Only the Giants

[mdwilla]

Sabean also was seen chatting with Craig Landis, who represents reliever Bobby Howry, who made between 72 and 84 appearances in each of the past four years. His ERA last year was 5.35, but it was 3.00 over the three previous seasons. Sabean seems confident he can redo his bullpen largely through free agency, saying, "There's enough depth there to think there should be enough to go around."

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/05/SPPT13UPOQ.DTL

[nilodnayr]

OMG thats perfect!!!! Sabean LOVES signing guys before the arb deadline so he loses draft picks. It would be insane if we can get 2 picks out of Howry.

[abuck1220]

lol at building your bullpen through free agency.

[UMFan83]

lol at building your bullpen through free agency.

 

Jim Hendry of 2005 wonders why that's funny.

[JimSorgi]

This is great news. I love Sabean.

[Sammy Sofa]

lol at building your bullpen through free agency.

 

Jim Hendry of 2005 wonders why that's funny.

 

The Cubs fans of 2005-2006 can think of 179 reasons.

[RedFlash]

Sabean,

 

I double dog dare you to sign Bob Howry on Friday.....What are ya, chicken?

[BigbadB]

One man's garbage is another man's treasure.

[RammyFanny]

If he gets us two picks....

 

Speechless.

[RammyFanny]

When is the arb deadline?

[cubsfan26]

The Giants would be stupid to sign Howry this month, but in the past they didn't wanna pay their first round pick. So sometimes they signed Type A free agents and lost their draft pick. It would be awesome if they ended up doing something like that again. But if they waited to December or January there would be nothing wrong with them signing Howry. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised at all if Howry makes some type of adjustment or gets a little velocity back and is good again next year. Relievers, especially veteran relievers can have many up and down years.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

If the Giants sign Howry and we get their first round pick, I will be ecstatic.

[nilodnayr]

When is the arb deadline?

 

I'm pretty sure December 1st.

[nilodnayr]

If the Giants sign Howry and we get their first round pick, I will be ecstatic.

 

We can't get their first round pick. Their 6th pick in the first round is protected. Howry is near the bottom of the Type A's and Sabean is talking a big game about signing guys, so we'd probably end up with the sandwich and third or fourth round. Regardless, it would be awesome.

[Jehrico]

If the Giants sign Howry and we get their first round pick, I will be ecstatic.

If Howry gets us two picks, I'll stop using his name instead of....you know...

[nilodnayr]

The Giants would be stupid to sign Howry this month, but in the past they didn't wanna pay their first round pick. So sometimes they signed Type A free agents and lost their draft pick. It would be awesome if they ended up doing something like that again. But if they waited to December or January there would be nothing wrong with them signing Howry. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised at all if Howry makes some type of adjustment or gets a little velocity back and is good again next year. Relievers, especially veteran relievers can have many up and down years.

 

For reference:

2004 draft: Lost their 1st round pick

 

2005 draft: Lost their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks

 

2006 draft: 1st round pick was protected (Lincecum), lost their 2nd and 3rd round picks (but got a sandwhich and the Cubs 3rd rounder for Eyre)

 

2007 draft: 1st round pick was protected (Bumgarner), lost their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks (but picked up two firsts and three sandwhiches)

 

2008 draft: 1st round pick was protected (Posey), lost their 2nd (but got a sandwhich)

[Mephistopheles]

hey guys id bet money that 09 howry is more 07 howry than 08 howry

[daske17]

If the Giants sign Howry and we get their first round pick, I will be ecstatic.

If Howry gets us two picks, I'll stop using his name instead of....you know...

 

So what you're saying is that if the Giants sign Howry, they'll end up with Howry?

[Proven Veteran]

The Giants would be stupid to sign Howry this month, but in the past they didn't wanna pay their first round pick. So sometimes they signed Type A free agents and lost their draft pick. It would be awesome if they ended up doing something like that again. But if they waited to December or January there would be nothing wrong with them signing Howry. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised at all if Howry makes some type of adjustment or gets a little velocity back and is good again next year. Relievers, especially veteran relievers can have many up and down years.

 

For reference:

2004 draft: Lost their 1st round pick

 

2005 draft: Lost their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks

 

2006 draft: 1st round pick was protected (Lincecum), lost their 2nd and 3rd round picks (but got a sandwhich and the Cubs 3rd rounder for Eyre)

 

2007 draft: 1st round pick was protected (Bumgarner), lost their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks (but picked up two firsts and three sandwhiches)

 

2008 draft: 1st round pick was protected (Posey), lost their 2nd (but got a sandwhich)

 

Mmmmmm, sandwiches.

[biittner77]

hey guys id bet money that 09 howry is more 07 howry than 08 howry

 

If he signed with the Giants he'd have a lot of games pitching in pitcher friendly parks.

[CubinNY]

hey guys id bet money that 09 howry is more 07 howry than 08 howry

 

If he signed with the Giants he'd have a lot of games pitching in pitcher friendly parks.

Against mostly crappy teams.

[Mephistopheles]

hey guys id bet money that 09 howry is more 07 howry than 08 howry

 

If he signed with the Giants he'd have a lot of games pitching in pitcher friendly parks.

 

i dont know if you you dont know by now, but i dont judge pitchers that way.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

hey guys id bet money that 09 howry is more 07 howry than 08 howry

 

Okay

[Jehrico]

hey guys id bet money that 09 howry is more 07 howry than 08 howry

I don't know...it's not like he was just struggling with location or something minor like that. He had no offspeed stuff, and his fastball had absolutely no movement. Not to mention no speed either. I never heard any reports of their being anything physically wrong with him that an offseason would help cure, nor do I think his '08 season was affected by sagging confidence. I'm curious where he'll regain 5+ mph on his fastball or whose going to reteach him how to throw an effective offspeed pitch. I'm doubtful he'll be able to show much more in '09 than he did in '08. Maybe slight improvement at best, esp if he signs with a team whose manager will only use him as a Roogy next year.

[Rob]

hey guys id bet money that 09 howry is more 07 howry than 08 howry

 

I'd imagine he splits the difference pretty well. The numbers last year looked kinda flukey, but he did lose a tick off his fastball and his slider isn't good enough to cover that up.