​--Devan Fink

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Giants acquire Will Smith from Brewers

8/1/2016

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The San Francisco Giants added a very good left-handed relief pitcher on Monday. 

According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, San Francisco struck a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers to acquire Will Smith. 

In exchange for Smith, the Brewers received right-hander Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac, as Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports. 

The 27-year-old Smith is 1-3 with a 3.68 ERA and a 22-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22 innings pitched, good for a 4.27 FIP. He's been worth 0.1 WAR, according to FanGraphs. 

He is signed through the 2019 season, as he is arbitration eligible for the first time next offseason. This made him so valuable. 

The Giants felt they needed another bullpen piece as the trade deadline approached, and Smith certainly fits the bill. San Francisco's bullpen has been one of the worst in the Major Leagues, ranking 26th in WAR, despite posting an ERA in the middle of the pack.

It took a for the Giants lot to get Smith, though, giving the Brewers what appears to be a promising return. 

Bickford, 21, is listed as the Giants' best prospect on MLB.com. He is in Class-A Advanced, where he has made six starts. Over his entire season, Bickford has a 2.71 ERA and a 105-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 93 innings pitched. He was the Giants' 1st round pick in 2013.

As for Susac, he's no longer a prospect but has not been in the Majors at all this season. At Triple-A, he has a .277/.347/.455 slash line over 251 plate appearances, hitting eight home runs and driving in 38 RBI. Susac could be a replacement for Jonathan Lucroy if the Brewers decide to move him. 

​--Devan Fink

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