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JACKSONVILLE - I agree with this assessment. It's not something I want to see happen, but it is something I could foresee happening. Don't look on the Indians Top 20 or 30 Prospect Lists, the yield will likely not be there.
Almost anyone else the Giants would like to trade, or could get any kind of return from trading, has spent or is spending significant time on the DL. This and the Competitive Balance Tax, cough! Salary Cap, is the corner the Giants find themselves boxed into.
Andrew McCutchen, OF, Giants McCutchen checks off many of the same boxes as Jones, except he's already been through the "difficult-trade-of-a-franchise-icon" stage, he's hitting better than Jones is (.259/.350/.416) in a more difficult hitter's park, and he can't block a trade. (He's also already accepted the move from center to a corner.) The larger question is if the Giants will sell, but despite being only five games out in the National League West, they're in fourth place -- and behind six other teams in the Wild Card hunt. They'll sell. Prediction: Indians
I'm not sure Giants fans needed a fancy computer to confirm this stat, but....He probably leads the majors in toppers back to the mound. Those two stats are probably highly correlated.
Hunter Pence: 0 barrels
According to Statcast, in his 61 plate appearances in the majors so far this year, Hunter Pence has not barrelled up a single ball. Barrelling up a ball is a key part of hitting it hard, which Pence has had trouble with this year. This is the thing that you can see from home on TV. He’s just not hitting the ball like he used to.
Also, it's good to see the numbers confirm that Brandon Crawford is back to hitting the ball hard, Andrew McCutchen is really, really hitting the ball hard and often and Evan Longoria maybe should mix in a walk every now and again. And Belt, while he might not be Freddie Freeman, is still pretty darn good.
Also, not news that Kelby Tomlinson has no ISO. He's still pretty productive with his AB's. Buster Posey, only 2 HR's...really? Yeah, I guess I can believe that. He goes through this and then he'll go on a 2-3 week tear and gets back on pace for around 15 HR's. Not too worry....yet.
Exciting game. Again, heroics by McCutchen, set-up by Strickland teeing up a 95 MPH fastball to Paul Goldschmidt, which he wasted, in the top of the ninth.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Andrew McCutchen got that feeling again shortly before the Giants edged the D-backs, 5-4. That winning feeling.
He watched the Giants' half of the ninth inning against Arizona unfold Tuesday night, with the score tied, teammates reaching base and his spot in the batting order coming closer and closer. McCutchen's mind flashed on last Saturday, when San Francisco's 14th-inning rally against the Dodgers culminated in his three-run walk-off homer.
"I was in the dugout, and there was one walk, another," McCutchen said, "and I was just sitting there, like, 'This is about to happen again.'"
It did -- maybe not quite as dramatically for McCutchen and the Giants, but still successfully. He ended the Giants' ninth-inning uprising with another game-winning hit, lining a bases-loaded single to lift the Giants over the D-backs.
The park had a playoff vibe in spots. Good to see and hear.
Really shitty move by Giants fans, who are normally classy, towards Strickland. One pitch before, they are on their feet cheering him on. After Goldschmidt does what he does, they boo him. They have disdain for Strickland still, over the Bryce Harper thing. Get over it!! Bryce Harper isn't bringing his flow to SF.
Strickland isn't a red-neck from Georgia any more than Buster Posey (also from Georgia) is.
Get over that too. You're better than that. Or at least that's what you tell everybody.
This was an epic AB and one that will go down in Giants lore as one of the greatest. A great night for McCutchen to endear himself to SF. Kuiper's call frames the emotion of the moment. What a relief in a game it appeared the Giants were going to let slip away.
Welcome to SF Andrew McCutchen!! Six for seven overall and the game-winning walk-off HR!!
Fourteen innings, over four and a half hours long, I sat through virtually every pitch and no complaints over pace of play or length of game on this one. This is an instant Giants classic.
I know that many will say the 'Cutch to move to a corner OF spot, but he deserves the right to remind SF of the GOAT, Willie Mays in CF.
Crick is a great turnaround project for Ray Searage. Reynolds is a couple of years away and behind Duggar for future CF. I cannot believe that they could have also had Jay Bruce for 3 yrs. / $39M and low-balled him at a reported $29M for same three years. If they feel they have enough bats now, they go for a low-priced CF like Dyson, or Billy Hamilton, whose price just went down. Carlos Gonzalez could still be in the picture if you're sure about 'Cutch in CF for a full season.
I like the lineup as is and I think Shaw could be the OF bat as soon as 2018.
So far, Arroyo, Reynolds and Crick leveraged into Longoria and McCutchen. Two faces of the franchise, great leadership kind of guys. I like the composition of the team now and for the immediate future. The lineup tilts a bit heavy to the 30+ crowd, but for now, I'm OK with it.
Meanwhile, the Giants are reluctant to part with top prospects for McCutchen, after giving up highly regarded infielder Christian Arroyo in last month's trade with the Rays for Evan Longoria.
Outfielder/first baseman Chris Shaw, right-hander Tyler Beede and outfielder Heliot Ramos are the Giants' top three prospects, per MLB Pipeline. One source said the Pirates are asking for at least one of those three in any McCutchen trade with San Francisco.
The stories stick with McCutchen, because he wants to be remembered the same way. Baseball has given him a lot in life, and he strives to make a difference by giving back. That's why there are already plenty of stories to be told about what McCutchen has done for others.
Complete coverage
"I think in this world today, we need heroes. And he is absolutely one," said Chris Gessner, the president of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. "Not only is he a fantastic player, but he's an even better person."
For that reason, McCutchen received this year's Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the player who best exemplifies Clemente on and off the field.
McCutchen has also been working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation since 2012, according to Dana Antkowiak, the marketing and communications manager for Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia. During that time, he has visited 11 children with life-threatening medical conditions.
In Spring Training, McCutchen spent a whole day with Owen Taylor, a 7-year-old boy from Everett, Pa., who has a heart condition. In August at PNC Park, McCutchen hosted Cameron Pittman, a 12-year-old from Altoona, Pa., who is battling Hodgkin's lymphoma.
"He has this uncanny ability to very quickly put the child at ease. Very engaged in conversation, asks questions about their interests and their experiences. It's really remarkable," Antkowiak said. "In letters and notes we receive after the wish, these families are profoundly impacted by their experience with him."
The same can be said at the Children's Hospital, where Gessner and the entire staff were particularly pleased to see McCutchen win the Clemente Award.
McCutchen began visiting the hospital shortly after he was called up to the Majors. He and his wife, Maria, have remained a regular presence there, and Gessner said they are generous donors to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.
"They are a wonderful team," Gessner said. "They do this because they care."
Before Halloween, McCutchen supplied the hospital with 200 costumes, giving the children there a chance to trick or treat away from home. Earlier this year, the Children's Hospital held an open art studio. McCutchen took part in the event, drawing and painting with the patients and their families.
One of the children, Matt Graeber, quickly developed a strong bond with McCutchen. A few weeks ago, McCutchen received a letter and a signed baseball from Matt. When he got out of the hospital and started playing baseball again, he hit three homers in two games and sent the first home run ball to McCutchen.
"Those are the kinds of things where he just has a dramatic impact," Gessner said. "He just lights up the room. He's just got a contagious enthusiasm. Our parents and patients just love it when he comes, as does our staff. I hear about it, because there's a buzz in the hospital."
Yet Gessner has never actually met McCutchen. It's a testament to the manner in which McCutchen prefers to give back, Gessner said -- not for the attention, but for the patients and their families.
"He's doing this out of the goodness of his heart," Gessner said. "He does it very quietly, and he wants it that way."
McCutchen also wants people to remember him for it. His father, Lorenzo, often asks him what people will see one day when they look at his tombstone. Will the words describe his baseball career, or what he did for other people?
"That's really all that matters, that you're doing your job and helping people and helping those who can't help themselves," McCutchen said.
That's why McCutchen took more pride in receiving the 2015 Clemente Award than the 2013 National League MVP. He is clearly driven to succeed on the field, but he is equally determined to define his legacy in the community.
"For all the right reasons," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "To continue to push to be like Clemente."
Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Ninth straight for the Pirates and Roenicke's comments indicate they may be built to last this season. Nine straight and dramatic walk-off wins at home can do nothing but build momentum and confidence in this young team. It would be good to see, since the Pirates may have the longest recent string of sub-.500, non-playoff outcomes in the majors. A strong bullpen is a managers best friend.
"Their pitching is outstanding," Milwaukee skipper Ron Roenicke said, joining the chorus." I see why their ERAs are where they are, because every guy out of the bullpen has good stuff. It's located well. They have off-speed stuff, fastballs, their pitching staff is really good."
1. Joey Bart 6-2, 215 C Power arm and a power bat, playing a premium defensive position. Good catch and throw skills.
2. Heliot Ramos 6-2, 185 OF Potential high-ceiling player the Giants have been looking for. Great bat speed, early returns were impressive.
3. Chris Shaw 6-3. 230 1B Lefty power bat, limited defensively to 1B, Matt Adams comp?
4. Tyler Beede 6-4, 215 RHP from Vanderbilt projects as top of the rotation starter when he works out his command/control issues. When he misses, he misses by a bunch.
5. Stephen Duggar 6-1, 170 CF Another toolsy, under-achieving OF in the Gary Brown mold, hoping for better results.
6. Sandro Fabian 6-0, 180 OF Dominican signee from 2014, shows some pop in his bat. Below average arm and lack of speed should push him towards LF.
7. Aramis Garcia 6-2, 220 C from Florida INTL projects as a good bat behind the dish with enough defensive skill to play there long-term
8. Heath Quinn 6-2, 190 OF Strong hitter, makes contact with improving approach at the plate. Returns from hamate bone injury.
9. Garrett Williams 6-1, 205 LHP Former Oklahoma standout, Giants prototype, low-ceiling, high-floor prospect.
10. Shaun Anderson 6-4, 225 RHP Large frame, 3.36 K/BB rate. Can start or relieve
11. Jacob Gonzalez 6-3, 190 3B Good pedigree, impressive bat for HS prospect.
12. Seth Corry 6-2 195 LHP Highly regard HS pick. Was mentioned as possible chip in high profile trades.
13. C.J. Hinojosa 5-10, 175 SS Scrappy IF prospect in the mold of Kelby Tomlinson, just gets it done.
14. Garett Cave 6-4, 200 RHP He misses a lot of bats and at times, the plate. 13 K/9 an 5 B/9. Wild thing.
2019 MLB Draft - Top HS Draft Prospects
1. Bobby Witt, Jr. 6-1,185 SS Colleyville Heritage HS (TX) Oklahoma commit. Outstanding defensive SS who can hit. 6.4 speed in 60 yd. Touched 97 on mound. Son of former major leaguer. Five tool potential.
2. Riley Greene 6-2, 190 OF Haggerty HS (FL) Florida commit.Best HS hitting prospect. LH bat with good eye, plate discipline and developing power.
3. C.J. Abrams 6-2, 180 SS Blessed Trinity HS (GA) High-ceiling athlete. 70 speed with plus arm. Hitting needs to develop as he matures. Alabama commit.
4. Reece Hinds 6-4, 210 SS Niceville HS (FL) Power bat, committed to LSU. Plus arm, solid enough bat to move to 3B down the road. 98MPH arm.
5. Daniel Espino 6-3, 200 RHP Georgia Premier Academy (GA) LSU commit. Touches 98 on FB with wipe out SL.
2019 MLB Draft - Top College Draft Prospects
1. Adley Rutschman C Oregon State Plus defender with great arm. Excellent receiver plus a switch hitter with some pop in the bat.
2. Shea Langliers C Baylor Excelent throw and catch skills with good pop time. Quick bat, uses all fields approach with some pop.
3. Zack Thompson 6-2 LHP Kentucky Missed time with an elbow issue. FB up to 95 with plenty of secondary stuff.
4. Matt Wallner 6-5 OF Southern Miss Run producing bat plus mid to upper 90's FB closer. Power bat from the left side, athletic for size.
5. Nick Lodolo LHP TCU Tall LHP, 95MPH FB and solid breaking stuff.
