Giants need to spend money for Soriano

Spend the money.

That's what I would say if I was advising the San Francisco Giants ownership these days. There is one big name out there who could make the difference in the Giants winning the division title and even more, and he's worth anybody the Giants currently have on their roster.

I'm talking about Alfonso Soriano of the Washington Nationals. For him, I would open the proverbial checkbook. He's young, versatile and has tremendous power. I would make the Giants' current best player and their best farm prospect available to Washington.

Barry Bonds is done. Stick the fork in him. If age and bad knees don't get him, the federal lawmakers will. Bonds is over 40, and while he can still hit the occasional longball, he is a shadow of his former self. Heck, watching him run even makes me grimace.

The Giants would be well served to buy him out of the rest of his contract, trade him or release him. The Giants aren't a powerful team. They need to manufacture runs at times, and you can't do that with a gimpy legged cleanup hitter. He's also a liability on defense because of his knees, and his arm was never that strong anyway.

The advantage of getting Soriano are obvious. He's currently making $10 million a year, and that's a bargain. No doubt the Giants might have to up the ante if they were to acquire him, but it would be money well spent in the long run.

Soriano is only 30 years old. He's a guy that can hit for power and has speed. He can do all the things that Bonds used to be able to do in his prime.

Soriano is in the top 10 in four offensive categories - homers, slugging percentage, runs and stolen bases. He currently has 32 homers and 25 stolen bases. He is one of the few in the game who could be a 40-40 man, and that's no easy feat.

While I'd love to see him hit for a higher average, the mid .280s isn't half bad. My only concern is his strikeout ratio. He's had several seasons of 125 strikeouts or more.

The Giants are old in the outfield with Bonds, Steve Finley and Moises Alou. The Giants need somebody to team with Randy Winn, who is younger than the aforementioned trio. He has some pop at the plate and can play centerfield. That's critical because there's a lot of ground to cover at AT&T Park.

Soriano would be a good fit in left field. That's where you put probably your worst outfielder, or at least the one with the worst arm.

Since I also like the A's, I'd sure hate to see Soriano end up with the White Sox.

Chicago could truly be even more formidable than it already is with the addition of Soriano. Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, Soriano and A.J. Pierzynski makes for a great offensive lineup. Oh, and let's not forget Joe Crede, who has some pop and his hitting in the 290s.

I know both the A's and Giants are on a limited budget, but neither can afford to let rival teams keep getting better while they sit idle. That's not good business, and after all, isn't Major League baseball big business?

The A's probably have more of what the Nationals want, which is pitching. The A's could dangle Barry Zito and a Nick Swisher out there in exchange for Soriano. That certainly would be a good deal for both teams.

Time is running down guys. The deadline is July 31. It's time to fish or cut bait. What will it be for the Giants or A's?.

NEW GRAND JURY

It was interesting to note that a new grand jury had to be selected for the investigation into Bonds, and his personal trainer has since been released.

I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Does the prosecution not have enough hard evidence to prove it's case?

NOT THE SAME

A lot was made on talk radio about Floyd Landis, the recent Tour de France winner, whose first drug test came up dirty. Landis is claiming innocence and hoping a second test will clear him.

Many are comparing his case to Bonds. That's silly. Cyclists have been proven guilty of drug use at an alarming rate, which is a big difference to baseball. Cyclists have to give officials detailed reports on when and where they will be after races. Cyclists are tested all the time for illegal drugs.

Baseball, on the other hand, didn't start testing until pretty recently.

I have to wonder what would have happened to Bonds if he admitted he used illegal substances before the season started like Jason Giambi did. Giambi is still playing, and playing well I might add. Would the same have held true for Bonds?

I'm not so sure.