Who's On Third?

After locking up Omar Vizquel for next season, Brian Sabean said he would now turn his attention towards finding the team's next third basemen. Alex Rodriguez is on the brink of resigning with the Yankee's so any slight possibility of louring ARod to the bay is out the window. That leaves Mike Lowell as the top 3rd basemen left on the market and even though they haven't ruled him out, I'm pretty sure the Giants will not pursue him. So if they are going to add another 3rd basemen from outside the organization this winter, it will have to be via trade. Here are some names that have been thrown around the trade market:

Miguel Cabrera: Sabean mentioned that the Giants definitely would have interest in a guy like Cabrera, as any other team in the league would, but it's hard to believe they could come up with a package to get him unless they included one of or both Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. The Giants are building around pitching, so I would rather hang onto the two young aces. Cabrera is a special talent though, and if the Giants were to deal Cain or Lincecum, this would be the type of player who they'd have to target.

Scott Rolen: Injuries have taken their toll on Rolen as 2 of his last 3 seasons have been cut short due to health issues. Plus he's going to turn 33 at the begging of the season, so it's tough to say he'll do a 180 and get back to his pre-2005 form. He still can pick it clean at third base though, and a change of scenery could be good for him. However, an aging, injury prone player doesn't quite fit into what the Giants want to do this winter.

Adrian Beltre: Still has a few years left on a big contract. Had a decent '07 season, but he hasn't come close to matching what he did during his walk year in 2004. I think a move back to the NL would do him some good but the Mariners aren't trying to deal him and it would likely take 3 solid young players to even spark their interest. Beltre is still just 28 years old and I could see him getting back to his 30-40 home run form again. Plus, he plays a very good 3rd base and would fit in well with Omar on the left side of the infield. For the right deal, he'd be second on my list behind Cabrera.

Hank Blalock: He's been very quiet ever since he hit that big home run in the all-star game a couple years back, part of that due to injury. Blalock could be on block as the Rangers have Travis Metcalf waiting in the wings. He's still young and has big offensive upside. The only problem is that his left handed bat isn't an ideal fit for AT&T Park and he'd most likely cost the Giants Noah Lowry among others. He has unreached potential and should be an all-star again soon.

Joe Crede: Missed most of last season with an injury, opening the door for Josh Fields who had a nice rookie season. Fields emergence has the White Sox looking to deal Crede for help in other areas. Crede had been improving every year until this recent set back. He'd be a gamble to trade for because of his chronic back issues, but he could be the most attainable third basemen on the market. The White Sox are looking for outfield help and the Giants have a surplus of outfielders. They could be one of the few teams that have interest in taking Dave Roberts of the Giants' hands.