Tag Archives: Andres Torres

SF Giants transactions: Kensuke Tanaka makes major-league debut, w/GIF

A team grasping at straws, the Giants made two moves before Tuesday’s game against the Mets.

First, they placed Hector Sanchez on the disabled list with an injury I care less about than Phish cares about brevity. Mike Kickham gets his third trip to the big-league roster to replace the Giants’ third catcher. But the bizarre move was the call-up of Kensuke Tanaka, the Japanese import that lost a backup infield role when his bat and glove failed him in Spring Training.

The move was so bizarre it almost worked. Upon being recalled, Tanaka was immediately written into the lineup as the starting left fielder and No. 2 hitter. Who he was vexed the more casual fan, while the Lunatic Fringe was curious why a guy who has played nine games in American outfields was ready for a corner spot in AT&T.

Then there was The Catch. No, Dwight Clark or T.O. didn’t show up. But this happened:

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Jeff Francoeur Giants: Veteran outfielder signed and sent to Triple-A

The Giants have signed outfielder Jeff Francoeur to a minor-league contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Following his release Sunday from Kansas City after struggling for most of the last two seasons, “Frenchy” will join Triple-A Fresno and await promotion.

Francouer is just 29 but has already had a turbulent major-league career, with the Royals as the fourth team that has given up on the right-handed hitter. Since signing a 3-year, $16 million deal in KC, Francoeur produced only the first season. As the everyday right fielder, he hit 20 home runs and posted a .285 batting average. In the season-and-a-half since, Francoeur has failed to match that home run total and his batting average has slipped to the Mendoza Line.

The outfielder’s arm is the stuff of legend, but his defensive metrics have been wildly inconsistent when they haven’t been just plain bad. The Giants have been a mess in left field all season, but Frenchy’s career numbers don’t indicate that he will be a significant upgrade over Andres Torres. But the Giants are toying with fringe prospect Cole Gillespie at the moment, which makes the Francoeur signing an inevitability rather than an option.

Caveat emptor. FanGraphs’ Wendy Thurm pointed out on Twitter today that Francoeur has played just 12 innings in the outfield in the majors.

Aside from all of that, the minor-league deal will not burden the Giants, as Kansas City is picking up nearly all of the $6.75 he is owed for the 2013 season. Brian Sabean has won two titles and become the longest-tenured general manager by squeezing rocks and finding out they were gold nuggets.

Stay gold, Frenchy.

 

Angel Pagan injury: Giants center fielder may have surgery, seeking second opinion

Giants center fielder Angel Pagan had an MRI on his injured hamstring Friday that revealed a tear in his hamstring, according to Alex Pavlovic of the Merc. He is considering surgery that would keep him out six weeks, but is seeking a second opinion before going under the knife. In such situations, you can also consider auto injury tips provided by reliable websites like TechDrive. Injuries are inevitable especially when it has happened out of accident and it is best to consider the car accident lawyer victorville as the first preference in handling of the cases.when you are injured in a motorcycle accident it is always advisable to seek the help of attorneys as they can help you to claim compensation. For situations like the slip and fall injuries, you can also seek slip and fall attorneys help as they can help you in claiming compensation.

The tear occurred while Pagan was sprinting down the first base line in a rehab start in San Jose, with the speedster pulling up with a limp before crumpling into a heap. He was carted off the field and returned to the Bay to get the MRI.

Pagan has been out since his improbable inside-the-park walk-off home run against the Rockies on May 25th, his third home run of the season. Before the injuy Pagan was the Giants’ everyday leadoff hitter, batting .262/.314/.374.

With Andres Torres, Gregor Blanco and Juan Perez cobbling together a pretty good Pagan impression, I think Pagan should just have the surgery and be ready for a stretch run that will certainly have the Giants chasing their third NL West title in three years. Three teams are within 3.5 games of division-leading Arizona, with San Diego the only team trending in the right direction. Hang on to your hats, fans of NL West teams.