The Giants have signed outfielder Ka’ai Tom to a minor league contract, tweets Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Sacramento.
Ironically enough, that comes just days after the Giants added first baseman/corner outfielder John Nogowski on a two-year minors pact. Tom and Nogowski had been released simultaneously by the Pirates earlier this week, less than a month after both players were waived off Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster at the same time.
It’s not clear whether Tom’s minor league pact covers the 2022 season as Nogowski’s deal does, although it seems likely that’s the case. Tom won’t be eligible for San Francisco’s playoff roster as a player added to the organization after August 31, and there wouldn’t be much benefit to bringing him in for the regular season’s final week only to see him depart via minor league free agency this winter.
Tom will look to play his way back into the majors in the Bay Area, where his big league time briefly began this spring. The A’s selected Tom out of the Indians’ organization in last fall’s Rule 5 draft, and he broke camp with Oakland. The A’s waived Tom after just nine games, though, and Pittsburgh gave him a longer look after adding him on waivers.
Between the two clubs, the 27-year-old tallied his first 133 MLB plate appearances. He hit just .139/.278/.231 with a pair of home runs, but Tom owns a much better minor league track record. The left-handed hitter has a .272/.353/.504 line in a brief look at Triple-A, and he’s a .261/.353/.445 hitter over a rather lengthy run in Double-A. Tom’s primarily a corner outfielder, but he has the ability to cover center field if needed and has a long track of drawing walks and getting on base in the minors. He’ll offer a no-risk depth add to the San Francisco system.
Giants signed two bit players from the pirates who actually hurt them a few times in the season series the pirates actually won
Trying to find a guy that makes up for the McCutchen/Reynolds trade. Reynolds became everything the Giants needed immediately after going to Pittsburgh. Yaz was a helpful consolation later but it’s still hurts a bit. I’m glad we found guys like LaMonte Wade, Darin Ruf, Thairo Estrada, etc, but Reynolds is a perennial all star and might even break some Pittsburgh franchise records. Probably the worst move of the Sabean Era that doesn’t get talked about. Instead we’ll be giving Kris Bryant $150 million to do 90% of what Bryan Reynolds is doing for less than $2m… but hey, we were indebted to the Baseball Gods for the 3 rings in 5 years, and our annual sacrificial 2nd baseman wasn’t cutting it(RIP Freddy Sanchez, Marco Scutaro, Joe Panik.) Hopefully Thairo Estrada beats out Solano/La Stella in camp next year. I doubt Solano will return, despite his success at the plate in SF. They already gave La Stella a 3yr/$18m deal that goes $2m/$5m/$11m. I doubt he’ll be worth it in the 3rd year of that deal, though I believe they’ll be off of Longoria’s contract by then, unless they pickup his $13m option at 37 years old♂️
tom looked lost every time i saw him as a position player.
decent AAA numbers, why not take a look
No risk. So why not!
Gearing up AAA team to win championships with below avg journeymen.
These are reaches even for farhad. a 57 win team dumpster dives for a 99 win team.
Are you seriously complaining about minor league signings.
Yeah I mean they are eligible for the milb post season right? Not sure about sac but San Jose an Eugene are both going to the post season.
The River Cats are the defending AAA champions, but they’re terrible this year. They can use the help.
Has anyone else noticed that the Giants haven’t sold out a single home game and the only time they came close was when L A was in town and their fans invaded? Some are blaming Covid but I don’t buy it. Fans need players to root for even on winning teams and not many are going to pay top dollar to see a team made up of guys like this even if they win every game. Either spend some of the loads of money you have on known players who fans can embrace or get used to half empty stadiums in the best of times and way less when things go south!
Has to be one of the dumbest comments ever written here.
The truth is anything but dumb but comments like yours are a sign of true ignorance. What is your explanation for the best team in baseball not selling out if it isn’t a lack of star power? Enlighten me with your infinite wisdom!
@Giant4, I think it’s covid. I am a guy with multiple chronic illnesses and tho vaxxed, we all know that break-through infections are a real thing. I simply can’t risk being in a big crowd. That said, under non-covid life, I probably would’ve gone to 10 games this year. I’d LOVE to be at the park in this banner year for the Giants. I think many in greater Bay Area are aware of the science and like me, not willing to risk it.
Obviously has noting to do with signing some AAA filler…that’s moronic.
Do yo go to the games?
I used to take my wife and 6 kids to about 4 games a year. I can’t speak to the reason for everyone else but, we don’t go because the city is a dump a homeless man tried to grab my 6 year old son last time we were walking back to the car after leaving in the 8th (school night) my wife simply will not go back to the city. That was 2018, then they started the whole kneeling for the flag which some may not care about but the alienated at least 30% of the fan base even here in the Bay Area, as a Marine Corps veteran that matters to me. I think they will sell out again at some point but I think those two things combined with Covid are hurting attendance more than not having any stars when they have Belt hitting almost 30 hr and Posey Longoria and Crawford having Career years when healthy, plus guys like Lamont and Estrada generating late inning excitement and Webb looking like he may be the future Ace.
I think you are a phony….you say a homeless man tried to grab your son. What did you do? What do you think he was going to do.
And as always someone brings up the kneelers…who didnt disrespect the flag….social injustices are the reason. You claim to be a vet….internet is full of so CALLED military veterans. You your wife and 6 kids went to a game…you left early…school night…hmmm BULL
I think it’s Covid19 fear mongering. It starts with the local SF hypocrite politicians but you get the same from radio personalities like Tom Tolbert on KNBR. In conversation with Larry Baer, Tolbert ridiculed the teams in TX for filling their stadiums, labeling it as dangerous. Larry responded by saying he didn’t want to get into the politics of the issue. But bottomline, fear mongering reigns supreme in San Francisco. Unless you are one of the fear mongerers, the Mayor, the Speaker of the House or other political figures celebrating your 60th birthday, then you can even be inside and not need a mask!
Agree. No reason to go to San Fran-sick-o ever again. I’m sorry about that, but it’s true.
Giants fans are gladly embracing stellar Zaidi finds like Wade Jr. as well as being thrilled by resurgent years from long time heroes. Stands are scarce because of Covid. On top of most stringent policies in the country, many fans normally take Bart to city from outskirts and are hesitant to ride public transit for long distances. SF is still a ghost town overall due to Covid, silly to expect baseball games to be that different.
So why was the stadium full when the Dodgers were in town then? Dodgers stadium sells out every night and that place is much harder to get to then Oracle. They play in California too with the same restrictions so are Giants fans just a bunch of pansies who are afraid to go outside?
Is it that hard to believe that fans don’t want to pay top dollar prices to see a team of nobodies? There are 9 games left and they have the best record in baseball yet if you asked most Giants fans under truth serum they would probably tell you they expect the dodgers to win the division still and for the Giants to likely get bounced in a one game playoff. Farhan is an absolute magician I will give him that but can this team really keep this up and actually win a WS?
I will be the first to post how wrong I have been if the Giants end up winning it all. In the likely event that doesn’t happen I will also be quick to criticize what has been the luckiest run any front office has ever had in the history of sports.
Posey, Crawford, Belt, Longoria, Bryant, and Gausman. Nobodies???
No you’re right. Most people in sf are very very scared of covid even those with little reason to be. I’m a giants fan in socal and it’s much different for the angels dodgers and Padres. People down here are trying to live their (already plenty dangerous) lives
Giants fans might have expected to lose the division before the April star break but the last three months you would be hard pressed to find one that doesn’t think the wean will win the division and the division series
Kris Bryant not big enough of a name ?
I’m far from there, but geeeez, surely the good people of San Francisco aren’t so fickle.
Bryant is a flashy name and he has had a few moments but that guy is nowhere near his glory days. Don’t expect them to resign him and even though I am asking Farhan to spend money, not on this guy please.
Giant for life…just proved how much of these idiotic posts are posted by idiot trolls. Your comments make no sense. Best team in baseball and your complaining……
But Bryant is one of those “big names” you were just decrying the Giants for not acquiring… so maybe it really is the unprecedented and politicized pandemic in one of the more left-leaning and expensive cities in the country lol
No other team in all of baseball has kept as much of a core together for as long as the Giants have. It’s absurd to claim Giants fans aren’t coming out to watch their 100 win team because they haven’t heard of the players when they still have Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt. A lot of their imports are extremely well-known names too like Byrant, Longoria, Cueto, Yaztremski.
Wow signing Tom as well. Giants must be desperate for depth
Not desperate but always looking forward and depth is never anything to sleep on
The Pirates claimed this guy and give him too many at bat and he failed miserably. Everyone laughed and call it dumpster diving…..because it’s the Pirates. The Giant pick him and Nogoski up and hey all of a sudden it’s worth a shot/change of scenery/good depth signing. 0kay? What ever justifies your narrative.
Are you saying that no is calling these moves dumpster diving? I suggest you read the comments.
The difference between the Pirates and the Giants is the Giants can afford to let these guys hang around in their minor leagues, just in case they start to figure things out. I’m sure, with the budget constraints of the Pirates, they had to make a decision one way or another on these guys. It’s possible the Pirates might have liked to keep them, but just couldn’t.
See Mendoza Line 215 for the facts on why the Pirates released these two. It had nothing to do with money. It had everything to do with neither of them being good and the Pirates have way more talented players moving up to AAA that need playing time. Good luck to the Giants on saving either of these two’s careers. I’d have more confidence in Nogoski as he’s a smart player. His strength is his defense, his ability to make contact and work the count. When he doesn’t make contact he’s worthless as a no power1st baseman limited to the position. He needs to try to sell out for power and maybe he could have a shot. As for Tom, I see little hope.
It’s because the giants don’t just sign guys to wear uniforms and help the tank. They sign guys because their huge coaching staff sees something in them that they can fix or strengthen. Look at LaMonte Wade Jr as a twin and compare his stance/swing to now. He has a completely different approach now in SF.
Tad-No budget constraints necessary for minor leaguers even for Pirates.They needed to open up the roster for young players and would have lost these two guys as minor league free agents.They brought up several promising players from AA to AAA and by releasing them now gave them a chance to sign with some team this year.
Tom was a Rule 5 and was offered back and team said no thanks, Only time I ever saw that happen.
Tom was very good at one thing,he drew a lot of walks.His short stature I think helped him there but he also must have a good eye.Unfortunately with both him and Nogowski and their fairly good strengths their weaknesses were pretty strong also.You cannot get by with that in the ML’s
I think, in a way, that is good for the Giants and what they are doing. They are a team that has mastered the art of maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.
I don’t know if Nogowski or Tom fit into their 2022 plans, but if the Giants know they can utilize their strengths, they could be good.
It says a lot when the pirates, who pick people out of the trash heap , didn’t even want these two.
Or are not smart enough to figure out how to tap into potential, may say more about their coaching and analytics than anything else.
Nogoski started 1-18 with the Cardinals before they sent him to AAA and then traded him to the Pirates for a PTBL or cash. I’m assuming with your comment that the Cardinals were too stupid to help him too?