Let’s check in on a few roster situations from the National League.
- The Nationals plan to give Carter Kieboom an opportunity to win the third base job, manager Dave Martinez told reporters (including Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington). The 22-year-old is a consensus top prospect coming off a year in which he hit .303/.409/.493 with 16 home runs in 494 plate appearances. Kieboom has played mostly in the middle infield in the minors, but Martinez indicated he’ll be used strictly as a third baseman for the time being. Washington hadn’t previously had room for Kieboom at the hot corner, but the departure of Anthony Rendon and failure to reel in Josh Donaldson created an opening. If Kieboom doesn’t prove ready for everyday playing time on a contender, Asdrúbal Cabrera gives Martinez a fallback option. Starlin Castro is on hand, too, but it seems Washington will keep him at second base full-time, relays Sam Fortier of the Washington Post.
- Marlins’ outfield prospect Monte Harrison has an opportunity to win a spot on Miami’s season-opening roster, relays Joe Frisaro of MLB.com as part of a reader mailbag. Harrison, one of Miami’s top prospects, slashed a solid but unspectacular .274/.357/.451 in his first crack at Triple-A last season. Given the continued struggles of Lewis Brinson, who was acquired alongside Harrison in the regrettable Christian Yelich trade, there could be an opportunity for Harrison to claim the center field job. As Frisaro notes, Harrison is already on the Marlins’ 40-man roster, so no further move would be necessary.
- Mike Yastrzemski seems likely to get the first crack at the center field job for the Giants, relays Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. That could give an opportunity for prospect Jaylin Davis, acquired last summer from the Twins, to stake a claim to a corner outfield spot. Yastrzemski was quite good for San Francisco in 2019, slashing .272/.334/.518 (121 wRC+) while serving primarily in the corner outfield, although he did start a pair of games in center. It’s an open question whether he can sustain that level of offensive production, considering he was previously an unheralded 28-year-old rookie. Steven Duggar’s also on hand and is a more natural fit in center defensively, but Pavlovic notes that he’s unlikely to have an everyday role. That’s not surprising, as Duggar owns a woeful .241/.286/.358 line (72 wRC+) over the past two seasons.
Got to like when starters are announced in January. Yaz is not a CF. Especially in that park. Zaidi is making a mockery of this franchise.
Well clearly you have a better plan so let’s hear it?
Don’t put Yaz in CF? Jokes I’m not a SF fan but being a Jays fan I can relate to the absolute thin CF market. Gonna be tough for either of us to fill that void with a serviceable player outside our organization. But yeah I got no plan, just a fan!
Jays can cough up one of your duo’s at catcher in a package deal for Sterling Marte
Resign Pillar on a 1 year deal for less than his arb projection.
They should not sign Pillar – he’s not as good a CF defensively as Duggar, he has a low OBP, and he won’t become a trade piece mid-season. Duggar needs another chance to show he can hit in ST, then seems like CF should be his. Yaz, Davis, Dickerson and Slater platooning in the corners.
maybe — vs. lefties: Davis RF, Yaz CF, Slater LF — vs righties Dickerson LF, Duggar CF, Yaz RF
Amen to Pillar….. best player on team last year……take your metrics and flush them and get back to realism
Got a better idea on who to play CF? Pillar wasn’t their answer, then who?
That Alignment looks pretty good on paper. If they can sign Pillar on the cheap, I would bring him back, besides Yaz Pillar is the only other one with any power to hot double figures.
The jury is still out on Zaidi and making a call either way after one year is pretty absurd. Relax and let it play out a little.
I agree, Zaidi is an astute guy, I’d bet on him retooling the Giants effectively. Judging him after one season where his hands were somewhat tied is silly. That midseason winning streak likely hurt more than helped. If they didn’t go on that run, MadBum and more relievers(Smith) would have likely been dealt.
Seriously…
“Mockery” is a crazy word to use
Relax, the guy’s had a large part in building two of the better franchises and farm systems in MLB.
It’s gonna take more than one season to rebuild from the rubble that was left him by the last regime
paddyo875:
If Zaidi is such an astute guy (and I agree that he is), then I don;t believe he would have passed on significant returns for Bum and Smith, based on a mid-season win steak. He’s been around long enough that I don’t think he thought the team was really going anywhere. He knew what he had, and he knew the team’s chances. Had anything good been offered, they would have been traded.
If he wasn’t so astute, maybe he hangs on to the pair in hopes of getting to the PS. But I don’t believe it.
@tad, I agree. Zaidi would’ve traded Bum and Smith if he thought the offers on the table were good enough. Good enough needed to be better than draft compensation due to their QOs. He made a calculated choice that the draft compensation was better. We need a year or three once he’s out from under the high $ – aging veteran contracts before we’ll truly know what Farhan has under the hood.
The Giants lol. They’re gonna be awful this year
That’s what they they say every year. For the last 2 years it’s been “100 losses”, and “last place in the NLW”, neither time was that true. But keep on predicting. It will come true eventually.
People say they were going to suck and they have. They have enough talent to not lose 100 games but their roster has lived up to the lack of expectations.
Well the worst place to be is stuck in the middle. I would think you would want your team to destroy and rebuild for its next run. Going from 98 losses to 89 and 85 is going nowhere fast.
You can’t destroy and rebuild contracts. They have unmovable contracts unless you find a team like Atlanta to take them on. So unfortunately they are stuck in the middle and can’t destroy as you call it.
This Kieboom kid will have us saying Rendon who. Just like Soto has us going Harper who. The Nats have the blueprint right now. Spend only on pitching. Develop the bats.
I love Kieboom but he’s no Rendon. Just hoping he can soften the blow. As for the Nats blueprint, I couldn’t agree more! Only my opinion (and everyone opinion is welcome) but they still got the best 1/2/3 staff in the league. They’ll be more than fine forsure!
He may not be, but it is funny how everyone is now getting on the Rendon boat. People were underrating him for yearsssssssss before this postseason. Kieboom may or may not turn in to him but he sure as hell deserves a shot. None of us actually knows what he will become until he is given a consistent chance to produce on the field. Look what Judge and Trout did in their initial call-ups before their break out seasons (just an example folks before anyone jumps off their high horse to berate me.)
They got the best 1-5 the best 1-3 is Mets.
That sounds like the Red Sox blueprint.
Discipline in the front offices is precious. Sox weren’t fooled into bidding against themselves on JD so they ended up getting one of the best hitters at a steal. Dodgers didn’t fall for over spending on Stanton, Harper, or Rendon. That’s why, even when things don’t come together, they aren’t terrible or anchored by albatross contracts.
Did you really just use the Red Sox as an example of fiscal discipline?
Your in for quite a harsh reality that its not so easy to reproduce a Rendon. Soto was doing great in the bigs while Harper was still on the team. He was a known before Harper left.
No. Not this time.
No one will have the Nats saying “Rendon who?”
No matter how good Kieboom is. And I hope he is fantastic. Arenado, Donaldson or Bryant would be great replacements. But we as Nats fans will always miss, remember and appreciate Tony2bags and what he meant to this team.
No one will have the Nats saying “Rendon who?”
No matter how good Kieboom is. And I hope he is fantastic. Arenado, Donaldson or Bryant would be great replacements. But we as Nats fans will always miss, remember and appreciate Tony2bags and what he meant to this team.
I think these were fall back plans….”we tried to upgrade and it didn’t work out, this is plan B” (or C). I guess it gives players a sense of what to expect when they report for spring training. This could (and should) be paving the way for a corner outfield upgrade for the Giants. I’m not holding my breath, but I can’t imagine that Jaylin Davis is plan A.
Seeing as how they are tanking until the overpaid, underperforming veterans contracts are off the books, Davis probably is plan A. I just wish they would be honest and admit it’s a full on rebuild. It’s rather patronizing to tell the fans they intend to play “meaningful baseball” for as long as possible.
In my more cynical moments I have interpreted “meaningful baseball as late in the season as possible” to mean the middle of May. I have also wondered why they can’t bring themselves to use the word “rebuild”, but for now I will take them at their word that the roster is not what they expect it to be on opening day…and the most obvious place to upgrade is corner OF (especially with Yaz in CF.).
When Zaidi says “Meaningful baseball as late in the season as possible “ it just means that he won’t flat out tank and subsequently lose 100 games. It doesn’t mean that he’s building a playoff roster
The Giants won’t play a single meaningful game this year. I am sick of wasting my time watching this team lose. I have been a fan long enough to feel tied to the club for life despite a decade out of the bay and no hopes of moving back. I’ll watch the minors this year .
See ya later!
Keep crying. You’ve won 3 championships in the last decade. Everything that goes up must come down and if you can’t ride with it and accept it then you aren’t a true fan. How do you think the poor folks in Seattle feel? The giants will spend the next 2 years growing their farm and when belt, longo, posey, etc are gone they will spend big and have another championship caliber team. They loaded up on aging expensive vets to supplement their core for deep postseasons runs and it worked. This is the aftermath and it happens to every winning team in the major leagues.
jkinser20:
As a Giants fan since 1962 I have to say you nailed it. So much of the whining I see from Giant’s fans is embarrassing. Clearly the biggest cry-babies jumped on the band wagon, and weren’t following their team for decades without a title.
Three WS championships in the last decade. There are alot of other fanbases who wish to be so lucky. I get the recent frustration, but decades of being a fan should have left you with a little more perspective than this.
Okay you have a couple of decades on me.
Probably more Croix d’ Candlesticks too.
I suffered. You suffered more. I hear they almost beat the Yankees on a Willie Mays liner in ‘62.
McCovey hit the liner to Richardson at second base.
“Seems likely” from a reporter does not equal a team announcement. It’s more like the reporter’s opinion based on the roster on 1/17
Yaz has played all 3 OF positions almost divided equally throughout his pro career and the the far majority of starts he had in AAA Sacramento this past season where in CF. No doubt SF will be on the lookout for a RHH OF who’s CF capable.
That said it might not seem big but the tweeks to the OF at Oracle should also help both in CF and RF. “Mockery of this franchise”, a little dramatic no?
We’re talking rosters on 1/17/20 this time last year who even knew who Mike Yastremzski was? Now he’s a guy likely to start 140 games.
Yaz was pretty good in right field, and in that ballpark, right is as encompassing as center. Dimensions are decreasing this year as well, so he shouldn’t have issues with the transition.
GIANTS – This Is the Rebuild. Last year was a Bochy year, for sure.
I’d say I’m not mad at what They’re doing.
Even though my instinct is telling me Farhan doesn’t last past the next five years. I could be wrong. Thinking the old way, I saw Sabean do business for all those years. But I see Baer getting the door too, after the five years as well.
Cueto probably traded if he gains any value. Smadj as well. 75 Wins. And Building from scratch.
I’m not mad at the first female MLB hiring. But clearly a PR Ploy by the Front Office and Kapler. Too bad.
Five years. We’ll See. But they’re clearly going Astros Dodgers territory from ground up. Yaz isn’t part of the future either.
But Houston had a farm system before the rebuild. Giants have a very small number of prospects who can make a impact. Giants farm system needs a total regrowth to give the fans some excitement. Giants are actually doing a Tigers blueprint, draft and tank each year without trading talent near the end of their contracts. Don’t worry Tigers fans, my Pirates are doing the same thing lol
Very small number that can make an impact? Luciano, Bart, Ramos, Bishop, Dubon, and quiet a few good pitching prospects. Sounds like a great farm compared to most teams. In fact one of the most improved farms in baseball. Don’t forget the new kid first rounder we just picked up from the Angels!
Yeah, give some credit where it’s due.
Giants are in much better shape than the current mlb roster suggests
It’s just gonna take another season or two to replace the current high priced vets with young talent and better vets
@JayRyder,
You’re not “mad” about Ms. Nakken’s assistant coaching promotion? Ok, you’re just sexist than? Maybe she was hired based on her previous work in the FO, her positive attitude and work ethic. Oh, yeah, and, maybe she’s a baseball skills- savant. Just cuz she’s a woman, you think the hire was a stunt. Bummer for your wife/girlfriend dude!
Well, according to the news. Which maybe you read or not. The New Giants Front Office was recently in Hot Water for negligence in handling a sexual violence case. With a minor female. While working for the LA Dodgers. Farhan and Kapler were both culpable in the handling of that case. And they said as much. How they wish they could have done more.
To say that This Hire has Nothing to do with That incident, to aid in a new direction of their image and reputation towards women, is very foolish.
Read what I wrote again. Or not. The way I say things is my own way. I’m certainly not going to change my style on account of some unknown person taking it their own way.
I said what I said. Get over it. And learn more knowledge of the overall story, before you spew your opinion.
– That’s My Opinion.
Or continue doing what your doing. I’m sure it’s helping you in life thus far.
@JayRyder. You’re entitled to your opinion. I simply stated that I disagree with the idea that the hire was a PR stunt. I know the entire story of Kapler and Zaidi. You make a lot of assumptions. Personally,
I liked the Zaidi hire but was not so keen on the Kapler hire. And, I’m well aware of what happened in the Dodger’s minor league incident. Both of those guys admitted to the notion that they could have have handled it better. That said, your comment is sexist as you offer no stated reflection that the hire could simply be a good hire for the team, and that the best person for the overall skill set they were looking for was an internal candidate who happened to be a woman. Cool hire! Hope she’s good at her new job.
Your opinions, however you choose to express “your style” give no indication that my first
Post wasn’t right: you’re sexist. Bummer!
Maybe SF can move Longoria (Braves?) and Belt as well as Cueto and Samardjiza – somewhere from those are a couple of young power-hitting prospects and a couple of promising arms. FZ can then solve Boston’s salary ceiling taking David Price to get their blocked #1 prospect Tristan Casas 3B.- might have to give up Yaz as Boston fans would love him. .
Yak can play CF. Sign me.
If the Giants want to start Yaz in CF they should sign someone like Billy Hamilton, Jarrod Dyson, or Juan Lagares to serve as a late inning defensive replacement.
Why sign any of those guys when they have an excellent defender in Duggar? He has a weenie bat, but so does everyone you listed. His big problem is staying healthy, and with spot starts, and as the late inning defensive replacement, he stands a good chance at doing that.
26 roster spots so an extra Outfielder is likely. Plus Duggar can fill in at the corners too.
If you know what you’re talking about it’s not as crazy as people are making it out to sound
The Giants need hitting, Neither Hamilton, Dyson, nor Lagares aren’t going to address that need. Yeah, team’s have a 26th spot this season, but why waste it on guys that don;t help at all with the bat? I’ agree on the need for for good defense, but Yaz, Duggar, and Davis are all good enough for CF and RF, I think the Giants should be using that 26th spot for a guy that help the offense more than those 3 guys.
Teams never use the word rebuilding, but that is what the Giants are doing. Let the big contracts expire and 4 top 100 prospects is a good start.
Baer is a foot and 1/2 out the door already. Time for him to retire. He has little or no say anymore. Larry take your retirement and remember what you did to start your own downfall. You’ve lost all credibility & respect in the game. Always will be thankful for all you did in helping save the Giants for SF and getting baseballs best ball park built. But what transpired with your wife was appalling to say the least.
Did you watch the same video I did with what happened with his wife? He should’ve never been punished. She caused a commotion and he wanted his phone. She fell on her own. Period
yep she grabbed his phone he wanted back. it’s was so awful….NOT
Baer was a big part of the WS titles, besides keeping the Giants in SF, and getting the ballpark built. There was clearly no intent physically toward his wife. It was at worst an unfortunate accident. He paid the penalty for the bad optics of it, and none of what happened should be reason for his ouster. If he does leave it should be his decision alone.
This old fart thinks it’s really nice to see the name Yastrzemski in the box scores again! I used to love watching his Grand Dad play back when I was a kid. I was an Orioles fan but hey Who could not like Yaz?
Hope we’ll get to see Mike in the box scores for many years to come!
The Giants need to stop flooding the market with their crappy failed outfield prospects.
Along with the rest of the league that floods the market with their crappy failed prospects. Smh!
Regrettable Yelich trade? You serious dude? A vast majority of Marlins fans would strongly disagree with you. Our starting 2B came
From that trade who has perennial all star potential, Monte who is most likely the future starting CF and our #4 SP who was spose to be a throw in never going to make the majors guy. Yeli wanted out, it was good value. He plays in a hitters park and blossomed and i couldn’t be happier for him.
I second this.
Diaz isn’t impressive…
Monte is 23 and hit 270 in AAA. He won’t be a stud… he might be a good player but I’m not big on him.
Yamamoto isn’t something to brag about
And brinson was the main piece and he is the worst one…
Marlins could have done better buts it’s the marlins so they didn’t lol.
Isan Diaz has all star potential? He was one of the least productive hitters in baseball last year! Only Brinson was worse.
In his first 40 MLB games?? Thats not a big enough sample to determine anything. Many many all stars had horrendous stats in their first cup of MLB tea. He also hit .305/.395/.578 in the minors past season. So yeah his potential all star caliber, hence why he was a top 100 prospect. Will he fully reach that potential? Idk. We’ll see how 2020 goes and needs to reach that potential bu 2021 season. If he struggles the next two years, then they move on.