POST-POSTSEASON WRAP NOTES: Sabean and Bochy to �oedebrief” Neukom, looking ahead to Lincecum arbitration, notes on Bumgarner, Posey, Freddy Sanchez, Medders, etc.
POSTED BY ANDREW BAGGARLY ON OCTOBER 5TH, 2009 AT 2:00 PM | CATEGORIZED AS UNCATEGORIZED

Before I merrily begin transcribing today�TMs hour-long session with Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy, I�TMll summarize the more important revelations.

Sabean and Bochy do not have contracts or commitments to contracts beyond Oct. 31. They will meet with owner Bill Neukom and debrief him on what transpired this year. They�TMre confident they met the criteria to return. This whole process seems very formal, very corporate, which is in keeping with Neukom�TMs background. They insist this does not bother them. It�TMs all in keeping with the timeline Neukom spelled out long ago.

That said, for two guys who don�TMt have contracts beyond Oct. 31, they did a lot of talking about next season. Here�TMs the major bullet points:

�"They�TMll probably wait until they exchange arbitration figures with Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson before they�TMd begin discussing multiyear contracts, just to keep their cards as close to the chest as possible. When talking about Lincecum�TMs first-year arb case, Sabean made a reference to the Phillies�TM Ryan Howard, who won a record $10 million as a super-two player.

�oeLincecum�TMs case is Howard-like in terms of where this could go as a first-time eligible player,” Sabean said. �oeBecause of the potential number, we may be guarded in not wanting to discuss a longer-term situation until we know that stage (when numbers are filed). Their party won�TMt have any downside, believe me. We�TMll have to be prepared to go on all our arbitration cases.”

�"Freddy Sanchez clearly is coming back. Sabean mentioned he�TMd like to restructure the contract, but that the club has every expectation he�TMll be the second baseman. Sounds like if they can�TMt find common ground on a two-year deal, the Giants are willing to pick up his $8.1 million option. Hard to imagine they�TMd speak so confidently about Sanchez returning if they didn�TMt consider the option a viable fail safe.

�"They�TMll watch Buster Posey in the Fall League, and while they think he�TMs ready defensively, they wonder if he�TMll be prepared to carry the offensive load to be the everyday catcher next season. They said there�TMs a huge jump from Triple-A to the majors, so they won�TMt be too swayed by his minor league numbers. It very well could be a decision that�TMs made in spring training, Bochy said. Bringing back Bengie Molina �oeshould receive due consideration,” Sabean said. I�TMd expect Molina�TMs return to be less than a 50/50 proposition, though.

�"Madison Bumgarner almost certainly won�TMt be a candidate to open the season in next year�TMs rotation. Sabean wouldn�TMt completely rule out the possibility, but �oeevery hand in the room would need to be raised.” Expect Bumgarner to begin in the minors.

�"Sabean and Bochy talked to Brad Penny on Saturday about the possibility of re-signing, but didn�TMt seem to think it would be likely. They have other more pressing needs for their available dollars, Sabean said. Still, they�TMll need to find another starting pitcher somewhere.

�"On the possibility of trading a pitcher for a bat, Sabean said they would �oeagonize” over it. He wouldn�TMt put a blanket no-trade on Matt Cain �" but said it�TMs almost impossible to get fair value back when you trade a pitcher for a position player. �oeI�TMd have a hard time trading anybody of that ilk. Why would we?” he said. Still, he wouldn�TMt rule it out.

�"Pablo Sandoval was invited to play for a traveling MLB All-Star team in Korea and hadn�TMt decided what to do. He�TMll also play for Magallanes in Venezuela for a three-week period. This could delay his Panda weight loss/conditioning camp he was supposed to begin the first week of November.

�"Brandon Medders had a torn meniscus in his left knee repaired today. That�TMs one we didn�TMt know about. Justin Miller had his right elbow scoped and Rich Aurilia, who�TMs expected to retire, also had a scope on his elbow. A free surgery. I guess that�TMs his gold watch for 11 years of service.

�"Medders, Miller and Ryan Garko are arb-eligible, too. They aren�TMt automatically going to be tendered contracts if the Giants need more 40-man roster flexibility, Sabean said. If the club hadn�TMt called up Posey and Bumgarner, they�TMd have two more spaces to play with. But it could be a squeeze now.

�"Edgar Renteria played hurt all year. Edgar is a warrior who contributes a lot. They expect him to play a major role on next year�TMs team, and Sabean justified the $18.5 million contract he gave him last winter by saying they needed a veteran shortstop. The in-house alternative was Emmanuel Burriss, and in hindsight, they were right in believing that would�TMve been a bad idea.

�"Bochy said he�TMd have to change some of his managerial tendencies if the roster dictates it. That includes more bunting, but he still doesn�TMt like it early in the game. He said they�TMd �oecrank up the machine” for bunting drills next spring.

�"After the session, Bochy told me that he met with his coaching staff and promised to be in contact after his situation was settled. He and Sabean met this morning and began discussing potential changes to the staff. Hitting coach Carney Lansford would appear to be in trouble. During the session, both Bochy and Sabean said they were bothered that the offense didn�TMt seem to improve as the season went along.

�"Bulldozers are tearing up the field here.

When I walked in, a colleague said, �oeHey, look at that hole on the right side of the infield.”

My response: �oeYeah, it�TMs been there all year.”

Ba-dum-dum.