4:30pm: The Giants have now made it official, announcing Pollock’s release. His 40-man roster spot will go to right-hander John Brebbia, who has been reinstated from the 60-day IL, with righty Tristan Beck optioned to open an active roster spot for Brebbia.
7:39am: The Giants are releasing AJ Pollock, per a report by MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi last night. The 35-year-old veteran has been on the injured list with a strained oblique for just under a month but began a rehab assignment at Triple-A last week, going 1-for-6 with a double, a walk and three strikeouts.
Pollock joined the Giants just before this year’s trade deadline in a fairly minor deal with the Mariners that also saw San Francisco acquire utility player Mark Mathias. San Francisco acquired him in hopes of improving the club’s offense against lefties, thanks to his career .836 OPS against lefties and a .286/.316/.619 slash line in 133 plate appearances when facing southpaws last year. That didn’t come to pass, however, as he ultimately suited up for the club in just five big league games, striking out two times in six at-bats without recording a hit or walk.
The brief stint in San Francisco was a continuation of what has been nothing short of a brutal year for Pollock at the plate. Since signing a one-year, $7MM deal with the Mariners this past offseason, Pollock has slashed a unsightly .165/.215/.305 in 144 trips to the plate this year. Pollock’s 22.2% strikeout rate is a career high, and while his awful .227 wOBA is much lower than his xwOBA, his rough contact quality numbers leave the expected figure at a still well-below par .267.
While Pollock began to decline somewhat with the White Sox last year, posting the first below-average offensive season of his career (aside from an injury-marred 2016 season in which he only suited up for 12 games with the Diamondbacks) since he became a full time player in 2013, his drop off in production this year has been staggering. After all, it was just two seasons ago that Pollock was posting excellent numbers with the Dodgers, slashing .297/.355/.536 with a wRC+ of 137.
As for the Giants, the club still has a pair of right-handed hitting outfielders on the roster in Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater, along with a pair of youngsters at Triple-A on the 40-man roster in Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos. San Francisco will have to put Pollock through release waivers, though he’ll surely go unclaimed between his performance, expiring and pricey contract, and the fact that he would be ineligible to participate in the postseason for the hypothetical-claiming club. Upon clearing release waivers, Pollock would become a free agent and be free to sign with any of the 30 clubs with an eye toward the 2024 campaign, though the veteran outfielder will likely have to settle for a minor league deal after this year’s performance.
He’s done. Trip to the DL put him just over 10 years service time. Should be thankful to the Giants as he’s collecting his retirement.
RJ – the guy collected over 81 million in salary alone at mlb level. While the Giants did do him the favor for the 10 year mark and what that means, there isn’t much point in making that an emphasis for his financial well being.
Why does it matter it’s just an opinion on the take of the finanicial comment
kmk – ok so it doesn’t matter, then why say it in the first place? I acknowledged it was a thing but just not a point of emphasis in his portfolio.
Really, I’m sure when he is eligible to start drawing it, that extra 250k / year will be nice but it is t life changing for a guy his age that has earned over 81 million just in salary.
Maybe he was bad with money and has nothing left. You be surprised how many athletes have blown their career earnings.
Maybe and could be – if it’s and bit’s were candy and nuts we would all have a Merry Christmas.
There is nothing to suggest that. Ever hear of any financial troubles with AJ? Mike Tyson, ok. I’ve got nothing on AJ.
Now, he isn’t eligible to even get a check for about 9 years so I hope he wasn’t completely foolish with that 81 mil.
The rest of his paychecks thru the end of 2023 total more than he should expect to get in the first year at 45!
Mike Tyson is one of the most famous athletes in the world. Who is AJ? Not even the casual MLB fan would know who he is.
So don’t expect to hear much about his private life.
So because he is only an MLB player and because you haven’t heard if he was good with his money you just go with he may have lost it all for your first choice?
Bad news is what get publicity so IF you haven’t seen it on the internet it probably isn’t happened.
Maybe go with he is ok first until you read otherwise (from a reliable source).
What’s wrong with you? I never said he did lose it all. You are the one going on about how great he is with money. It’s like you are his stalker and obsessed with him. Just chill out you weirdo.
I’m sure he still wanted to get there. He’s going to set his family up for generations.
I think the $81+m will take good care of his family even without his pension, which is pocket change for him at this point.
He had 10+ years prior to the season starting.
No baseball analyst, opposing team GM or fan could understand this acquisition at the trade deadline. Rumor Pollock was getting released by the Mariners and albeit the Giants traded for him with cash that’s still a plus to the Mariners..
Deserved. Good for the Giants for getting rid of that disease
Well there’s more disease on the Giants to get rid of.
buya: In a way Pollock made a mistake by not taking the $19.5m QO from the White Sox. I think he wanted to get away from the doom and gloom attitude fostered by LaRussa. It kind of reminds me of Profar. Pollock struggled with the M’s and Giants, but even with his numbers he would still be a star on the Sox.
@Avenger, Pollock was not offered a qualifying offer nor could Sox have offered one since DBacks had offered him one. He declined a $13M option and was bought out for $5M.
His acquisition at the deadline (even if you include Mathias) has to be one of the weakest moves by a contender I can remember. The true believers clung to the concept that “he mashes lefties”. Anyone who truly thought he had anything left in the tank after watching him in SEA this year was beyond delusional.
Couldn’t agree more..such a feeble attempt by Zaidi..def an F-
Well that’s just not true, is it?
He’s a great example of “what could have been” if he could have remotely stayed healthy.. the few seasons he was healthy or healthier than others, he put up solid numbers.
Whether it was intended or not, having Pollock in a Mariners uniform in a story about the Giants releasing him encapsulates his career.
Everyone sees the talent, but you can’t force stud athletes to care about stretching. Doesn’t matter what the sport is. Ichiro did.
Say it ain’t so !!!
A rare Farhan miss?
It does happen occasionally.
Nice try Tony, Pollock was just a stop gap since Haniger, Yaz, and Conforto out with injuries and Giants needed warm bodies. It wasn’t a miss and he did win us one game! Thanks AJ! All the best to you!
Yes he did, Agnes. And he bought an infield depth piece with him. People seem to lose sight of the fact that cost nothing but cash.
Hanger and Conforto, along with the QO to Joc, and the player options for Manea and Stripling were the misses. Pollock is just a footnote in yet another disappointing year in the Farhan era.
In Farhans defense he was used by Judge and took a shot at Correa. Not like he didn’t try. You know they’re going to be in on Shohei.
I agree, he’s not too great of a gm. Another guy who wants to be the smartest guy in the room instead of doing what works. Signing multiple average/bad players instead of 1-2 good ones. Never acquiring talent at the deadline, I’m kinda fine with him not giving super big deals like Correa got but they are a big market team and should act like it a bit more. And you can’t tell me they needed to add options to sign those weak pitchers?
Oh yeah. I fully expect them to come in second in the Ohtani sweepstakes.
They are in the 14th largest market in MLB. They are a medium market team.
Immaculate Grid legend
Dodgers really sold him at the right time.
But they got Craig Kimbrel for him, so….
@BigFred
And he pitched 8% above average for them. Not my fault they gave up on him and is now pitching 23% better for the Phillies.
Kimbrel was so great down the stretch that he was left off the playoff roster.
Is Haniger still out on the IL?
Haniger is back but he was out so long after being HBP and breaking his arm, and then had only a short rehab before returning, so he looks pretty lost at the plate so far. We need him or someone to get in a groove.
Every time I see Heliot Ramos’ name, all I can think about is Stelio Kontos from American Dad and the theme song he has. It would be even better if Heliot had a Tim Anderson type fight under his belt. It wouldn’t take much to change the theme song either.
Luis Matos is on the 40 man so he could be added to make the version including Steve’s bully.
Let’s me guess, the dodgers will pick him up
I don’t know he looks pretty cooked at this point, then again Heyward was godawful and look at what the Dodgers turned him into this year, a quality bat has done more in his one year in LA then his entire tenure in Chicago.
dodgers need a player that can pitch they are grasping at straws now for starters
I love how you keyboard GM’s and managers can always find something to argue with each other about… “Pollock needs his pension” immediately, “no he doesn’t, he’s made plenty of money”… y’all are a hoot!
I was surprised when Pollock declined his option with White Sox last off-season and signed elsewhere for less money. In light of what’s transpired with the White Sox this summer, it may well be that Pollock’s departure from the south side was an early warning about the disturbing culture inside the Chicago club house.
He’ll be on the Red Sox by the end of the week
Don’t give Bloom any ideas
Pollock is a has been trying to suck the last nickel out of the majors. In the years he played for the Diamondbacks he was the most selfish player on the team. May he go broke a day after he retires.
You gotta watch out for guys like this I suppose. Guys who have made their millions, have an injury history, and look to galivant around on one-year free agent deals while the money is still good. Like someone said above…make sure they keep doing their stretching.
Ignorant: More than ever, players have fallen in love with the weight room. With bigger muscles, they have to stretch them out after every workout. I don’t know if they do, but they should. It would keep them from getting injuries that put them on the IL. Maybe even lower the amount of oblique strains.
Is it kind of a crap move that they didn’t release him a few days before the end of August? Maybe some random playoff team saw something in his experience, etc. that could have been used in the playoffs?
The Giants should have kicked two off the 40-man roster and brought up Fitzerald and Miller. But hey’ what do we know? Super genius Zaidi swung the Pollock trade when the Mariners were ready to DFA him.. Good job..
Why Erik Miller? The one area the Giants don’t need help is in the bullpen (unless Manaea is following Pollock out the door and, even then, Beck should come back up).
wasn’t as bad as Dan Uggla but his 0-6 and being the main trade deal for SF is uggla!
And thus, the door is officially closed on the trade deadline.
Since doing absolutely nothing at that time, the Giants have free-fallen out of contention. Sitting by idly was essentially waving the white flag on another season.
I have to imagine that some of the rookies will get better with time and experience, but man, this team’s second half has been a trainwreck.