Since the Giants have been unable to land an impact bat during the trade dealine and waiver deadline...they still have that gaping hole in the lineup. Sure Posey and Huff have offset the need a bit. But Panda's soph slump, hopefully only that, has increased the need for one more difference maker.

Obviously re-signing Huff will be a major priority and may occur before the season ends. I'm thinking a 2yr deal in the $7-8M range would be appropriate, for the aging Giants star. Given Renteria's deal at $9M per and Sanchez at $6M per, Huff would be a relative bargin, in comparison.

But the big fish, pun intended, that the Giants must absolutely make priority 1A, is signing Carl Crawford. He adds everything the Giants lack: athleticism, speed, above average pop, he is the epitome of a 5-tool player, about 2 or 3 notches below Bonds in his prime. Bonds obviously had way more power and a much greater overall impact on the rest of the batters in front of and behind him, but Crawford is no dud. He could slot 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 5th in the lineup depending on the matchup.. He most likely plays LF, which moves Huff to RF or 1B, on a more full time basis.

The addition of Crawford however does raise a few questions IMO. Is Belt going to emerge in SEPT and next ST as the everyday 1B now and in '11? Is Panda going to get in shape this offseason and be a contributor next year? If not, does he become expendale with Belt and now Crawford in the picture? (My Armchair GM thoughts and ideas for a potentially expendable Panda to follow.)