With the Dodgers coming off a sweep in San Francisco and their acquisition of Hanley Ramirez, the Giants need an answer. Ned Coletti and the Dodgers front office have pushed all their chips to the center of the table. If Brian Sabean and the Giants want to make a big time "Call," they will trade for the Phillies' right fielder Hunter Pence.
The Giants lineup flat out hasn't gotten it done recently. They were shutout in back to back games by the Dodgers. The team ranks dead last in the majors in home runs and 26th in RBIs. They are in desperate need of another bat, especially in right field. Hunter Pence is the answer.
I personally like Nate Schierholtz a lot and even wrote that he should get a chance to start over Gregor Blanco in right field. Shierholtz has had his chance in the second half and hasn't produced. Hunter Pence could come in and immediately be everything the Giants have looked for in right field. Pence has a decent .271 average (20 points higher than Schierholtz or Blanco) but more importantly has been a power hitter and run producer. The big 6'4 righty has 17 home runs so far. Pence also fits the Giants need perfectly because he is right handed. The Giants have struggled against lefties this year and feel that their biggest need is a right handed hitter.
In the field, Pence isn't gold glove material like Gregor Blanco, but has one of the best arms in the majors. At a lanky 6'4, Pence has long arms necessary to gun down anyone at the plate. He doesn't have the speed that Gregor Blanco possesses, but is still an above average baserunner and can cover plenty of ground in the outfield.
Like many deadline deals, the financial aspect is often more important than the player's ability on the diamond. Giants GM Brian Sabean has stated that the team doesn't want to pay big time to rent a guy for one year - like they did with Carlos Beltran. Beltran had a $19 million dollar salary when the Giants acquired him from the Mets and the Giants feel that this is simply to much to pay for any rental player. Pence is on the edge of falling into the Beltran category. His current salary is only half of Beltran's 2011 deal, but is still pricey at $10.4 million. Additionally, Pence will be a free agent at the end of the year. It's not a foregone conclusion that the Giants would let him walk, but many signs point to the Giants inability or unwillingness to pay big bucks for another position player. Clearly, the financial aspect of this deal isn't perfect for the Giants. Yet would they be willing to pay a fraction of Pence's remaining salary in order to win a World Series? I believe so.
In addition to considering his skill and financial constraints, the Giants must also decide if Pence's services are worth parting ways with a few prospects. In the rumored deal for Pence, it is unclear exactly who the Giants would send back to Philadelphia. When the Giants acquired Carlos Beltran, Zach Wheeler, the team's top pitching prospect, was sent to the Mets in return. Even though Wheeler has yet to pan out, the Giants don't want to have to give up another top prospect. Tommy Joseph, a young catcher who is one of the Giants good but not great prospects, could be the key piece of the deal. If Joseph is the top prospect included in the deal, the Giants should definitely pull the trigger. Buster Posey will be behind home plate in San Francisco for years to come, making Joseph expendable.
Everything points to a deal. The pieces are in place, the Giants need the help and Pence's contract isn't awful. Without another bat, it would be hard to see the Giants having enough hitting. With Pence, the Giants are legitimate World Series contenders.
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