While Brian Sabean's most important task this offseason is to find a power bat, his most difficult decision might be what to do about the catcher position.

Is Buster Posey ready to start in the major leagues? Buster is struggling in the Arizona Fall League. While a lot of people don't put a lot of stock in AFL or winter league stats, Brian Sabean has historically made good performances mandatory prerequisites to prospects earning a MLB roster spot.

If Buster isn't ready, do you want Bengie Molina back? Would Bengie accept a 1 year contract? Should he be offered arbitration? it seems to me that if Posey is not ready, by whatever criteria you use to determine this, then offering Bengie arbitration is a no-brainer. If he accepts, he's your catcher for next year, if he doesn't, you get a couple of extra draft picks. What if Buster is ready? Do you roll the dice and offer Bengie arbitration anyway?

What is Buster isn't ready and Bengie is gone, outa here? What else is available on the market? Here are rundowns of the Free Agent and Trade markets for catchers:

www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/09/free-agent-market-catchers.html

www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/10/trade-market-catchers.html

See anything you like?

Here is Bengie's line from 2009 just for a point of reference: .265/.285/.442 with 20 HR's. Age 35. 491 AB's.

Free agents: Pudge: .249/.286/.384 with 10 HR's Age 38. 425 AB's. Pudge is the best defensive catcher on the market which fits the Giants scheme well, but he's a definite downgrade from Bengie offensively.

Miguel Olivo: .249/.292/.490 with 23 HR's. 31 yo, 390 AB's. Slight offensive upgrade and younger, but like Bengie, will probably want a multiyear contract.

Yorvit Torrealba: Rocks have an option. .291/.351/.380. 31 yo, 213 AB's. Gives you a better OBP, but not much power.

Jason Kendall: Known for his great plate discipline, his BA has eroded to the point where that only gets him a OBP of about .330 and he has no power at all. Pass.

Trades: Kelly Shoppach: .214/.335/.399 with 12 HR's in .271 AB's. 30 yo. Arbitration eligible. Expected cost $2.5-3 M. A non-tender candidate. Do you wait and see if he is non-tendered and try to sign him, or do you trade a Merkin Valdez/Jesus Guzman for his rights? The BA is terrible, but the OBP is an upgrade and his IsoP is almost identical to Bengie's. Bonus: He's coming off a .865 OPS season in 2008, so has the possibility of bouncing back to that.

John Buck: .247/.299/.484 with 8 HR's in 186 AB's. Age 29. Similar numbers to Bengie, but younger. I don't know about his D, but I'm guessing it's not very good.

Conclusion: The best-case scenario if Buster isn't ready is offer arbitration to Bengie. Bengie signs with another team giving us two extra draft picks. We then swing a trade for Shoppach.

I'm thinking it's a no-brainer the Giants offer Bengie arbitration. But he would be too proud to take it, which makes sense considering he'll probably get better, multi-year offers from other teams.

I'd be happy to see Gerald Posey start half the games next year, doesn't matter who he shares duties with, they won't be great.

I would offer Bengie arb for sure. He won't take it, though I'd be happy if he did.

Then I'd try for a Pudge/Posey tandem for 1 year.

I remember the last years of Benito fondly, and getting Pudge late in his career seems similar.

Also I think there's a lot Posey could learn from Pudge.

Florida has this guy named Ronny Paulino that could probably help us.

although posey started off slow in the AFL...he has picked it up recently with 2 HRs (another that he hit to the 430 mark in center but because the fence is 430 it didn't go out) in the last two games and he has also started to throw out runners...

I say offer molina arb and if he accepts then fine...if not thats good too...

Hey bb4,

"Florida has this guy named Ronny Paulino that could probably help us."

Yeah, both Paulino and Jose Morales from MN would do well as trade targets, as would Gregg Zaun as a FA signing, although Zaun has made it clear he'd like to stay in TB.

But I think the Giants will likely offer Molina arbitration, and that he'll take it. If he turns it down, he'll have those two draft choices hanging around his neck, which will significantly impact his ability to get the FA deal he'll want.

I'm not sure many team would be willing to offer him more than a 1+1 type of deal, anyway. He's 35, a below average defensive catcher, and at least 40 lbs overweight. He and Jose must challenge each other to eating contests. Jose looks even fatter than Bengie.

I just hope the Giants acquire the bat they need to force Bochy to drop Molina to the 8 hole, where he belongs.

LoneStar

Great points with our catcher problems and if Molina walks(which would be the first ive seen him do whith the Giants)we could get a good add with Olivo.My vote Posey isnt overall ready for the majors. Pudge would be excellent for his knowledge so i would be great on D but not to much on O. A Sabean move would be gettin Brian Schiender or something like that

"Is Buster Posey ready to start in the major leagues?"

I realize I am the minority in this subject but I would offer Molina so low that he would become a free agent and endear the two draft choices. Posey will be a star. He might start out slow in April but by the 2nd week of May, I believe he will be in stride maybe not as an all-star but well on his way to being the all-time best Giants catcher. Not kool aid thinking but just good vibes about this kid. IMO

same old, same old

[ 111602.28]

Yeah, because making a decision based on what a player's AFL stats are is wise (sarcasm). (Facepalm, thinks about dumba## Renteria signing)

So you really think Emmanuel Burriss should have been our opening day shortstop?

Over Renteria, yes.

Since Sabean went out and got Uribe anyway, why didn't he just give HIM the SS job from the getgo? might've been able to pass that off as an offensive upgrade with the power he has compared to Omar.

Our money should've gone to power at the corners last year, not some washed up SS with no hitting or fielding ability anymore. Adam Dunn would've been perfect.

from espn:
"San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is struggling in the Arizona Fall League, but our own Jason Grey cautions Giants fans not to worry about it too much, writing that "more than one scout has questioned why he's even here," that he "looks very tired" and that Posey "still is likely to be the Opening Day catcher next season and can have success right away."

The Giants No. 1 prospect, Grey writes, has even had problems blocking balls, which has been a strength of Posey's since college.

Keith Law, who scouted the Fall League's first week, has more.

Keith Law
Posey's status unchanged

"Even when I saw Posey (early in the AFL schedule), he looked exhausted. It's his first full year in pro ball, playing the most demanding position on the field, and he didn't get September off like most AFL prospects do. Nothing to see here -- just move along.""

so I wouldn't worry about Posey. If we want someone to tutor the young guys, instead of let him play everyday, then it should be Pudge. I doubt he would come here for that purpose. I like the idea of possibly trading for Saltalamaccia. He can play 1B as well as C and we would eventually fill 2 spots with young guys, wheater it was Posey or Salty behind the dish and the other out in the field. That, in my mind, is the only reason why we shouldn't have a in house candidate at the C position. If we give Posey the spot, it should be his and he should not have to worry about it at all. After hearing this from ESPN, these quote really want me to see Posey get sent home for some rest.

Posey has struggled with passed balls since his pro debut last fall in the HWBL, so I question the analyst who claims that is a strength. I agree that he is probably exhausted. I wouldn't have a problem with him being our starting catcher on opening day, but I do think he would struggle for at least the first couple of months of the season. The organization, though, is giving off strong signals that they don't think Buster is ready. Just the fact that he is playing in the AFL is evidence of that. As for the exhaustion excuse, he pretty much had the whole month of September off, didn't he?

Yeah, Uribe would be a good choice to be the full time shortstop.....if you are decorating the field with baseball statuary. Uribe is Deivi Cruz Jr. at shortstop. As for Burriss, thinking he would have been a better choice than Rentawreck is crossing over into fantasy land, and that's not because 'wreck was a great choice. Unfortunately, Renteria was the only realistic shortstop available, unless you would rather have had OCab instead of the draft pick that turned into Tommy Joseph. Personally, I'd rather have Joseph.

from azgiants.com:

"Posey gets robbed by this stadium like no other…I have said that its 430ft dead center. Posey hits monster shots, probably 420ft that are always to dead center. He got 2 FO’s today that would have been HR’s if not for the park."

that was in yesterday's game....

B. Molina is too slow behind the plate. Can't move to block balls in the dirt. He can only attempt to stab at balls with his glove. The Angels recognized this years ago and that's why they didn't try to resign him. He would make a good DH is the American League but not a full time catcher.

"Renteria was the only realistic shortstop available, unless you would rather have had OCab instead of the draft pick that turned into Tommy Joseph. Personally, I'd rather have Joseph."

There is a point where a draft pick isn't worth anything if it makes your big club worse. When you think about the money spent on Renteria v. Hudson or Cabrera you're essentially saying the Giants spent $4-6M just to get Tommy Joseph.

I'd rather have production out of SS and a few extra million to spend this year.

-chef

I would assume to not offer Bengie arb, he probably wont take it anyways, cause that would imply we would be trying to find something better. And pick up someone to split time with Posey. I like the idea of having Pudge back there to help refine Poseys defensive game.

But it seems actually getting offensive production from a catcher is going to be hard to come by, Posey playing all year is just as likely to get us production as picking up any of the guys mentioned. I say dont sign anyone for more than a two year and no one is worth more than 8 mil.

renteria was in my opinion the worst acquisition, production to pay, we made last year. i would have easily decided to keep him fat salary and play uribe and burriss all year. we could have got another 3rd or 4th rotation guy, or a lead off, or a 5 spot caliber guy for his money.

I think offering arb to Molina is a no brainer. If he accepts, he gets 1 yr at about 7 or 8 mil. I think he declines it. The Yankees will be looking for a C/DH type to split time with Posada.