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Envious of how Cuban stars have guided several of their MLB rivals into playoff contention, the San Francisco Giants continue to make a strong push for free-agent slugger Jose Dariel Abreu.

Optimistic that he can become their version of Yasiel Puig, the reigning World Series champs have sent general manager Brian Sabean to the Dominican Republic for some first-hand scouting, tweets Dionisio Soldevilla of ESPNDeportes.com:

Giants GM Brian Sabean is in the DR along with Felipe Alou scouting cuban defector Jose Dariel Abreu

— Dionisio Soldevila (@dSoldevila) September 12, 2013

Abreu’s countrymen have irritated the Giants in recent years by effortlessly adjusting to the majors.

Yoenis Cespedes arrived in the Bay Area prior to the 2012 season after inking a four-year contract with the Oakland Athletics. He has 45 home runs and an .800 OPS through two seasons in their outfield.

Puig debuted this past June and elevated the Los Angeles Dodgers from mediocrity to pennant contention with one of the most impressive all-time starts to an MLB career.

Through 88 games, he flaunts a .339/.404/.556 batting line, which puts him neck-and-neck with Jose Fernandez in the NL Rookie of the Year race. Moreover, his unrivaled athleticism has helped the Dodgers financially, according to Eric Stephen of True Blue LA, by buffing up television ratings and selling merchandise.

Can Abreu make a similar splash for the Giants in 2014?

The 26-year-old isn’t going to contribute eye-popping outfield throws or aggressive baserunning, but his hitting ability is Barry Bonds-esque.

Grantland’s Jonah Keri spent a few thousand words raving about Abreu’s power numbers in early 2012.

It’s difficult to fathom anyone maintaining a .453/.597/.986 batting line at any professional level, which he did in Cuba’s Serie Nacional during the 2010-2011 campaign. Ben Badler of Baseball America notes that we’ve been treated to hundreds of Abreu at-bats in international competition, and most of those results were extraordinary.

Remember this moonshot from the 2013 World Baseball Classic?

Presently, San Francisco’s starting rotation is in shambles. Abreu could go deep every other game next summer and the team still wouldn’t compete with the Dodgers for NL West supremacy.

However, assuming that Sabean and his staff invest in adequate pitching this winter, the club could immediately return to relevancy. A strong supporting cast would be the soapbox for this 6’3″, 240-pound myth to stand on as he battles for our attention and disposable income.

Of course, acquiring Abreu in the first place will require a considerable financial sacrifice. 

L.A. committed seven years and $42 million to Puig based on a few batting practice sessions.

Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com expects Abreu to demand double the average annual value, while Jeff Passon of Yahoo! Sports can imagine the winning bid costing north of $60 million. In a free-agent class that’s devoid of consistent, middle-of-the-lineup types, he ought to be highly sought-after.

Although there’s a chance that Abreu joins Puig as a global star and MVP-caliber player, it is much more likely that he fails to mesmerize.

Abreu is a one-dimensional player who won’t use his legs or fielding ability to compensate for slumps at the plate. Also, part of Puig‘s appeal comes from his enthusiasm and immaturity, and we’ll see less of that from Abreu (nearly four years older).

It’s still wise for the Giants to pursue the dominant defector, so long as they have realistic expectations about his potential to influence their bottom line and quest for another championship.

Ely hits for less power than Abreu, but also has interest in signing for millions of dollars. If you have that kind of money laying around (or just love chatting about baseball), contact him on Twitter.

Follow @MrElyminator

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In the top of the sixth inning Monday night, the Colorado Rockies knocked out San Francisco Giants‘ starter Madison Bumgarner. They coaxed five walks out of him on the night and cut the Giants’ 3-0 lead to 3-2 against him.

The Giants bullpen would let the Rockies get no further. Santiago Casilla stranded the tying run at second base with a strikeout of Yorvit Torrealba to end the sixth before throwing a perfect seventh.

Jeremy Affeldt followed with a scoreless eighth inning. Sergio Romo allowed a leadoff double in the ninth, but then struck out the next three hitters to end the game for his fourth save of the season.

The Giants bullpen combined to throw 3.1 innings of scoreless baseball Monday night. They struck out six of the 11 hitters they faced while only allowing one baserunner. It was a dominant performance that helped vindicate general manger Brian Sabean‘s decision to invest heavily in the bullpen this offseason.

One of Sabean‘s first moves of the winter was to re-sign Affeldt to a three-year, $18 million contract. He also gave Casilla a three-year, $15 million extension with a club option for a fourth year. He then finished by buying out Romo’s two remaining seasons of arbitration for $9 million.

According to research by Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles, the Giants now have the second most expensive bullpen in the game after Sabean‘s winter shopping spree. They are eighth in percentage of payroll allocated to the bullpen.

It’s sabermetric dogma that it isn’t good business to invest heavily in the pen. Relievers can be created out of thin air on the cheap, which saves resources for the rest of the roster.

Romo—a 28th-round draft pick—and Casilla—whom the Giants signed as a minor league free agent—are good examples of why teams shouldn’t overpay for relief pitching on the free agent market.

However, Sabean decided that he had to spend some money to keep his three horses off the market. Since Casilla came aboard in 2010, he’s put up a 2.25 ERA for the Giants—good for eighth best in baseball among relievers. Romo has the third best ERA at 1.81 during that period. Affeldt‘s 3.03 ERA since 2010 is pretty good, too.

A large part of their success is due to their ability to pitch effectively against opposite-handed hitters. Over the last three years prior to 2013, Romo has held lefties to a weak .590 OPS, Affeldt has held righties to a .734 OPS and Casilla has held lefties to a .687 OPS (the league average OPS has hovered between .719 and .728 from 2010-12).

The Giants are more dependent on the bullpen than most teams because they play so many tight, low-scoring games in their spacious home ballpark. They absolutely need to win close games in order to make the playoffs because they don’t have an explosive offense that can consistently blow the opposition out.

So far this season, Romo and the bullpen have saved leads of 3-0, 5-3, 1-0 and 4-2. Last year, the Giants tied the Reds for the best winning percentage in one-run games by going 30-20. They were 33-22 in one-run games the year before and 28-24 in one-run games on their run to the first World Series title in 2010.

The relief trio of Affeldt, Casilla and Romo has helped the Giants hold on to a lot of close leads on the path to winning two out of the last three World Series titles. Sabean invested heavily to retain them this winter and reward them for a job well done. On Monday night, he looked wise for having done so.

Early in 2013, the Giants’ formula for winning looks a lot like it did over the last three years. That means the bullpen is going to be counted on to save a lot of tight games.

So far, Sabean‘s veterans appear up to the task once more.

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The obvious reason that the San Francisco Giants were a surprisingly good offensive team in 2012 despite playing in an extreme pitcher’s park was that they had several good hitters.

Buster Posey won the National League MVP award and the batting title. Melky Cabrera was on his way to winning the batting title until a suspension in mid-August led to his voluntarily exclusion from the race.

Marco Scutaro hit .362 after being acquired before the trading deadline from the Colorado Rockies. Hunter Pence struggled after he was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies, but he still managed to drive in a bunch of runs for the Giants.

Pablo Sandoval was productive when he was healthy, particularly during the postseason when he won World Series MVP honors. Brandon Belt got on base 36 percent of the time. Angel Pagan led the league in triples while hitting .288.

Even the shortstop platoon of Brandon Crawford and Joaquin Arias was surprisingly productive.

Fourth outfielders Nate Schierholtz—who was traded for Pence at the deadline—and Gregor Blanco were also solid contributors, along with backup catcher Hector Sanchez.

Add it all up and the Giants were sixth in the National League in runs scored, third in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, fourth in stolen bases and seventh in OPS.

However, the real secret to the team’s offensive success was their ability to avoid the strikeout. Giants hitters struck out in only 17.7 percent of their plate appearances, which led the National League.

Of the 15 Giants hitters that received 100 plate appearances or more, only Crawford, Blanco, Belt, Pence and Sanchez struck out more than the league average of around 19 percent.

Scutaro (5.2-percent strikeout rate), Ryan Theriot (12.2), Cabrera (12.6), Arias (12.8), Sandoval (13.3), Pagan (14.7) and Posey (15.7) led the way in avoiding the whiff for the Giants.

Having good hitters is the most important factor in building a good offensive team, and the strikeout is not necessarily a bad thing as there is a high correlation between strikeouts and power hitting.

However, AT&T Park suppresses power more than any other stadium in the National League these days—making contact all the more important for the Giants. Posey and Sandoval not only avoid strikeouts, but they also hit for power, so the Giants are more than just a collection of high-contact, slappy hitters.

Looking ahead to next year, Sandoval and Posey will be back in the middle of the lineup along with Pence, who should be able to improve his strikeout rate to get it closer to his career rate of 18.5 percent.

Belt, who will likely continue to hit sixth behind Pence, cut his strikeout rate by five percent from his rookie season last year. He’ll either have to continue that trend or improve upon his meager home-run total from last season.

Crawford and Arias will be back at the bottom of the lineup to platoon at short, and the team is still negotiating with free agents Pagan and Scutaro to recreate the one-two punch that was so formidable at the top of the lineup last season. 

Giants’ general manager Brian Sabean acquired high-contact hitters in Cabrera, Pagan, Theriot, Scutaro and Arias last season.

If the past is any guide, free-agent outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Shane Victorino could be potential targets for Sabean this winter: Ichiro has only struck out in 9.3 percent of his career plate appearances, and Victorino has struck out only 11.6 percent of the time during his career.

Down on the farm, the Giants top two hitting prospects are also high-contact hitters: Center fielder Gary Brown has struck out in only 13.5 percent of his minor league plate appearances, and shortstop Joe Panik has actually walked more than he’s struck out thus far in his career (86 walks, 79 strikeouts).

Neither player projects to be ready by opening day, but both could see action in the big leagues at some point next season.

There’s no right way to build a good offensive team. Having a bunch of power hitters that strike out a lot can certainly work. However, the Giants built a team of excellent contact hitters last season, which was the secret to overcoming the spaciousness of AT&T Park and their overall lack of home-run power.

Of course, having the best hitter in the National League in Buster Posey didn’t hurt, either.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The San Francisco Giants celebrated their second World Series championship in three years after they swept the favored Detroit Tigers. The Giants proved that their championship in 2010 was not a fluke and that they are an outstanding team.

The old adage of “good pitching beats good hitting” holds true in San Francisco. With Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong and a resurgent Barry Zito, there is no reason the Giants cannot be back in the hunt in 2013.

If former two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum can return to top form, the Giants’ starting rotation will once again be a core strength of the team.

The Giants’ bullpen is also extremely good and if closer Brian Wilson can make a successful return following his second Tommy John surgery, they will be even better.

As a life-long Giants fan, I am grateful and spoiled by the traditions of this organization. Let’s take a fun look at some of these great team traditions.

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Buster Posey was a force of nature around the Bay Area even before he became a fixture in the San Francisco Giants‘ clubhouse.

The former Florida State Seminole was selected by the Giants with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft after he was done ruining psyches in college baseball. I’d make a “Sherman through the South” reference here, but Posey’s a good ol’ Georgia boy so it might be a sensitive subject.

Nevertheless, scorched earth is appropriate imagery when speaking of Buster’s collegiate exploits.

He was a Louisville Slugger All-American as a shortstop in his freshman year before switching to catcher for his sophomore year and finishing as the runner-up for the Johnny Bench Award (goes to the top catcher in college baseball).

Then he had a junior year that can stand on its own as a career-worth of accolades—he hit .463 with 26 home runs, won the Johnny Bench award, was the 2008 Collegiate Player of the Year and won the Golden Spikes award which is given to the best amateur baseball player in the country.

Consequently, it’s no surprise that Gerald Demp III was touted as the best catcher in the draft, handed the largest signing bonus in the draft’s history at the time ($6.2 million) and engendered the sort of hype San Francisco rarely sees over a baseball player not named Barry Lamar Bonds.

Nope, the surprise came when Posey not only delivered on all that hype but when he even managed to outpace it en route to the ‘Gents 2010 World Series Championship.

And he continues to see expectations in his rear-view mirror as the 2011 season rolls on.

On Thursday, the franchise catcher sat down with Bleacher Report for an exclusive look at that magical ’10 ride as well as the current campaign and what the future may hold.

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The top two pitchers for the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies are arguably the top tandems in the Major Leagues. 

Each of these pitchers is an ace in his own right, but combined with the other, they make a great one-two punch for their respective teams.

In San Francisco, the Giants rode the strong arms and steely resolve of Lincecum and Cain to the 2010 World Series title.

Lincecum, a two time Cy Young award winner, compiled a record of 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.272 WHIP last season. For the third consecutive year, Lincecum led the league in strikeouts with 231, in 212 1/3 innings pitched.

Matt Cain was the steadiest pitcher in the Giants’ outstanding rotation. He was solid during the regular season, as he went 13-11, with a 3.14 ERA and 1.084 WHIP ratio. Cain worked a career high 223 1/3 innings and struck out 177.

Where Lincecum and Cain really excelled was in the postseason. Lincecum had a record of 4-1 with an ERA of 2.43 and WHIP of 0.919. In 37 post season innings, Lincecum struck out 43.

Cain was even better in the postseason: In three postseason starts, Cain went 2-0. He did not allow an earned run in 21 1/3 innings and had a WHIP of 0.938.

In 2010, Roy Halladay won the Cy Young award with the Phillies, the second of his career. He compiled a record of 21-10 with an ERA of 2.44 and WHIP of 1.041. Halladay threw 250 2/3 innings in the regular season and struck out 219.

Cliff Lee began 2010 in Seattle, but was traded to the Texas Rangers in mid season. He compiled a 12-9 record between the two clubs. Lee had an ERA of 3.18 and WHIP ratio of 1.003. Lee has one Cy Young award to his credit.

In the 2010 postseason, Halladay was 2-1 with an ERA of 2.45 and an incredible WHIP of 0.773. Lee, was 3-2, losing his only two games against the Giants in the NLCS.

Halladay is off to a great start this season. In three starts, he is 2-0 with an ERA of 1.23. Lee’s 2011 has not gotten off to as strong, as he is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.19. His WHIP is still excellent at 0.983.

Lincecum and Cain are off to great starts in 2011. The tandem is currently 3-1 and both have ERA’s below 2.00. 

Both tandems are outstanding and should do very well this year. However, there are three key factors that, I believe, give Lincecum and Cain the edge over Halladay and Lee, in 2011.

The San Francisco offense is much improved this year, whereas Philadelphia has lost Jayson Werth and Chase Utley is out for an indefinite period of time.

Throwing in the pitcher friendly AT&T Park is also a benefit to Lincecum and Cain. Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia is a hitter’s park and that could detract from the numbers of Halladay and Lee.

The biggest factor, in my opinion is age. Lincecum and Cain are both 26 year old and in the prime pf their careers.

For the Phillies, Halladay is 33 and Lee is 32.

All four pitchers are outstanding, however, I give Lincecum and Cain the slight edge.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In the long and storied history of the San Francisco Giants, the team has had some of the greatest stars ever.  Players like Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Juan Marichal, all living legends, have worn the orange and black.

Throughout history, the Giants have had several opponents that always seemed to raise their game whenever they played the Giants.  Players like Don Drysdale, Greg Maddux, Bob Gibson and Maury Wills were more than thorns in the side of the Giants.  They were downright despised as opponents.  

The current Giants, who won it all in 2010, have their own share of stars.  Players like Tim Lincecum, Aubrey Huff, Matt Cain and Buster Posey lead the Giants on their quest to repeat as world champions.

Who are the players that stand in their way?

Let’s take a look at the top 10 opposing players who are the biggest nemeses to the Giants.

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With the addition of MLB Network and expanded coverage on ESPN and other networks, a baseball fan can literally watch hundreds of baseball games each year from their own home. That said, nothing beats attending a game in person, as it is as much a part of summer as anything.

I have the privilege of living in the Chicago area and going to several games each year at the baseball mecca that is Wrigley Field, and with so many stadiums being rebuilt in the last decade it is one of the few classic stadiums still standing.

Baseball went through a stretch in the 1960 and 1970 when “cookie cutter” multipurpose stadiums were all the rage, and because of that there was an era of stadiums that were uninspired to say the least.

Still, there have been some truly great stadiums over the years, and what follows is the 50 greatest stadiums in baseball history.

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Baseball is all about rebuilding.

Just ask the 1997 Florida Marlins. Or maybe the 2003 Marlins.

With by far the biggest minor league system out of any of the major professional sports, baseball teams are constantly cycling through new players.

All it takes is a slow start to the season. If teams find themselves out of contention early, it’s not uncommon to see them dump big contracts and look towards the farm system and the future.

So, to fully have a grasp on where your team is headed, it is important to keep an eye on the minor leagues and the top prospects.

Let’s take a look at the young guns that can eventually help rebuild some of the teams in the AL West.

Also, I’ll just do it by position, as opposed to ranking them in order. A prospect all-star team, if you will.  

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Before the start of the season, I wanted to see which pitchers statistically had the best fastballs, curveballs, sliders, cutters, changeups and splitters of the 2010 season.

Here are a look at the top fastballs of the 2010 season. A few notes:

The Pitch Value data was created by Fangraphs.com. I will be using the statistic, wFA, which denotes the runs above average for a particular pitch—in this case a fastball.  

The “wFA” stat benefits starting pitchers and pitchers who throw a certain pitch more often. Because the more often you throw a pitch, the better the chances are of it being successful.

Sometimes, PITCH/FX does not sort pitches into the right category. For example, Brandon Morrow’s splitter was categorized as a fastball.

Both two and four-seam fastballs are lumped together.

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