Giants Notes: Roster Deadline Looms
This year's Rule 5 draft is scheduled for December 10 at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings. Concerning eligibility for the upcoming Rule 5 draft, players who signed in 2007 (or later) at age 19 or older are exempt. Additionally, players who signed in 2006 (or later) at age 18 or younger are also exempt. All other players who are not placed on the 40-man roster will be eligible to be selected by another organization in next month's Rule 5 draft. Each draftee costs $50,000 and must be kept on the major league 25-man roster all season or be offered back to the original team at half-price.
Most of the players that suited up for the San Jose Giants in 2009 are not yet eligible for the Rule 5 draft and thus don't need to be protected on the 40-man roster. One notable exception is center fielder Darren Ford, who originally signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005 and just completed his fifth professional season. Ford enjoyed a spectacular second half at the plate with the Giants en route to finishing the year with a .300 batting average, nine home runs, 50 RBI's and 35 stolen bases. Baseball America rated Ford as the "top defensive outfielder" in the San Francisco farm system entering 2009 while the speedster has now registered a staggering 251 stolen bases in his minor league career. His breakthrough second half (in which he hit .354) should result in serious consideration for the 40-man roster or the Giants risk losing Ford to another team in the Rule 5 draft.
Players originally drafted out of the college ranks in 2006 are eligible for this year's Rule 5 draft meaning several of the top performers on the '08 San Jose squad will likely receive consideration for 40-man roster inclusion. Notable players include Mike McBryde, Brett Pill, Kevin Pucetas and Ben Snyder.
McBryde hit .308 with five home runs and 41 RBI's for Double-A Connecticut last season and may be one of the two or three fastest players in the organization. Pill, a top defensive first baseman, enjoyed an outstanding year in the middle of the Defenders lineup as he hit .298 with 19 homers and 109 RBI's. Pucetas jumped all the way to Triple-A Fresno this past season where he compiled a 10-6 record and a 5.04 ERA. Pucetas, an invitee to major league camp last spring and the 2008 California League Pitcher of the Year, owns a career 42-13 record. Snyder was a high draft pick (3rd round) of the Giants and excelled in the Eastern League last season as the left-hander logged a 2.88 ERA, primarily as a reliever.
Per major league rules, eligible players must be added to the 40-man roster by this Friday, November 20 in order to be protected in the Rule 5 draft. Currently, there are 35 players on San Francisco's 40-man roster.
MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENTS
Last week, Major League Baseball granted free agency to minor leaguers who are not on their team's 40-man roster and have at least six years of experience. 23 minor leaguers in the San Francisco organization are now free agents, including three who spent time in San Jose last season: pitchers Mike Musgrave, Trey Webb and Craig Whitaker.
Musgrave and Whitaker both spent all of 2008 in the California League before each split time between San Jose and Connecticut last season. Musgrave struggled mightily with the Giants in '09 as the right-hander was roughed up for a 15.68 ERA in 13 appearances. Whitaker, a former first round draft pick six years ago, was 1-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 26 games with San Jose before receiving a promotion to the Eastern League in late-July. With the Defenders, in the first extended stay in Double-A of his career, Whitaker compiled a 2.30 ERA over 10 appearances.
Webb is an intriguing player as the minor league veteran was converted from an infielder to a pitcher in 2008. Last season, in his first full year as a pitcher, Webb appeared in 43 games between Augusta (Low-A) and San Jose and was 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA. He walked 35 in 52 1/3 innings, but also held the opposition to a paltry .212 batting average. Webb was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2003 before the Giants acquired the then-shortstop in the 2007 Rule 5 draft.
Other former San Jose Giants who have been granted free agency include: pitchers Kelyn Acosta, Matt Kinney, Osiris Matos, Kelvin Pichardo, Ronnie Ray and Ryan Sadowski, catchers Steve Holm and Todd Jennings, infielder Jake Wald and outfielder Mike Mooney.
LINCECUM BIDS FOR SECOND CY YOUNG AWARD
Former San Jose Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is a candidate to earn the 2009 National League Cy Young Award after a dominant year in the San Francisco starting rotation. Lincecum was 15-7 last season while leading the National League in strikeouts (261) and finishing second in ERA (2.48) and opponents batting average (.206). He is looking to become the first pitcher to win consecutive NL Cy Young awards since Randy Johnson won four straight from 1999-2002.
Lincecum was a member of the 2006 San Jose Giants team making six regular season starts and amassing a 2-0 record, a 1.95 ERA and 48 strikeouts in just 27 2/3 innings.
The National League Cy Young Award winner will be announced on Thursday. The top contenders for the award are considered to be St. Louis right-handers Chris Carpenter (17-4, 2.24 ERA) and Adam Wainwright (19-8, 2.63 ERA) along with Lincecum.