A bat away - it might as well be Beltran

Bruce Jenkins

Friday, November 11, 2011

Late last season, as it became apparent that the Giants' offensive production was a hopeless case, Carlos Beltran said he'd only consider re-signing with the team if some major changes were made. He specifically mentioned a former teammate, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, as the perfect answer at shortstop/leadoff man.

Melky Cabrera isn't Reyes. Even in a career-best 2011 season with Kansas City, his on-base percentage was .331. He was thrown out stealing a third of the time (10 in 30 attempts). He's not a shortstop, rather a new face in a rather crowded outfield.

Beltran should consider this, though: If he does return to the Giants, he could easily find himself playing in October.

The Giants are one bat shy of regaining their dominance in the NL West. We keep hearing that the big names (Reyes, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols) don't fit into Brian Sabean's budget, but a two- or three-year deal with Beltran would do the trick.

Would the Giants' lineup suddenly match up with the Yankees, Rangers or Phillies? Hardly. But that won't be necessary in their neighborhood. Kirk Gibson's Diamondbacks will find it difficult to match that special motivation that comes with a first-time mission. The Dodgers will return to glory, in a big way, but not until Frank McCourt's sale goes through and a new regime is firmly in place. Colorado faces a long road back, and San Diego can't even find the road.

If the Giants get Buster Posey, Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval in good health for a full year, that's the equivalent of three major acquisitions. And don't discount the value of Cabrera and his 201 hits, 102 runs scored and .300-plus average from both sides of the plate. He worked like a demon in his native Dominican Republic last winter to resurrect a flagging career, and now he's entering a free-agent year with his desire intact.

Let's just hope the Giants are serious when they list Brandon Crawford as their starting shortstop (assuming Reyes and Jimmy Rollins are out of the picture). They made a huge mistake last year, benching Crawford's exceptional defense, and they can't afford to botch those big plays again. Give this lineup just one more boost, and Crawford fits in perfectly.

E-mail Bruce Jenkins at bjenkins@sfchronicle.com.



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