And I just watched "Eraserhead," too

OK, I feel like I’m losing my mind.

Just a few days ago the Giants were set to waddle semi-harmlessly through a terrible off-season. Rich Aurilia, Dave Roberts, possibly Mark Loretta. Matched with Kevin Frandsen, Omar Vizquel and possibly Barry Bonds, it was a horrible lineup but one that would be almost completely gone in two years and allowed the Giants to maybe pick up draft picks from key departees Jason Schmidt and Ray Durham.

But no. Sabean didn’t want to leave bad enough alone. First he added Durham. Not a bad move at two years and $16 million. He wont hit like he did last year but I have no ill will for the guy and he still has the possibility of being an above-average second baseman. Even in 2005 he was top 10 in the majors for runs created by a second baseman.

Aurilia isn’t a terrible signing at two years, $8 million. He can play every infield position and though, like Durham, wont likely recreate last year, had the possibility of at least being a replacement-level third baseman, something the Giants haven’t had since David Bell. He also gave us the ability to pick up talent at any infield position without having to worry about replacing someone.

But then came the sign. Like locusts descending on town, you could tell it was only the start of something terrible, the first part of a plague of epic proportions to punish us forever for our sin of rooting for the San Francisco Giants.

Sabean decided that The Worst Third Baseman in Major League Baseball, Happy, Fleas, was to be resigned. And not just resigned. He is to get over $5 million to make my favorite baseball team -- the one I have followed since I could cognitively reason, the one I braved an earthquake during a World Series for, the one I stuck with through 1996 for, the one I cheered for Shawon Dunston and Jose Vizciano for (twice) – objectively and subjectively worse.

In 2006 he had the lowest runs created per game of any qualified third baseman in major league baseball. He also had the lowest OBP, OPS, GPA, pitches per plate appearance and fifth lowest SLG.

I am required by law to state that he did have 5 fielding win shares, leading all third baseman, and ranked third in David Pinto’s Probalistic Model of Range.

Now I’m hearing rumors that Noah Lowry is on the block in a possible trade for Richie Sexson or the signing of Ryan Klesko is imminent. And as of now Aurilia is the starting first baseman.

With the winter meetings underway, the rumors have been coming fast and furious. Already the Giants have been linked to Sexson, Klesko, Adam Dunn, Geoff Jenkins, and Pat Burrell.

The likelihood of any of those deals happening is probably almost zero. As was stated at USS Mariner, the Sexson deal would be the fallback for the Giants, Mariners and Red Sox in the Manny Ramirez deal, so no one is going to work hard on getting that done. I assume the other mentions will go the way of David Weathers.

Right now it’s all a little much for me to take in. So quickly a season that seemed to promise a few new faces and players born after Nixon turned into the same old Sabean team, full of scrappy 36-year-old role players. No Frandsen, no Todd Linden. Not that they are the answer, but they seemed like the promised shinny ball for all of us who have sat so patiently while we watched the other kids take their Mecha-Chris Youngs and play across the street. When do we get a home-grown starter?

What’s left for the Giants? Another starter wouldn’t hurt, the bullpen seems thin and obviously no one on the roster is a threat for over 30 home runs unless Bonds resigns. Sure, the Twins made it work for years, but the Giants ain’t the Twins.

I hope Sabean leaves the winter meetings with the pitching staff intact. Young pitching is always at a premium and trading Lowry for a middle-aged cleanup hitter just because the team is lacking power is absurd. I think they’re better off hanging on to Lowry until a move like that could actually make a difference and they have a better idea how the Sanchezs and Lincecums of the world will progress.

The bullpen does not need a high-priced set up man. This isn’t a team that will be trying to hold off a rally in game seven of the 2007 World Series. Taking fliers on anyone will be better in the long term (and that’s the only term we’ve got). These are all strategies that have been pounded to death in other places, but it just feels better to have typed it out myself.

And in theory I’m not against adding Sexson or Dunn. My thinking on the corners right now is ‘Are they better than Feliz? Excellent, sign them.’ Each of them is a full two runs better per game than Feliz with the bat. I could see Dunn being just as infuriating to watch and he is a black-hole defensively, but at this point anything might be better than another year of Happy.

And as much as I love sifting through the hundreds of rumors I get sent to my inbox everyday, maybe it would just be easier on me to wait this off-season out and emerge in February to check out the 40-man.

Or maybe the shock of seeing Ryan Klesko pencilied in as our starting first-baseman would be too much to take without adequate warning.