Jose Reyes has been out of the offseason picture for quite some time now, as he simply doesn’t fit within the Giants’ budget, but it looks like Jimmy Rollins is unofficially off the table as well (h/t MLB Trade Rumors):
The Giants are another team where Reyes would seem to be a perfect fit, but the word in baseball is that at this point, they are unlikely to pursue him (or to pursue free-agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins, either).
When I wrote about Rollins a month ago, he was looking for a five-year deal (and, well, probably still is). He’ll turn 33 this month, and simply isn’t good enough to justify such a long-term commitment — especially considering his injury history. In the short-term, he’d provide some much-needed stability at shortstop. A few years from now though, a (somewhat)-lucrative contract would likely end up a mess…even the three-year $40MM deal I suggested seems quite generous in retrospect. So it’s not such a bad thing that he’s off the Giants’ radar, especially if he actually happens to command the kind of money he’s looking for.
The other interesting thing Knobler notes — or rather, confirms — is that the Giants have some serious interest in Coco Crisp:
After committing money to keep the pitching staff together for another year, it’s believed that the Giants have just about $10 million to spend for 2012, and that they intend to spend the bulk of it on a center fielder (very possibly Coco Crisp).
Crisp, who tied for the league lead in stolen bases, could be a good fit for the Giants, who need a center fielder and leadoff hitter. “Covelli has made it clear that he would like to play for a team that is determined to compete, and he’d also like to stay on the West Coast,” Comte said, using Crisp’s first name. “I think the Giants would be a viable option for him and vice versa.”
Like Rollins, Crisp’s injury history is a bit concerning (as he enters his mid-30s), but he’s attractive for a few reasons: he can still handle centerfield, he’s quite a prolific basestealer, and he’s good for average-ish production at the plate — which is nice to have from an up-the-middle position. A weak CF market could drive up his price, but at a reasonable cost, Crisp would be a solid addition — and hopefully help the Giants transition smoothly into the Gary Brown era.
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[...] With the acquisition of Melky Cabrera, the Giants don’t have much left on their offseason checklist. Perhaps find a back-end starter — if they’re not entirely comfortable with the current options (Barry Zito, Eric Surkamp). Maybe go out and get a shortstop — though it’s looking increasingly likely that the organization will just go with Brandon Crawford as the starting shortstop. In fact, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reiterated today that it’s very unlikely that San Francisco pursues Jose Reyes or Jimmy Rollins (but again, this is old news). [...]