! ! ! ! Can’t get any lower. Still I feel I’m sinking ! ! ! !
Outshined by Chris Cornell and Soundgarden. The theme song for your SF Giants 2026 team.
In a season full of pitching debacles and crushing losses, they managed to pull one out for the ages.
Yes, the biggest blown 9th inning league in the 125 year history of the team. They were 2,208-0 when leading by 6 or more in the 9th. Til today.
Up 9-3 in the top of the 9th, the team could not even get an out before Cincy tied it. Bivans came in and really had no clue. Not sure why whoever the interim manager even was didn’t pull him a little faster, but I think it was pretty obvious Bivens didn’t have it. He gave up the longest home run into the cove that I’ve ever seen. Then again, Smith came in and nuked the joint. And the rest was errors, walks and general rookie ball crap.
I guess the lockout is a blessing.
For Dolly . . .
Forty Niners Forever 
Padres have been shits offensively all season. They’ve scored 1 more run than the Giants (12th-13th NL), with BA of .235 and OPS under .700, again bottom 3-4 in NL. And yet Roupp can’t get these guys out on day Tatis Jr. gets a rest.
I was curious about the Dodgers prospect deals, so asked AI to make a list:
Tarik Skubal Trade (August 2026): Sent top prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith to the Detroit Tigers.
Max Scherzer & Trea Turner Trade (July 2021): Shipped top prospect Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray to the Washington Nationals.
Mookie Betts & David Price Trade (February 2020): Dealt prospects Jeter Downs and Connor Wong to the Boston Red Sox.
Manny Machado Trade (July 2018): Traded Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, and other prospects to the Baltimore Orioles.
Yu Darvish Trade (July 2017): To land Yu Darvish for their 2017 pennant run, the Dodgers traded their No. 4 overall system prospect, power-hitting infielder/outfielder Willie Calhoun, alongside pitching prospects A.J. Alexy and Brendon Davis, to the Texas Rangers.
Rich Hill & Josh Reddick Trade (August 2016): L.A. shipped a massive package of high-ceiling arms to the Oakland Athletics. The deal included the Dodgers’ 2014 first-round pick Grant Holmes, flame-throwing right-hander Frankie Montas, and future All-Star Futures Game selection Jharel Cotton.
Yordan Alvarez for Josh Fields (August 2016): While not widely seen as a “top 100” name at the exact moment of the trade because he had just signed out of Cuba six weeks prior, 19-year-old Yordan Alvarez was a highly touted $2 million international prospect. The Dodgers famously dealt him to the Houston Astros for reliever Josh Fields in what became one of the most lopsided prospect trades in MLB history.
Yasmani Grandal & Matt Kemp Mega-Deal (December 2014): In Andrew Friedman’s first winter reshaping the franchise, the Dodgers traded veteran Matt Kemp and catcher Tim Federowicz to the San Diego Padres. To pull it off, they surrendered highly ranked pitching prospect Zach Eflin (who was then flipped to Philadelphia), netting them Yasmani Grandal, Joe Wieland, and Andrew Heaney
I don’t recognize many of those top prospect names. Yordan of course. Maybe im just too SF focused.
I think their reputation as some drafting and development superpower is a little overblown. In addition to the players they’ve traded away, the homegrown talent they’ve had in their line ups over the last decade hasn’t been that great.
I think you’re right James and thanks for list. current starters in their lineup not named Will smith almost all came from elsewhere. Lotta guys like Gavin Lux and Zack McKinstry as ex Dodgers floundering on other teams.
I think Pages is one of their picks.
Yes he is. Gets lot of props for being a great CF…and yet made 12 errors there last season.
Champ Knicks starting 5: 4 thru trades and 1 FA
Well, earlier I wondered if Roupp could get through 5 and throw no more than 95 pitches. Nope. 4 2/3 and 99, with 5 walks. 5. And, that includes a 1-2-3 4th inning. I hope this dude can get through his obvious mental issues on the mound. He has some physical skills, but just loses the strike zone way to easily with adversity. If you regularly can’t get through 5 frames under 90-100 pitches, IMO you are not much of a starter. He’s been around this organization a while, so I have my doubts.
This Basabe guy isn’t going to remind us of Schmitt’s glove, but apparently he can swing it — 2nd HR in two days. Giants just finished their 6th inning and behind in the score statistic. Chances are they will lose this one just like the other 49 out of 50 or whatever it is, losses have gone before…
Roupp gave up that bomb to Merrill on a 93 mph fastball 6 inches above the zone. That just shouldn’t happen, unless Schwarber is hitting. 5 walks for a guy throwing 93 shouldn’t happen either. He has Webb-like stuff, but maybe that just shows you how hard it is to be effective when you rely heavily on movement and command.
When he gets out of sorts walking guys, the pitches are mostly non-competitive. To me, that’s mental and lack of composure. His mechanics break down, and there is a cascade of pitches continually out of the zone. His stuff isn’t good enough to overcome the lack of command. At his experience level, this should not be happening. It’s not like he’s a 22 year old rushed up from a couple of AA starts. He’ll probably do the usual thing with younger, not young, Giants pitchers. They’ll trade him or cut him loose due to lack of improvement. Then, he’ll finally prosper in another organization that has better pitching development and coaching. Get him to the Brewers and he’ll turn into a solid #3 or #4.
Well, another close loss. Just good enough to lose. They had a runner on 3rd in the 8th, could not get him in to tie it, as usual.
Now 18 games underwater. I’m not sure they’ve been there before, but I think that’s the season low so far. 20 games under is coming — too many guys hurt, Pen is gawdawful, starters rarely can get over the 5 inning hump. Bring on the no-name players and young guys, and we’ll see how they do — get intel for the offseason on them. That’s the only thing now that this season is good for.
There better have been some trades done by this time tomorrow. I don’t want to hear that so and so wasn’t traded because the offers weren’t good enough…
No thanks. The no name players and young guys (beside Eldridge) are already hard enough to watch. Let the Sacto guys play AAA ball in Sac and develop their game, pls, so they possibly might be more helpful next year.
Cavanaugh Basabe and Furman are up here (Rodrigues is hurt plus Chapman and Schmit), plus Koss. Bericoto and Cox OK. I can see another OF if Ramos is moved or they want to see someone beside Gilbert and McCray, but two months of chump change minor leaguers trying to play ML ball is overkill.
I won’t at all be surprised if Ray and Arraez are viewed or treated as marginal difference makers and we get underwhelming talent in return.
You just described many couples I know…
*Almost* following you there, Loo …
Some vastly different views here about what should be done, from trading everyone to keeping most of them with just a few new acquisitions. I wonder if everyone in the front office is on the same page or if there’s uncertainty among them as well. This team is in one of the weirdest situations at the trade deadline that I can remember. Hard to think everyone will be happy (maybe even if anyone will be happy)….
Obviously they still have to fix pitching. I just don’t think Posey’s tradeable guys will be bring much of worth, ala last season. Minus Ray, rotation is really hurting. Less said about pen the better.
Fortune cookie wisdom:
Forget about happiness – Just enjoy happy moments…
In Vietnam, Thailand, etc., they’re called “happy ending.”
Ray might prefer to go elsewhere this winter but Arraez is likely to take an extension offer seriously. Get what you can for Ray. Hold out on Arraez. We don’t need any more Gilberts.
Agree.
Tugboat kicked ass in his most recent Sac start.
wtf is wrong with the Braves?
Cheaper than Ray, has pitched well since returning from the IL, was good for Texas last year. They gave up nothing, which would not have been the case for Ray presumably. That’s the best rationale I can come up with.
5 runs in 5 innings yesterday. Probably didn’t help negotiations.
Having a Molina ensures things are going to sink lower before they get better.
Well the first losing chip is leaving thank goodness but for probably a worse BP guy styler Mahle is going to Braves for RH reliever Anthony Molina?His stats are flat out garbage bunch of hits and HR’s allowed per innings pitched..So he will fit in perfectly with this sorry ass pen!
Massive fire damage in greater Spokane area…hope Blade’s property is Ok when he returns from overseas trip.
Chatting with him occasionally. His recent FB post indicated his ‘hood is a couple miles away from one of the fires but he says he’s confident it will be ok… Man, so many fires. But no fire sale at the deadline for the Giants! Not yet, anyway…
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/08/yankees-interested-in-heliot-ramos.html
Ty Willie and Paul. Reminiscent of the Caldor fire I went through in 2021. Then, I was spending time with friends in Colorado. So, same attitude – if the house is there, it’s there. If not, that’s fine too. Meanwhile, I am having fun in SE Asia and really haven’t thought too much about the fires there. Just hoping my neighbors are safe.
I was just in Saigon for a week, back in Da Nang now. You’re going up to Tuy Hoa. Not sure we’ll be able to meet up this time around, but that would be great. Haha, maybe I can get down to Tuy Hoa….
Sounds like you’ve made a nice recovery, Paul. Glad to hear it!
Thanks Loo… ah, you know how it is, in our older years, just moving from one thing to another. One kidney taken care of, the other one acting up now too. On we go…
DO IT! It will provide a reason for me to get a hotel room too (only 1 or 2 AC units in Linh’s family 5 story house).
I’ll think about that…
Linh, got me a flight immediately following my HCM arrival tomorrow, so fortunately I can leave HCM within a few hours of my arrival.
Arraez to the Phillies…
Killian also packaged as part of the deal. In return, two A ball pitchers including Ramon Marquez, their #4 prospect
Yes. Marquez has thrown 30 innings this season at High A ball. In other words, highly rated but 2 years away at best. So Posey still has 2027 to figure out.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7478592/2026/07/30/phillies-prospect-ramon-marquez-trade-deadline/?unlocked_article_code=1.2lA.bJka.LSAGky91yNnl&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share
The return for the best hitter in the league seems a bit light to me…. What do you all think who were in favor of trading him?
I think this is about as good as it was gonna get for a rental. Beltran was still in his prime when we got him for Wheeler.
I think it’s a smart trade. I don’t like seeing Arraez leave, but I’d say Buster did ok here.
Agreed. Marquez top prospect in crummy system (Phils in bottom half) is about as good as they could do. They weren’t going to get ML ready pitching for rental like Arraez.
Only ? would be what Giants do with him rest of the year–A ball in Eugene or up to AA ball in Richmond for a month?
Arraez to the Philies. no word on the return
a very smart economist could probably explain the relative value of pitching right now, both in mlb generally and for the hapless Giants. A 102 mph arm is like nvidia stock in 2019. Or not. But you gotta try.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/giants-acquire-rhps-ramon-marquez-marty-gair-in-luis-arraez-trade-with-phillies-report/
OTOH, when the game swings to a low scoring stretch (one that it may never emerge from unless they lower the mound), the value of a hitter who can thrive in the middle of regular 97 mph fastballs, 88 mph changes really stands out.
speculating about post revolution structures is a mook’s game.
Here’s a slightly less sanguine write up of Marquez:
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/ramon-marquez-827408?stats=career-r-pitching-milb
Here’s hoping for that filled out frame.
here’s hoping he’s not another whiz? Yeah. Reminds me of drafting Tyler Beede out of Vanderbilt just becz other (much better) Vandy pitchers were succeeding.
on the bums. About 15 years ago mlb gave the new owners of the Astros concessions in return for cooperative promises–switch leagues, reinvest in the roster et al. Astros went from first to worst quickly but then got greedy and arrogant and cheated etc. Same time, mlb dug deeper to help the bums out of McCourt era and bankruptcy etc. to turn them for marketing purposes into Yankees west. Now greed and arrogance have exploded in LA.
whatever battle plan mlb adopts for a salary cap lockout should include a readjustment of the bums’ unbalanced, privileged position.
Seems like the whole U.S. is nothing but payola now and baseball is no different. It’s not just the music business anymore. I have just about given up on baseball and it’s not because the Giants suck…well maybe it is.
I’m with ya, Winder…
It sure doesn’t help, Winder. Just watching the Dogs pick of the best players every deadline is hysterical and totatl bullshit.
The reason this looks like the NFL back in the 90s is because the rest of the owners, despite the profit sharing set up by Pete Rozelle, is for this same reason. The rich getting richer. Good players want to go to good teams to get the ring.
The baseball owners don’t seem to care as much about building winning franchises though. Not when the shittiest teams are worth billions.
what’s new? The republicans get their 8 (or 12) years of corrupt plunder power, then the slightly less corrupt democrats mop up for a while, then repeat. Comparable cycles in industries like mlb. That’s my guess.