Mike Morse makes sense for Giants in LF

You've likely heard the name Mike Morse (or Michael as he's often referred to). Perhaps you're even familiar with the large, bearded outfielder. But, it's doubtful that you've thought of him as the solution to the Giants' hole in left field.

You see? He was once a monster. I like the sound of that.

"WE WANT POWER, WE WANT A REAL LEFT FIELDER! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!"

Yes, we all want left field manned by a player half as good as Barry Bonds was. We'd all take it as an upgrade, but the free agent climate is completely out of control.

When Lincecum gets $17.5MM a year, an oft-injured, steeply declining, 33 year old Curtis Granderson gets $60MM over 4 years, and Jay-Z was able to con and bully the Mariners into giving 31 year old Robinson Bleepin' Cano 10 years and $240MM, the free agent climate is out of control.

This now makes the Giants' once apparent overpay of Hunter Pence look like a bargain, with a comparatively horrendous Jacoby Ellsbury getting more years and more money a few days ago. Choo might get $130MM now for Christ's sake!

I wish I could use that Chris Berman clip of Vince Lombardi on the sideline yelling, "What the hell's goin' on out heeah!?"

Oh wait, I did.

What indeed...

With the Giants already in the top 10 in payroll, they have no intention of going after the likes of Shin Soo Choo, the top OF left on the market. Carlos Beltran will land in the AL, and Kansas City looks like the front runner, with a 3 year deal on the table. Nelson Cruz will also likely end up in the AL, and the Giants would be extremely unlikely to bring in a convicted PED user after the Melky Cabrera fiasco.

That leaves 75 year old bomber Raul Ibanez, whose defense is unacceptable, 33 year old former Giant Rajai Davis, who is a clone of incumbent Gregor Blanco with better speed, Jason Kubel, who was once an above average hitter, who is now a reclamation project, and Nate McLouth whose numbers are underwhelming, and wouldn't make sense as another lefty. Think there's anyone I left out, like Jason Bay? Check out the FA list here.

With all those underwhelming names, the two that make sense to me are Morse, who is a nice righty complement to Blanco with good power and 1B versatility, or Rajai Davis, whose batting average, on base %, and slugging % are all in the same ballpark as Blanco, with Gregor being the better defender and Davis's SB total of 45 being very impressive.

He makes a good gangsta face on picture day too.

But, the quickness and lack of offensive dropoff notwithstanding, this team is perennially lacking pop, and Morse would be a nice addition.

Morse is a hulking figure at about 6'5, 250, and has tremendous power. To me, his potential is still yet unrealized, and at 31, he's in for a do or die type season. His consistent injury history has limited him to basically one full season since entering the majors, and that 146 game campaign in 2011-- just 2 years ago-- yielded pretty darn good results.

In Washington that year, he slashed his way to .303/.360/.550 with 31 dongs, 95 RBI and 36 doubles. He split his time between 1B and LF that year, and has also played SS and RF coming up with Seattle.

He's an aggressive guy, with some holes in his swing, and he's susceptible to the strikeout, he's also a below average defender. But in this scenario, Blanco plays against righties, Morse against lefties, he's afforded a few less opportunities to cost us runs, and I really don't think he's egregiously bad. In the aforementioned 2011 season, he committed just 1 error in 55 OF games.

Despite Morse's perceived defensive shortcomings and his poor 2013 that was riddled by injuries, this is an excellent buy low opportunity for any team, because he's is capable of being an every day player, his .280/.284 career righty/lefty batting average splits prove that.

If recovered from offseason arthroscopic wrist surgery in October, the Giants would be foolish not to kick the tires on the powerful Morse, as he provides a righty backup for Brandon Belt, a LF complement to Blanco, and the potential to earn an every day spot as a big stick in the 6th or 7th spot in the lineup. Plus, he does actually have a career home run at AT&T. YOU SEE, HE'S CAPABLE!

Whatever the Giants decide to do, I'd be a bit irked if they weren't tied to Morse. He just seems like the right fit for the budget-conscious LF search.

If you can't see his 2011 highlight video below, click here.

How to piss off a Giants fan: Do Nothing

Hey people. Sorry for my hiatus.

I won't go into a long soliloquy about the state of things and I can't sugarcoat my feelings:

I AM PISSED.

I am pissed that this organization has made no committment to improvement. I'm pissed that Zito will cost half a million more than he did last year, and I'm pissed that ownership refuses to eat one rough year of payroll in order to be better for a long time.

I really am disgusted.

It's not the fact that they won't wildly overspend on players that upsets me, it's the fact that they won't even try!

They never talked to Jose Reyes, they won't talk to Prince Fielder. They won't even send SO MUCH AS SEND A TEXT MESSAGE to Pujols's sleazy ass agent. There's not even so much as an illusion put forth by management that they are trying to improve the offense.

The Sanchez for Melky trade was okay, you know. I wasn't and still am not thrilled by it. I never liked Melky Cabrera and I consider him to be a fringe starter who had one decent year. I get that he's chasing a contract and yes I've heard that he's in shape, but I really don't care. Free agency may not be over, but Giants fans, if you're expecting anything more than Melky Goddamn Cabrera to help Timmy beat Kershaw, well... you're shit out of luck.

I've defended the Giants' responsible financial approach in the past. I know that their annual operating expenses include a $20MM mortgage payment for AT&T Park. That's $20MM that most other clubs don't have to worry about.

However, most other clubs didn't win a World Series in 2010 and make money HAND OVER FIST EVERY DAY SINCE THEN.

This team has the money, they choose not to spend it. There should be no confusion about that.

And yeah, absolutely, I agree that signing Lincecum and Cain long-term is the priority. Of course I get that. Pencil Cain in for at least $18MM a year and Timmy should get at least $22MM if not more. Pitching is expensive, there's no doubt about it. Pitching is also how you win day in and day out. It's our formula, and it shouldn't be messed with.

One has to think aloud though-- does Tim Lincecum WANT to stay with a team whose best improvement to an anemic offense is Melky Cabrera and a fourth OF like Ryan Ludwick to be named later? Would you sign with a team that gives you no relief from four losses to Clayton Kershaw in one year?

Seriously! Think about it. At a certain point, it's not about money or comfort or how much he likes San Francisco. If the guy doesn't get run support, he's going to lose faith in the organization.

In case you forgot, in 2011, Tim Lincecum faced Clayton Kershaw four times. Three of those games ended 2-1 and the other game was 1-0. The guy battles, and leaves his heart out there every time. What does he get?

Three runs in four games and Melky Cabrera.

With virtually the same team returning from last season, it just boggles my mind that that is an acceptable plan of attack. It was okay at the beginning of last season because we managed to win a World Series. Obviously, that didn't work out so well, and yet we're getting the same thing.

Payroll-wise, there isn't much left under their self-imposed $130MM salary cap. That payroll number, however includes the dead and decomposing weight of Aaron Rowand ($13.6MM) and Dickface Zito ($19MM).

Yes boys and girls, that is $32.6 million dollars to one guy on the road to retirement, and a second whose best accomplishment in a Giants uniform has been getting married.

As sickening as that is, it's almost over.

Rowand's money will be gone after this season. Zito's will be gone after next season. We're almost out of this.

In addition, Freddy Sanchez's $6MM will expire after this season, along with Aubrey Huff's $10MM (+$2MM buyout). As I count it, that'll be about $30MM opening up after this season.

Thirty million dollars.

Then, after the 2013 season, Zito will be gone, opening up another TWENTY million.

Based on the payroll figures and current contracts, there is just no reason why the organization couldn't sign a real hitter like Fielder or Reyes and backload the deal.

There will be more than enough money available annually to sign Timmy AND Cain for 2013 and beyond, if they'd just stomach one season of $150MM.

It's not like the 2013 crop of free agents is better than this year's either. The list is Brandon Phillips, Josh Hamilton, BJ Upton, Andre Ethier and Carlos Quentin. In addition, David Wright and Kevin Youkilis have expensive club options that may get them traded.

Are Sabean and Baer saving themselves for 2013's offseason? I just don't know. I just don't get it at all.

All I know is that the current roster is unacceptable and I've seen a minimal effort to improve the offense. We deserve more and it's just plain depressing from where I sit.