Fresh off the news of getting contract extensions from the San Francisco Giants, General Manager Brian Sabean and skipper Bruce Bochy took part in a conference call Tuesday along with team Vice President Bobby Evans discussing the rest of the team's offseason plans, noting that a 'big splash' is an unlikely signing for the Black and Orange this year, including Carlos Beltran.
Sabean, along with Bochy and Evans, mentioned that most of the money left this offseason will go to their 'gold standard' of pitching, attempting to lock up Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for the long run instead of a player like Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes, or even current Giant Carlos Beltran:
"There won't be any big splash," Sabean said. "Our pitching is our gold standard. We have to make sure we take care of that commodity first."
When asked about a lower-tier star such as Jimmy Rollins to plug the hole at shortstop, Sabean wasn't very optimistic either:
"It's going to be a function of what's left in the payroll and what the price point is. A sticker shock type of play, I don't anticipate it, a household name, per se.
Sabean said that re-signing Carlos Beltran will probably be a 'longshot' as well, though he did mention he would discuss the situation in an internal conference call later today. The prospect of playing for an AL club might be very appealing to him; a place where he could DH and likely be offered a longer-term contract than the Giants are willing to float:
"He is a consideration but term will be an issue with anybody we pursue," Sabean said. "Whether it's him or anybody else. We have a game plan with what we consider a reasonable length."
Sabean also made it clear that Lincecum and Cain will not be his focus at the winter meetings in Dallas beginning this Sunday. He is out to improve the offense, with the outfield being the area most glaring area of need in that regard. Though he did mention that another move might simply not get made:
"I think we have developed enough choices including our young players in the mix and our arbitration eligible players as far as the price point that's suitable," he said. "I think we've created enough food for thought and flexibility."
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