Vintage formula still works in San Fran: the Giants are so old, trainer Stan Conte might turn out be team MVP. But decrepit or not, the Cane Gang still rates as the favorite in the N.L. West

Ken Rosenthal

The Giants' first pick in last year's amateur draft wasn't until No. 70. Their first pick this year will be no higher than No. 112. If ever a franchise were justified in forfeiting draft picks for free agents, it would be one that is trying to win a World Series before Barry Bonds retires. If ever a franchise deserved the benefit of the doubt when its future appeared tenuous, it would be one that has averaged 92 victories over the past eight seasons.

The Giants do it their way, and this offseason has been no different. General manager Brian Sabean has taken an old team and made it even older. But believe owner Peter Magowan when he says, "This is as good a team as we've had in the 12 years I've been here." Never mind that several Giants might qualify for Social Security checks in addition to postseason shares. The future can wait.

Say hello to the newest members of the Cane Gang: Right fielder Moises Alou, 38, is a career .312 lifetime hitter with runners in scoring position; Omar Vizquel, 37, might be the Giants' best shortstop since Chris Speier, an All-Star in the early 1970s; closer Armando Benitez, 32, had a 1.29 ERA last season, nearly a full run per game lower than Eric Gagne's; and Mike Matheny, 34, is a three-time Gold Glove catcher who made the most positive first impression that Giants assistant general manager Ned Colletti could remember upon meeting a player.

Sabermetricians point to Matheny's career .293 on-base percentage and scoff at his three-year, $10.5 million contract, but Matheny's likely impact on the Giants' young pitchers can't be measured. Others cringe at a Giants lineup with an average age of 36, but Alou appeared in 155 games last season and Vizquel in 148. Bonds led the Giants with 147.

The bench includes outfielder Michael Tucker, shortstop Deivi Cruz and infielder/outfielder Pedro Feliz, each of whom started at least 95 games last season for a Giants team that contended until the final weekend. The rotation, seventh in the N.L. in ERA last year, returns intact. The bullpen is deep on both sides, and the Giants still might add another reliever.

The cast largely will be the same in 2006, only--gasp, wheeze, cough--a year older; the Giants already have approximately $66 million committed to 20 players, and their payroll likely will be in the same $80 million range. In '07, the team's obligations dwindle to approximately $14 million for three players--Vizquel, Benitez and Matheny. At some point, the Giants will need an influx of young talent, or they might crash and burn.

Magowan points out that the Giants can sign a free agent for the price of a first-round pick. The team, because of its success, routinely drafts late in the first round, anyway. However, five of the Giants' best young pitchers--Brad Hennessey, Noah Lowry, Matt Cain, David Aardsma and Jerome Williams--were selected between picks Nos. 21 and 39. Good players are available later, hut the best ones usually come early. Steve Waiters, a professor of economics at Loyola (Md.) College, says the money invested in draft bonuses, although high risk, offers a higher return than the investment in virtually every other form of player acquisition.

Yet, what are the Giants supposed to do, play for tomorrow when they have Bonds, the game's greatest offensive force, for perhaps only two more seasons? Such an approach would be unduly cautious for a franchise that never has won a World Series in San Francisco. And though the future is daunting--the team needs to keep drawing so Magowan can pay the debt on privately financed SBC Park--the Giants always figure out a way to compete.

Care to bet against 'em? See the past eight seasons.

speed reads

Carlos Beltran will face the wrath of New York if he continues his career pattern of slow starts. Beltran's .263 average in April is his lowest for any month, and his .274 average in Hay is second. Signing Carlos Delgado, although not without risk, would give Beltran lineup protection and deflect media attention.

Even if the Astros are justified in complaining about Scott Boras' handling of the Beltran negotiations, they have no one to blame but themselves for yielding control of their offseason to the agent. The Astros should have set a mid-December deadline for signing Beltran, then moved on.

The Orioles ought to be embarrassed for blaming their listless offseason on their lack of an agreement with HLB over the Nationals' relocation to Washington, D.C. One, they know the approximate payoff for an eventual agreement. Two, they made substantial offers to several free agents. Three. nothing prevented their front office from pursuing creative solutions.

INSIDE DISH

What would A's general manager Billy Beane be worth as a free agent? The answer might come if Lewis Wolff purchases the club. Beane, signed through 2008, can opt out of his contract if the team changes owners. Wolff almost certainly would want Beane to stay, but the Nationals could pursue Beane once their new owner is in place. Two highly regarded former general managers, Pat Gillick and Gerry Hunsicker, also are available. The Phillies' Ed Wade could be the next G.M. in trouble. > The Brewers almost certainly will move RHP Ben Sheets at the deadline if they are unable to sign him to a contract extension. Sheets likely would receive the highest salary for a fifth-year pitcher in arbitration next offseason, breaking the record of $9.9 million shared by RHPs Kevin Millwood and Chan Ho Park. > Under his new contract with the Yankees, LHP Randy Johnson retains his two courtside tickets for the Phoenix Suns through 2007-08; he has the right to purchase them after that. His previous contract with the Diamondbacks included tickets through the 2010-11 season. > Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi disputes that 1B Shea Hillenbrand's low walk rate makes him an odd fit for a team that stresses on-base percentage. "Nomar (Garciaparra) doesn't walk. (Alfonso) Soriano doesn't walk," Ricciardi says. "There are guys who are exceptions to the rule." Hillenbrand had a .348 OBP last season, but his career mark is.322. > The Mariners want upper-level prospects, including a pitcher, for OF Randy Winn. The Astros won't part with Class AA RHP Ezequiel Astacio, one of the pitchers they acquired in the Billy Wagner trade. Astacio, who has become close to untouchable, could make the team out of spring training. > The Diamondbacks reportedly were targeting A's OF Eric Byrnes as a potential leadoff man, but new 2B Craig Counsell would be a better choice. Counsell's .345 career on-base percentage is nine points higher than Byrnes'. "Byrnes is wound way too tight to hit leadoff," one scout says. > The Padres wanted to trade LHP Darrell May so they could sign free-agent RHP Esteban Loaiza, and the Dodgers were prepared to sign Loaiza to a two-year contract for approximately $9 million before they turned to RHP Derek Lowe. > The A's, deep in young catchers, are moving Class A catcher Daric Barton to first base with the idea of keeping his bat in the lineup for 150 games per season instead of 120. Barton, one of three players the team acquired from the Cardinals for LHP Mark Mulder, had a .956 OPS at Class A Peoria--three points higher than Albert Pujols posted at the same level. Barton doesn't turn 20 until August 16. > The Rangers' Kevin Mench remains a target of teams in search of a low-cost outfielder; both the Braves and Astros qualify. But even after signing Richard Hidalgo and David Dellucci, the Rangers are resisting offers for Mench, who is not eligible for arbitration until after this season. > A fond farewell to reliever Curtis Leskanic, who has told friends he intends to retire. Leskanic, a boisterous character, played 12 seasons, ending his career as a member of the world champion Red Sox.

The Diamondbacks still are looking for a starting pitcher, but pitchers such as RHPs A.J. Burnett and Ben Sheets and LHP Barry Zito might not become available until the July 31 non-waiver deadline. RHP Javier Vazquez still figures to be traded, either in July or at the end of the season

New testing policy won't be a panacea

It's impossible to look at Major League Baseball's new steroid-testing policy and say, "problem solved." Although the owners and players deserve credit for finally confronting the issue-albeit with considerable prodding-drug-testing programs in all sports are essentially exercises in hypocrisy.

Quick, name the last NFL star to receive a lengthy suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. For testing to be truly effective, it should be conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which polices the U.S. Olympic movement. MLB has said it would embrace the USADA if the union were to consent. In the absence of such independent oversight, sports leagues such as MLB and the NFL will admit only what they want to admit. Rank-and-file cheats, that's all.

Surely, baseball union head Donald Fehr doesn't believe his suggestion that MLB's new testing will practically eliminate the use of performance enhancers. In every sport, the cheaters are ahead of the testers. Human growth hormone, added to baseball's list of banned substances, can be detected only in blood tests, not the urine samples used by MLB.

This is not to suggest MLB's testing will have no impact; even its lame initial program resulted in numerous slimmed-down physiques. The damage caused by the sport's prior neglect, however, will not be undone easily. Barry Bonds will discover that this season, when he chases Babe Ruth's and Hank Aaron's home run marks to the sound of one-hand clapping.

kenrosenthal@sportingnews.com

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