Giants On The Corners

Giants On The Corners

Whether you like it or not, the time is coming. Buster Posey will no longer be the catcher for your San Francisco Giants. You’ll look out and see him standing at third base or at first base, full time.

Love him or hate him, Tim Kawakami put out a great article on the future of Posey and Tim Lincecum. He has some interesting thoughts on Posey moving to third after the impending departure of Pablo Sandoval but admits that Posey could stick at first base if Brandon Belt can’t hold on to the job or is traded. What he doesn’t examine is a situation where all three stay in the city by the bay.

In order for this situation to play out, the Giants need to pony up and pay Sandoval. I’m in full support of this, even if it costs them $100 million over the next 6 years. Sandoval is one of the few players on this team that can change the game with his bat (this is one of my personal favorites). He’s also the best defensive player on the team and one of the best defensive third baseman in baseball. He has to stay.

With Pablo planted at the hot corner for 6 or so more years that means first base is the only option for Posey. But what about Belt?

It’s obvious. Put him in left field.

If the Giants are going to pay Sandoval the kind of contract everyone expects him to receive, they’re going to have to cut costs elsewhere. And that means left field. No more searching for a power hitting free agent. Belt will give you similar power numbers, similar average, and similar defense to what Michael Morse has provided in the corner this year.  He won’t be cheap, but he certainly won’t be expensive. This also won’t be Belt’s first adventure in the outfield; he has played 270 innings in the outfield, 258.1 of those innings in left. If the team and organization can commit to the strategy then there will be plenty of time to allow him to adjust.

So why not? Keep your best players where they’re best – for Pablo that’s at third base and for Posey it is quickly becoming first base. And don’t worry about behind the plate; Andrew Susac is going to be just fine back there.

Food for thought…

2015

1. Angel Pagan, CF
2. Brandon Belt, LF
3. Buster Posey, 1B
4. Pablo Sandoval, 3B
5. Hunter Pence, RF
6. Andrew Susac, C
7. Joe Panik, 2B
8. Brandon Crawford, SS

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- Robert Barsanti, @rgbarsanti

Technorati Tags: Brandon Belt, Buster Posey, Catcher, First Base, Left Field, Pablo Sandoval, Third Base