While Bobby Abreu seemed to have trouble with power in the second half of 2005 and David Wright likewise in the second half of 2006, that’s no reason to make it a rule that the Home Run Derby ruins swings. That doesn’t even mean Abreu and Wright were affected by it.

The most home runs Abreu has ever hit in a season was 31 in 2001. In 1999, 2002, and 2003, Abreu’s home run total was 20. Yet, going into the 2005 Home Run Derby, Abreu’s home run total was 18. He then only had six home runs in the second half of that season, finishing with a “disappointing” 24. People speculated that perhaps the Derby had ruined his swing. But Abreu had never had a season where he had say, ten more home runs than the 24 he finished with in 2005. So why were these expectations even there?

Looking at Abreu’s 2005, his worst power month wasn’t even in his second half. It was April. He had one home run in April. How did he get the 18 he had at the All-Star break? He had a red-hot May where he finished with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs, a monthly total he never even came close to in any other months.

With Wright, since he was so young in 2006, perhaps people thought he was developing into a 40 HR-type. He still could, after all, he hit 30 HR in 2007 and is on pace for at least 30 more this season. However, he finished his “disappointing” 2006 with just one home run shy of his 2005 total. Wright went into the 2006 Home Run Derby with 20 homers and only had six in the second half. Not surprisingly, Wright is another guy who had a red-hot month to inflate his numbers. He had 10 homers and 29 RBIs in the month of June. These numbers far surpassed every other month Wright had. And Wright continued to get on base in the second half, only dipping below a .350 OBP in August.

By the way, Wright didn’t even win the 2006 Home Run Derby. Ryan Howard did. He went into the 2006 Home Run Derby with 28 homers and had a second half with 30 homers, cultimating in his 2006 NL MVP win. That Derby really ruined his swing.

The 2007 Home Run Derby winner Vladimir Guerrero went into the contest last year with 14 home runs and hit 13 roundtrippers in the second half, thus finally silencing the debate. The 2007 runner-up Alex Rios did go in with 17 homers and finish with 24, but again, he’s a young guy that has never had those kind of power numbers. This season, he only has four in 89 games.

So if the powerhouse known as Josh Hamilton wows the crowd at Yankee Stadium on Monday or Evan Longoria has his national coming-out party, there’s no reason to expect their imminent and immediate downfall. To suggest that players are dumb enough to go through the rest of the season with a home run uppercut is naive. These guys constantly make adjustments, and this friendly contest isn’t a cancer to them.

Andrew Baggarly in the San Jose Mercury News reports that the San Francisco Giants are considering a deal that would send young RHP Tim Lincecum to the Toronto Blue Jays for All-Star outfielder Alex Rios.

The Giants have a number of young arms, including Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Noah Lowry but are looking to add some punch to their offense.

Rios is arbitration-eligible, and according to Baggarly’s industry sources it is estimated he would command at least $6 million next season. He could become a $10 million-a-year player even before hitting free agency after the 2010 season if he continues producing at his current pace.

Baggarly writes that some in baseball wonder if the Giants have concerns about Lincecum’s durability because of his slight build and high-effort delivery.