MKRob Sports

By Brandon Taylor

This World Series taught us that the old saying is still true: great pitching can beat great hitting. The San Francisco Giants won the World Series on the strength of what will be a dominant pitching staff for many years to come. Tim Lincecum, at 26 already has 2 Cy-Young’s and a World Series Ring. He could be on his way to Cooperstown.

Matt Cain could be the ace of 2/3 of the teams in baseball. Madison Bumgarner pitched eight innings of shutout baseball in his World Series start, and he is only 21. Jonathan Sanchez was inconsistent this postseason, but he can be a great pitcher when he’s on. Add in a franchise type bat in catcher Buster Posey, and this team could become a dynasty.

The Giants have some decisions to make in the offseason. A lot of their heroes during the playoffs are free agents. I expect that they will let go of World Series MVP Edgar Renteria.

Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe will be back.      Pat Burrell had an awful World Series, so I don’t see him coming back. Aaron Rowand still has 2 years and $24 million left on his contract. He rode the bench for most of the season and playoffs, and I don’t think he will be back, even if the Giants have to eat much of his contract.

A year ago, Pablo Sandoval was one of baseball’s rising stars. After going through a poor season where he lost the confidence of his manager, will Sandoval be back? I would say probably so, because he’s only 24. You also have the Barry Zito question. I know he’s excited because he just won a World Series ring, but deep down he should be embarrassed. Zito signed a 7-year $126 million contract in 2007. That is ace-type money. Over his Giants career he has seen Lincecum become one the elite pitchers in the game, Cain emerge as an ace, Sanchez strike out 200 guys in a season, and Bumgarner just pitched a World Series gem.

Zito made $ 18.5 million this year to be dead weight on a Championship winning team. They just won without his contributions. What’s his role going forward? Is he a $18.5 million 5^th starter? Is he a $18.5 million long reliever? Zito has $64.5 million left on his deal, meaning he’s untradeable.

For Texas, they have to be stunned at how their potent offense went completely cold during the World Series. Josh Hamilton hit .100 during the World Series. Vlad Guerrero hit.071. Ian Kinsler hit .188. Elvis Andrus, the catalyst at the top of the Rangers lineup hit .176. San Francisco dominated them. As they look ahead to the offseason, Mitch Moreland has settled down the revolving door at first base, but what will they do at catcher, even if Bengie Molina doesn’t retire.

Vlad Guerrero had a great regular season, but did nothing in the playoffs. I think he’ll stay in Texas though for the right price. Their pitching staff has huge questions marks. Cliff Lee is the main attraction of free agency. After looking unhittable through the playoffs, he gave the Rangers his worst at the most important time of the year. Lee went 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA in the World Series. If the Rangers had won the Championship, I would have said Lee was going to the Yankees, but after the disappearing act he pulled in the World Series, I think he’s going to stay in Texas. If he left for New York after pitching so poorly in the World Series, before which he was one of the 2 or 3 best playoff pitchers of the last 25 years, it would seem like he quit on Texas.

If Lee goes to the Yankees, Texas has a problem because they would be in the same spot they were in before last season. They got rid of Kevin Millwood to sign Rich Harden, and that didn’t work out. Scott Feldman won 17 games last season, and then became an afterthought. The playoffs showed CJ Wilson isn’t a number 1. Neither is Colby Lewis, even though he had a great October. None of their young pitchers are ready. So if Lee leaves, then they would have to look at other free agents, and while there are some number 2’s and 3’s, there really isn’t a another true ace on the market. Perhaps they can trade for someone like Kansas City’s Zach Greinke.