In this day and age, fewer and fewer baseball players are spending their entire careers with a single team. There are obvious reasons for that occurrence though. Everyone loves when a fan favorite spends 15 to 20 years with a particular organization. Of course, a few current players with the San Francisco Giants could end up doing exactly that. A few pitchers and hitters on the team might be around AT&T Park for the years to come. Which players are we talking about?
The first person that comes to mind is Matt Cain above everyone else. Since 2005, Cain has been with the Giants and no other team. During that time, he has started 203 games while compiling a 69-73 record with a 3.35 earned run average. Other statistics show that he is a lot better than his record indicates. He is the heart of the team in my opinion - more so than Tim Lincecum or anyone else. Undoubtedly, Cain could remain with this club for many seasons to come. Management needs to do the smart thing and sign him for the future.
Lincecum is also another candidate to remain with the team for life, but I think there is a slim chance of that actually happening. Currently, he prefers short-term contracts and seems like a flight risk for the team if he is not re-signed to a multi-year deal. With that in mind, he seems like the player that could jump ship at a moment's notice if he so desires. He is known as The Franchise, but that could change at the end of any contract for him. I think he is less likely to stay than Cain.
For position players, Pablo Sandoval seems like a good fit for the organization. He could be a force to be reckoned with for the seasons to come. Kung Fu Panda is adored by Giants' fans around the country. Obviously, he knows how to play the game of baseball too. Currently, he is an above average defender at third base and great potential as a hitter. The organization and fans could not ask for any more, and he could be there for quite some time.
Buster Posey is another candidate to stick with the San Francisco Giants for the rest of his career. He is a likable guy with the ability and potential to excel as a catcher or possibly a first baseman. Quite possibly, that could translate into him sticking around for quite some time. If he stays healthy and remains effective, then there is no reason that the team will get rid of him. Posey will more than likely want to stay too. Therefore, he could become the next Jason Varitek as far as tenure with a single team goes.
Obviously, it is a bit early to say any of this for sure with any of these players. Any of them could decide to head to another team or get traded or get non-tendered. I simply see these four players as the most likely to potentially stay with the San Francisco Giants for the years to come. In any case, single-team players are becoming a rarity as only a few of them are left. You will not see Mariano Rivera pitching for any team other than the New York Yankees after all. Could any of the current Giants' players wind up being just like that?
Errick D. Williams is a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants who has attended over 200 games at AT&T Park. He lives in San Diego but regularly travels back up to the Bay Area to catch a game with friends and family members.
