The World Series and, thus, the 2012 season was barely an hour in the rearview mirror when Giants general manager Brian Sabean accepted a question about savoring a second title in three years with the grim smile of someone who knows his job.
“When you work in the front office,” Sabean said, “there’s not a lot of down time.”
Sabean would wake yesterday to the realities of the relentless baseball schedule. One-hundred thirty-seven players were declared free agents, including such key Giants as Jeremy Affeldt, Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro, and by Saturday they can begin signing with any club. The GM Meetings are next week and most teams already are deep into their planning on how to dethrone San Francisco.
The Yankees would have appreciated getting a later start if it meant more champagne and a parade. But if nothing else the Giants’ sweep of the Tigers after Detroit had swept the Yankees was a reminder of how powerful momentum — positive and negative — can be during the postseason.
Four-game losing streaks are common and mostly ignored during the regular season. But, in the postseason, the penalty for such a stretch is so drastic that it deepens the tension around a team and intensifies the degree of difficulty to escape the losing streak. The Yankees know they were not as bad as they showed against Detroit, just like the Tigers are not as bad as they were against the Giants.
Thus, I suspect the Yankees have taken a deep breath and will probably re-commit to the power pitching and power hitting combo that helps get them to the playoffs annually despite all the calls to, in particular, diversify their offense. Here are a group of players I think they should at least look into this offseason:
CARLOS BELTRAN
In the aftermath of their title last year, the Cardinals lost arguably their best player (Albert Pujols), manager (Tony La Russa) and pitching coach (Dave Duncan) ever and still got back to the NLCS. This is a terrific organization, in part, because St. Louis manages a good, but not elite, payroll so well.
And that is what this would be about. I have not heard Beltran is available, but consider the Cards have $92 million committed to next year’s payroll and the likelihood of staying in the $110 million range. There are arbitration raises coming for Jason Motte and David Freese. Beltran just had a very good season in helping offset the loss of Pujols. But the Cardinals are well aware of the bone-on-bone condition of Beltran’s knees and will wonder how he will hold up at 36 next year.
The Yankees should at least inquire if the Cardinals would be willing to move Beltran’s $13 million 2013 salary. Would a package of Joba Chamberlain (like Beltran a free agent after next year) plus David Adams (St. Louis would like to find an offensive second baseman) entice St. Louis, since it also would save the Cardinals more than $10 million more in Beltran money to direct elsewhere? Beltran could be the Yankees’ designated hitter for 50 games to protect his knees and play right field for 100. He is a switch-hitter with power like Nick Swisher, but unlike Swisher he is a tremendous postseason performer (.363 average, 14 homers in 34 games).
TORII HUNTER
The Angels may make Hunter the $13.3 million qualifying offer, so that means a lost draft pick if the Yankees were to sign the free agent. But the Yankees also could be getting extra picks if they tender offers to Swisher, Rafael Soriano and Hiroki Kuroda and any of them go elsewhere. That would make it more palatable to lose a selection.
Hunter also will play at 37 next year and probably will need at least a two-year, $20 million deal to sign. But he brings gregarious leadership and a .305 average from his 34 postseason games. The truth is I like Beltran and Hunter so much as players that I think the Yankees should try to trade for one, sign the other, play them as the outfield corners, put Brett Gardner in center and get the best package possible of young players for Curtis Granderson. But, at the least, Hunter should be considered as a right field replacement for Swisher.
JEFF KEPPINGER
Even under the best scenarios for Alex Rodriguez, he is going to play 100-110 games at third base. Thus, the Yankees are going to need someone who can fill in with the possibility of being more than that. As bad as he was in the postseason, Eric Chavez did that job very well during the year, particularly because he hit right-handed pitching, something that will be questionable with A-Rod until he proves otherwise.
If Chavez is not brought back and, perhaps even if he is, the Yankees should consider Keppinger, whose strength is actually hitting lefties (.376 last year, .333 for his career). But Keppinger, a free agent, also hit righties last year (.302), proved he could play in the AL East (with Tampa Bay), is a tough hitter to strike out and provides flexibility around the infield anywhere but shortstop.
A.J. PIERZYNSKI
The Yankees would like to retain Russell Martin. But if not and Pierzynski is actually willing to leave the White Sox, he is an interesting candidate. He is championship proven and his lefty power (a career-high 27 homers last year) means the Yankees might not have to chase that quality quite as hard elsewhere. In addition, if you think the Yankees have lost their edge, this guy lives under the opposition’s skin.
SCOTT HAIRSTON
The Yankees will probably need to replace Andruw Jones’ righty/backup outfielder role. Cody Ross is attractive because he has succeeded in the AL East and the playoffs, but there is a sense he will re-sign with Boston. Jonny Gomes also has an AL East pedigree and a sustained run of excellence against lefty pitching, but he is a brutal outfielder.
Hairston, a free agent the Mets want back, is not going to make people forget Roberto Clemente defensively, but he is average, hits southpaws very well, is not an automatic out vs. righties and brings some athleticism.