Rowand Brings Hard Nose to the Bay

December 17, 2007 @ 07:08:50

By Aaron Adams
Edited by Tim Heaney

Moving into the post-Barry Bonds era, the San Francisco Giants signed outfielder Aaron Rowand to a five-year, $60 million contract Wednesday, Dec. 12. The signing of Rowand helps to shore up an anemic lineup without having to part with young starting pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

Clubhouse Presence

Rowand was brought in to help fill the offensive void left by the departed outfielder, Bonds and will likely bat fifth in the lineup. Rowand will likely be preceded by outfielder Randy Winn, who will bat third and catcher Bengie Molina, who will likely bat fourth.

Although the Giants are expecting Rowand to give the lineup some pop, Rowand was brought in to insert what manager Bruce Bochy called "a warrior spirit" into the clubhouse. Rowand is well known for fracturing his nose and bones around his left eye while chasing down a fly ball at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and is a hard-nosed player who leaves everything on the field.  

Table: Aaron Rowand, OF, San Francisco Giants - Career Stats

Year	Team	Games	AVG	HR	Runs	RBI	SB
2005	CHW	157	.270	13	77	69	16
2006	PHI	109	.262	12	59	47	10
2007	PHI	161	.309	27	105	89	6
Career	7 Seasons	849	.286	93	419	347	54

As a Gold Glove winner last year, Rowand will certainly strengthen the outfield defensively and fits in nicely with the Giants' emphasis on defense. Former centerfielder Dave Roberts will move to left field and Randy Winn will continue to man rightfield. Outfielder Rajai Davis will likely be relegated to a reserve role.

West Coast Trek

Rowand enjoyed a career year in 2007, and he can't be expected to replicate his production. With the Philadelphia Philles last season Rowand hit .309 with 27 home runs, 89 RBI, 105 Runs and six stolen bases. Much of Rowand's surge in production can be attributed to a tremendous Phillies lineup and a small home ballpark. Rowand won't have either luxury with his new ball club. As the focal point of the offense, Rowand will probably not have nearly as many RBI opportunities, and coupled with the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park in San Francisco he makes for a very strong candidate for a drop-off in production.

Giants Forecast

While the Giants have acquired a key cog for their lineup, they aren't finished yet. General manager Brian Sabean is still actively seeking bullpen help and an everyday third baseman. They are still attempting to re-sign third baseman Pedro Feliz, but he is demanding a three year deal and the Giants aren't ready to make that long of a commitment for the 32-year-old third baseman.

The Giants strength heading into 2008 is certainly their starting rotation, headed by starting pitchers Barry Zito, Matt Cain and up-coming ace Tim Lincecum which should help keep the Giants competitive. Noah Lowry, Kevin Correia, Jonathan Sanchez and Patrick Misch will compete for the final two spots and are all solid back-end guys. While the acquisition of Rowand has taken Cain and Lincecum off of the trading block, Sabean may deal Lowry or Sanchez for help at one of the corner infield spots or in the bullpen.

The acquisition of Rowand has also given the Giants solid depth in the outfield with Davis, Fred Lewis and Nate Schierholtz now relegated to the bench; they could also be dangled as trade bait.

Fantasy Outlook

Signing Rowand to go along with a stout rotation may help the Giants to win a few more games, but the reality remains that unless the Giants can find a corner infielder with a big stick and a bullpen workhorse, they are probably a year or two away from any playoff hopes.

Although Rowand will certainly bolster the San Francisco Giants outfield with his dedicated play, he will probably only be an average mixed-league fantasy play. Rowand will probably hover around a .290 average with 18 homers, 70 RBI and 75 runs. Rowand also cannot be counted on to steal more than a handful of bases as his production in that category has dropped in each of the last four seasons. Rowand should be considered in the middle rounds of a mixed league draft and his numbers from 2007 should not be expected. 

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Aaron Adams
Aaron has been with KFFL since 2007.

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