the Giants are an older team with star-caliber veterans who are in the last years of their theoretical window to win. Buster Posey turns 31 in March, and he’s signed through 2021. Brandon Crawford turns 31 this month; he’s signed through 2021. Brandon Belt will be 30 in April, and he’s signed through 2021. Newly acquired third baseman Evan Longoria is 32. Madison Bumgarner is 28, under contract for the next couple of seasons, having thrown 1,600 innings. Johnny Cueto is two years into a six-year deal and turns 32 next month; Jeff Samardzija will celebrate his 33rd birthday this month. Mark Melancon will be 33 in March.
The Giants have a desperate need right now for an outfielder, particularly a center fielder, and Cain would be a perfect fit right now. The Giants are among baseball’s wealthiest franchises because of the brilliant decisions by the club’s ownership a quarter-century ago to privately fund their own ballpark -- debt that is now fully paid off -- and acquire and develop the real estate around Authentic Trea Turner Jersey AT&T. The front office drafted and developed players like Posey, Crawford and Bumgarner, and won three World Series in five years. It’s hard to fathom the sale price of the Giants if they were put up for auction today. Sure, they have luxury tax concerns -- they’ll be one of the few teams over the $197 million threshold in 2018 -- and yes, they’d like to restore the farm system.
But for a franchise with so many assets, does it make sense to allow the value of the second-round pick -- the 42nd selection in the draft -- stand in the way of immediate and needed improvements like Cain? It’s true that the Miami Marlins are prepared to listen to offers for Christian Yelich and others, but their asking price is said by other teams to be extremely high -- the very best prospects in other organizations. For the Chicago White Sox, that might mean the likes of outfielder Eloy Jimenez or Michael Kopech would have to be in any deal or, for the Braves, outfielder Ronald Acuna. That doesn't necessarily mean this will end up as a huge win, nor does it mean that the Pirates didn't get enough in return. For those -- especially Pirates fans -- who are disappointed in the return, receiving either Forrest Whitley or Kyle Tucker as the centerpiece of the trade was never going to happen. Those are arguably two of the top 10 or 15 prospects in the game and the Astros weren't going to give up one of them for two years of Cole. Plus, the Pirates did their due diligence. This was what they viewed to be the best offer as they received three players who will have major league careers in Joe Musgrove, Colin Moran and Michael Feliz, Teddy Purcell Jersey plus prospect Jason Martin. Maybe it feels a little light, but the Pirates went with depth and certainty over risky potential, and it seems pretty obvious that nobody really viewed Cole as an ace. Cole gives up too much hard contact for a pitcher with his caliber of stuff, and became particularly homer-prone last season; he gave up as many homers just on http://www.authenticcelticstore.com/authentic-11-kyrie-irving-jersey.html fastballs (18) in 2017 as he did in his previous two seasons on all pitch types. Cole has a tendency to try to throw his way out of trouble, which causes his stuff to flatten out. His four-seamer has always been true, but he can show a plus slider and changeup when he doesn't overthrow them, although he's still vulnerable to quality contact when working in the strike zone, especially in the middle third of the zone if you divide it vertically. He can get away with four-seamers at or above the top of the zone or by burying a slider at the bottom; in 2017 he missed those spots far too often. "You always respected him because he came out to do his job and [did it] with a lot of class," once recalled Torre, a fellow Hall of Famer. "He prepared himself http://www.footballcardinalsofficial.com/Authentic-Troy-Niklas-Jersey every day. He was very consistent, and that's the highest compliment you can pay anybody." Harvey was diagnosed with http://www.eaglesofficialsshop.com/Wes_Hopkins_Jersey_Cheap oral cancer in 1997 and went through radiation treatments, a seizure and a stroke while recovering. Harvey and wife Joy, married since 1960, took their message about the dangers of smokeless tobacco to players, coaches and managers at all levels. During his final tour of duty Dejounte Murray Jersey around the NL, Harvey was treated to crowd reactions unusual for an umpire. Instead of the constant heckling and criticism from the stands, the ump known for a shock of silver hair got standing ovations and gifts as he made his last trips to various cities. "Doug Harvey set the bar for future umpires. He was revered for his calm demeanor, ability to control the game, knowledge of the strike zone and comprehension of the rules," Hall President Jeff Idelson said. "He umpired with integrity, heart and common sense." Harvey grew up a three-sport star in El Centro, a small California town near the Mexican border. Before making the majors at 32, Harvey held some 53 jobs, from farming http://www.officialpenguinsauthentic.com/Tom_Barrasso_Jersey to construction to milking cows. He umpired his first Brice Johnson Authentic Jersey game for $3 at age 16, when the regular umpire did not show for a fast-pitch softball game. He enjoyed it and soon was umpiring Little League and Pony League games. Harvey spent four years in the minors, where he met Joy while umpiring a Class C game in Bakersfield. They had three sons. By the time he umpired his first big league game in 1962, Harvey's hair had turned foul-line white, suiting him for the role of baseball arbiter. Knee problems had forced him to retire from playing three decades later.