Giants’ Notebook: Latest on Pagan, Scutaro, and Even Ichiro?

Oct 25, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan reacts after scoring a run against the Detroit Tigers in the 8th inning during game two of the 2012 World Series at AT

With the winter meetings scheduled to begin on December 3rd, more and more rumors will start to amount in the coming weeks. The Giants have been relatively quiet for the most part, signing Jeremy Affeldt to a three-year contract in mid-December. Although, with two valuable pieces to their championship team still unsigned (Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro), general manager Brian Sabean still has his work cut out for him.

So, here are the latest rumors involving the Giants:

• San Francisco is still focused on resigning center fielder Angel Pagan, but his demands might be a bit too lofty for the Giants to match. According to Buster Olney, the Giants aren’t willing to commit to Pagan for as many years as he is seeking. My best guess for what he is seeking is four to five years, whereas the Giants want him back at three. And Pagan is smart to seek a big deal in a slim market for solid outfielders. The Giants might not be one of those teams willing to dish him a big contract, though.

• In the same report, Olney reveals that the Giants do feel like they will find a way to retain Marco Scutaro, who would likely return on a two-year deal. This makes sense, as Scutaro is 37 years-old and probably won’t be able to repeat the success he had with the Giants in 61 regular season games (.362/.385/.473). The Phillies also seem interested in the veteran infielder.

• The Giants were one of the six teams reportedly interested in Nick Swisher earlier this month according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. However, rumors of Swisher going to San Francisco have been silent mainly because he is a fallback option for many teams, including the Giants. His versatility would fit in well, but he seems to have a steep asking price for what he is actually worth. Now, if the Giants lose Pagan, then they might look at Swisher more seriously.

• Another Yankee, Ichrio Suzuki, has also been linked to the Giants as a possible destination for his 39-year-old body. He showed with the Yankees that he can play left field, which will come to the Giants’ liking. However, he has struggled at the plate over the past two seasons, hitting a combined .277/.308/.361 with a .670 OPS.  So, he probably won’t ask for much, though the Giants would have to ask: Is he really that much of an upgrade over Gregor Blanco at this point in his career? Again, Pagan’s status will determine how hard the Giants push for any free agents, let alone Ichrio.

• B.J. Upton, 28, is rumored to be meeting with the Giants at some point during the offseason. That meeting may come as soon as next week. If the Giants fail to retain Pagan, then Upton could be a foreseeable replacement in centerfield. The Giants also pursued Upton last year around the trade deadline, but they ultimately went with Carlos Beltran instead. This time around, though, they will be pursuing him through free agency, and he won’t come cheap. A five-year, $75 million contract would be accurate for Upton, who has plenty suitors including the Braves, Phillies, and the Nationals. In spite of his inconsistency  his ceiling is still high and he has a good amount of pop, which appeals to several clubs in need of a power-hitting outfielder.