Giants Rumors

Quick Hits: Owens, Stroman, Wright, Beckham, Rookie

By Mark Polishuk | February 18, 2019 at 12:29am CDT

Athletics assistant GM/director of player personnel Billy Owens has been rumored as “a strong candidate” to become the next Giants general manager, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ newly-hired president of baseball operations, knows Owens well from their time together in Oakland’s front office, and Zaidi is one of several voices in Slusser’s piece who praise Owens’ ability to scout and identify talent (not to mention describe that talent in legendarily elaborate scouting reports). If there is one flaw in Owens’ resume, it could be his love of scouting prevents him from amassing the type of executive experience necessary to run a front office. That said, Owens has been sought after by other organizations, and he interviewed for the Phillies’ GM job in 2015, leading to speculation that he could eventually leave Oakland for a higher-profile job — perhaps even reuniting with Zaidi in the Bay Area.

Here’s more from around the baseball world…

Marcus Stroman’s blunt comments about the Blue Jays’ offseason seem to hint at an eventual parting of the ways between the team and the right-hander, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi opines. Stroman’s frankness probably didn’t help his chances at either a contract extension or a trade, though if he has a good first half and erases any question marks lingering from his mediocre 2018 season, Stroman will surely become an intriguing trade chip for the Jays at the deadline.
The Red Sox plan to use Steven Wright as a full-time reliever this season, MLB.com’s Ian Browne writes, with manager Alex Cora casting Wright as a potential multi-inning threat. At first glance, a knuckleballer would seem like an unusually durable option to relegate to the bullpen, though Wright is just happy to be pitching in any capacity after two injury-plagued seasons. There is also the possibility for higher-profile assignments within Boston’s pen, given the team’s lack of an established closer.
Gordon Beckham chose to sign the Tigers over some offers from other teams because they offered the best shot at regular Major League at-bats, the veteran infielder told Chris McCosky of the Detroit News and other reporters. The idea of more time in the minors isn’t appealing to Beckham, to the point that “if it doesn’t work out here, I might be done” with his ten-year MLB career, though he also noted that better health and a revamped swing have him feeling optimistic about the coming season.
Right-hander Rookie Davis is close to a new minor league contract and Spring Training invite with an unknown team, The Athletic’s Emily Waldon reports (Twitter link), adding that the Pirates have been in touch with Davis. Perhaps best known as one of the prospects sent by the Yankees to the Reds as part of the Aroldis Chapman trade in December 2015, Davis tossed 27 innings for Cincinnati in 2017 and then underwent hip surgery that October. He pitched only 26 1/3 innings in the Reds’ farm system last season and became a free agent in November.

NL West Notes: Machado, Padres, Rockies, Maybin, Kelly

By Mark Polishuk | February 17, 2019 at 6:32pm CDT

The Padres continue to be linked to Manny Machado on the rumor mill, and The Athletic’s Dennis Lin (subscription required) provides a bit of history on San Diego’s pursuit of the star infielder. It wasn’t until late January that the Padres began to “seriously contemplate” the idea of signing Machado, due to his high asking price and the team’s own hesitation about Machado’s well-documented history of borderline dirty play and a perceived lack of hustle. This led to what one source described as an “ungodly” amount of background work from the team about Machado, and given the Padres’ burgeoning interest, it appears as though their questions have been answered to their satisfaction. In fact, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan hears from two sources that the Padres “are enamored with” Machado, and see him as the veteran centerpiece amidst the club’s upcoming influx of highly-rated minor leaguers. There has been some speculation that Machado, a Miami native, was favoring East Coast teams over West Coast teams, though Fancred’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link) hears that Machado is looking for the best deal, with geography not a factor.

Here’s more from around the NL West…

Also from Passan’s piece, he reports that the Rockies have been discussing extensions with some of their young starters. No names are mentioned, though it’s fair to assume that names like Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, Tyler Anderson, and perhaps Jon Gray or Antonio Senzatela could be on Colorado’s radar as long-term pieces. Of that group, Freeland, Marquez, and Senzatela don’t become arbitration-eligible until next winter, while Anderson and Gray each have two arb years remaining. As such, there isn’t any tremendous urgency to get an extension worked out with any of these hurlers — as Passan notes, current talks could be more about laying some groundwork for more substantive negotiations next spring. Then again, each pitcher is his own unique case, and it could be that at least one could be eager to lock in a guaranteed payday rather than risk injury, or perhaps a performance dropoff while pitching at Coors Field. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently profiled Freeland as an extension candidate, arguing that a five-year, deal in the range of $35MM-$37MM would seem like a fair contract for the 25-year-old southpaw, who finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2018.
Cameron Maybin received interest from multiple teams this winter, though the veteran outfielder told Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group that he chose to sign with the Giants due to the opportunity for playing time, and because of Buster Posey’s recent tweet about the club being “an organization that wants to win.” Maybin has only reached the postseason once in his 12-year career, though the trip was a memorable one, as Maybin won a World Series ring as a member of the 2017 Astros. Of course, the Giants don’t profile as the most obvious potential contender going into the 2019, though there’s still plenty of veteran talent on hand if everyone can stay healthy.
Carson Kelly is eager to finally get a chance at regular MLB playing time, the new Diamondbacks catcher tells The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (subscription required). Acquired by Arizona as part of the Paul Goldschmidt blockbuster, Kelly will see much more action with the D’Backs than he did as the backup behind workhorse Yadier Molina in St. Louis. Molina’s continued longevity meant that Kelly, a former second-round draft pick and top-60 prospect in the sport, became an expendable piece. “In the big leagues, I’ve only had a chance to fail. I’ve never really had a chance to grow,” Kelly said, noting that he found himself pressing at the plate when with the Cardinals since he so rarely got a chance to play. While the Diamondbacks’ three-catcher plan means that Kelly still won’t get a full everyday-catcher workload, Buchanan writes that “Kelly figures to be Catcher 1A,” and could end up getting more at-bats if he plays well.

Giants Sign Yangervis Solarte

By Steve Adams | February 17, 2019 at 5:13pm CDT

TODAY: The Giants announced that Solarte has passed his physical (The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly was among those to tweet the news).

FRIDAY, 9:50am: If he makes the roster, Solarte will earn $1.75MM and can make another $250K via incentives, tweets Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. That seemingly indicates that Solarte’s deal is of the minor league variety, though it could also be a non-guaranteed MLB pact that comes with a 40-man spot. The team has yet to announce the signing.

9:17am: The Giants and free-agent infielder Yangervis Solarte have agreed to terms on a contract, reports Robert Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter). The deal is pending the completion of a physical. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported yesterday that San Francisco had interest in the versatile veteran.

Solarte, 31, had a steady run of production between the Yankees and Padres from 2014-17 before seeing his offensive output unexpectedly crater upon a move from pitcher-friendly Petco Park in San Diego to the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre in Toronto. The switch-hitter didn’t debut in the Majors until he was 26, but he quickly acclimated himself and hit a combined .267/.327/.419 with 57 homers, 99 doubles and six triples through his first 2061 plate appearances.

Last offseason, the Padres flipped Solarte and the remainder of what looked to be a club-friendly contract — he was earning $4MM in 2018 and had a pair of club options worth a combined $13.5MM for 2019-20 — to the Blue Jays in exchange for prospects Edward Olivares and Jared Carkuff. The transition back to the AL East was a rough one for Solarte, however, and his season concluded with a disappointing .226/.277/.377 batting line in 506 plate appearances. Following that showing, the Jays declined his $5.5MM option, making him a free agent.

Though the 2018 season wasn’t a good one for Solarte, there were still some positives. He remained an exceptionally difficult player to strike out, whiffing in just 14.2 percent of his plate appearances. Solarte’s line-drive rate actually increased over his more productive 2017 season and over his career mark, as well. It’d be fair to attribute some of his poor showing to a major drop in his batting average on balls in play (.233), though it should also be pointed out that his low mark in that regard isn’t as unfortunate as it seems; Solarte’s 28 infield flies tied him for the sixth-most in baseball, and popping up at that rate will naturally reduce a players BABIP. Pop-ups have been an issue at times for Solarte in his career, but never more so than last year, when he held the dubious distinction of tying Mike Moustakas for the Major League lead in infield-fly rate (19.2 percent).

All of that said, Solarte isn’t long removed from being a reasonably productive bat, and he can help the Giants by serving as a depth option at any of the four infield positions, as he has at least 264 innings at each slot. While he’s not a premium defender at any of those positions, he doesn’t rate disastrously at any of the four, either. As a low-cost bench option for a team that has seen as many recent infield injuries as the Giants, Solarte is sensible addition. And, if he’s able to bounce back to his previous levels of production, the Giants could well find themselves with a tradeable commodity on their hands this summer.

Giants Sign Gerardo Parra To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | February 17, 2019 at 5:12pm CDT

TODAY: Parra has passed his physical, as per a team announcement (The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly was among those to tweet the news).

TUESDAY: The Giants have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link). The Octagon client will head to Major League Spring Training in hopes of earning a spot on San Francisco’s Opening Day roster. If he can, Parra would earn a $1.75MM salary, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link), with $250K in incentives tied to plate appearances.

Parra, 31, wrapped up a three-year, $27.5MM with the division-rival Rockies in 2018 — one that did not pay the dividends the Colorado organization had hoped when signing Parra in the 2015-16 offseason. During his three years with the Rox, Parra posted a .283/.320/.407 slash that looks solid on the surface but checked in well south of the league average when adjusting for park and league. Weighted metrics such as OPS+ (82) and wRC+ (77) felt that Parra’s bat was anywhere from 18 to 23 percent worse than that of an average-hitter over that span. And last season, Parra turned in the least-powerful campaign of his 10-year Major League career (six homers, 17 doubles, no triples, .087 ISO in 443 plate appearances).

Defensively speaking, Parra has a steady track record as a quality corner glove. Though defensive metrics weren’t kind to him in his first year with Colorado, that season now looks anomalous in nature. Parra tallied +11 Defensive Runs Saved and a 10.2 Ultimate Zone Rating from 2017-18. Statcast pegged him as a roughly scratch defender in that time (+1 outs above average).

Overall, Parra is a useful defender in the outfield corners — one who has long shown solid contact skills and managed to get on base at a respectable clip, as evidenced by a career .278/.325/.405 slash. All of that offensive output has come while playing his home games in a hitter-friendly setting (Diamondbacks, Orioles, Rockies, Brewers), but with a career strikeout rate of just 17 percent, Parra undeniably has quality bat-to-ball skills that could help him to earn a spot in a currently barren Giants outfield mix.

Young Steven Duggar is returning from shoulder surgery and will hope to lay claim to regular center field duties at the newly renamed Oracle Park, but he didn’t hit especially well in his rookie debut last season. Depending on the health of his shoulder and his early production, it’s certainly possible that he’d still need some further development. Beyond Duggar are Austin Slater, Chris Shaw and the out-of-options Mac Williamson — none of whom has solidified himself as a big league regular.

Of course, the potential for a radical shift in the Giants’ outfield mix still looms large, with the team recently reported to be in the mix for Bryce Harper. Certainly, adding Parra on a non-guaranteed deal does nothing to lessen the Giants’ chances of landing Harper, though ultimately signing Harper would obviously hinder Parra’s chances of cracking the roster in San Francisco.

West Notes: D-backs, Greinke, Giants, Zaidi, Mariners, Ichiro

By Connor Byrne | February 16, 2019 at 10:48pm CDT

The Diamondbacks have waved goodbye to cornerstones Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and Patrick Corbin in the past few months, leaving right-hander Zack Greinke as their best remaining player. In all, things haven’t gone according to plan for the Diamondbacks since they signed Greinke to a whopping six-year, $206.5MM contract heading into 2016, but he said Saturday that he has “(no) desire to be traded to any team,” Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. It stands to reason, then, that Greinke would block a deal to any of the 15 teams on his no-trade list should the Diamondbacks find an offer to their liking. Indeed, the Diamondbacks reportedly found Greinke’s limited no-trade clause to be a “major impediment” during the winter. In addition to his ability to block a trade to half the league’s clubs, Greinke’s a 35-year-old with $104.5MM left on his contract – two more factors that undermine his value. Still, Greinke did turn in yet another highly productive campaign in 2018, his second straight quality season after he began his D-backs tenure in somewhat disappointing fashion in 2016.

Their courtship of free agent Bryce Harper aside, the Giants haven’t made a lot of headlines since president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi took the reins in November. Thus far, Derek Holland and Drew Pomeranz – two relatively modest free-agent signings – are the only players who have received major league contracts on Zaidi’s watch. However, the former Dodgers GM has worked diligently to strengthen the Giants’ depth and improve their culture, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times explains. “Coming in, it was pretty clear that that second level of depth just wasn’t there for the organization,” said Zaidi, who has been plenty active via the minor league, waiver and Rule 5 routes early in his Giants stint. He’s also trying to form relationships with the Giants’ key players, some of whom he met with recently to discuss the team’s pitching plans, McCullough reports. While Giants starters Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija have made their disdain for the opener known lately, it seems Zaidi assured his pitchers the team won’t use relievers at the beginning of games as often as they may fear. Once the meeting ended, Bumgarner approached Zaidi and told him that the anti-opener comment he made to manager Bruce Bochy was in jest.
The Mariners will open the season in Japan, which could be outfielder Ichiro Suzuki’s major league sendoff, but the 45-year-old has informed the team he has no plans to retire, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. As he has done in the past, Ichiro told media Saturday he wants to play until he’s “at least” 50, though he did declare that he expects the Mariners uniform to be the last one he wears as a professional baseball player (via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). Unfortunately, in regards to playing another several years, odds are stacked against Ichiro. The future Hall of Famer posted dismal production in two of three seasons as a Marlin from 2015-17, after all, and then did the same over 47 plate appearances last season in his return to the Mariners. Seattle then moved him into a front office role in early May, ending his season, but brought him back on a minor league deal last month.
Sticking with the Mariners’ outfield, Mallex Smith will sit out “at least” the first few weeks of camp because of a strained flexor mass in his right forearm, Greg Johns of MLB.com writes. The injury doesn’t appear serious, but with the Japan-bound Mariners set to begin their season earlier than most teams, any setback could jeopardize Smith’s status heading into their March 20 opener, Johns points out. Smith, who notched 40 stolen bases and 3.4 fWAR with the Rays in 2018, joined the Mariners in an offseason trade which also featured Mike Zunino as a principal piece.

Quick Hits: Giants, Harper, Iglesias, Severino

By TC Zencka | February 16, 2019 at 12:04pm CDT

Giants frontman Farhan Zaidi is still exploring trade opportunities, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). The recent additions of Gerardo Parra, Craig Gentry, and Yangervis Solarte, after all, aren’t likely to form the backbone of the next World Series champion in the Bay. Still, they fit as puzzle pieces in Zaidi’s strategy to build the organization’s depth while maintaining future roster flexibility. They’re particularly high on Solarte, whom they see as a switch-hitter with above-average contact skills and 15-20 homer potential. His ability to play all over the field should keep him getting regular at-bats, Crowley writes in the Mercury News, and the Giants are optimistic about the potential returns. Per his word, Zaidi has focused on building depth and flexibility thus far, extending more than 20 invites to major league camp and avoiding any long-term roster obligations. Of course, Bryce Harper remains at large, and the Giants have emerged as a potential suitor. One would think Harper would be the type of foundational piece who could buoy the type of depth Zaidi is amassing, but Zaidi knows that even a talent like Harper isn’t a cure-all. For now, Harper remains one avenue among many open to Zaidi. In that sense, he fits Zaidi’s plan perfectly. Let’s check in on a couple other notes from around the league…

New Reds manager David Bell won’t assign the “closer” label to Raisel Iglesias, as the Reds are buying the new fad gripping bullpens league-wide of role fluidity, per the Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans. Put simply, the Reds plan on using Iglesias to help them win games. If that manifests itself through an appearance in the 7th or 8th, so be it. Still, the Reds anticipate Iglesias getting the bulk of save opportunities. Jared Hughes, David Hernandez and Amir Garrett could be called upon to close out games when Iglesias is unavailable. Traditional thinking has kept bullpen arms in well-defined roles in part because of the supposed psychological benefits of “knowing your role” – otherwise known as clear expectations. Bell and the Reds staff plan on communicating often with the bullpen crew, making sure that they are aware of their roles, even as those roles prove more dynamic than in year’s past.
It’s probably better for players overall if Luis Severino and Aaron Nola go year-to-year through the arbitration process, writes Joel Sherman of the NY Post, but therein lies the quandary for players weighing the risk/reward of securing their own long-term futures against market growth. While setting high arbitration annuals and reaching free agency at the earliest possible moment might technically be the best thing for the player market overall, Severino’s prudent personal decision to lock-in the first significant payday of his career makes a lot of sense from a personal standpoint. His future value was always going to be vulnerable to injury or further uneven performance such as his struggles at the end of last season. The competing interests of individual security v. collective wealth is a disadvantage the players’ union will face continually in the lead up to CBA negotiations in 2021. Yasmani Grandal represents the best recent example of the other side of this issue, as he took a one-year deal over multi-year offers in part to keep establishing higher AAVs for catchers.

Giants, Craig Gentry Agree To Terms

By Steve Adams | February 15, 2019 at 1:50pm CDT

The Giants have agreed to a contract with free-agent outfielder Craig Gentry, MLBTR has confirmed. He’ll give the team some additional outfield depth following this week’s signing of veteran Gerardo Parra to a minor league pact.

Gentry, 35, spent the 2018 season with the Orioles organization and appeared in 68 games at the MLB level, tallying 169 plate appearances and hitting .269/.321/.346 along the way. Those numbers align rather closely with the .262/.333/.339 slash that Gentry has posted in parts of 10 big league seasons with the Rangers, Orioles, Athletics and Angels.

As is typical for Gentry, he didn’t bring much power to the table in 2018 but provided the O’s with quality outfield defense and plenty of speed. Gentry saw action at all three outfield spots and turned in strong defensive marks (+7 Defensive Runs Saved, +2.3 Ultimate Zone Rating, +3 Outs Above Average) in a small sample of 386 2/3 innings. He also swiped a dozen bases in 15 attempts and ranked in the 90th percentile of MLB players in terms of average sprint speed (28.9 ft/sec), per Statcast.

The right-handed-hitting Gentry doesn’t have glaring platoon splits but has generally handled left-handed pitching better than right-handed pitching (.711 OPS vs. .640 OPS). The Giants have plenty of uncertainty in the outfield, so it’s natural to see them bolster their depth. Young center fielder Steven Duggar is coming off shoulder surgery, and the other options on the 40-man roster — Mac Williamson, Austin Slater, Chris Shaw — all have some upside but are not yet proven big leaguers. The aforementioned Parra, too, will be in camp competing for a regular role. Offseason pickups John Andreoli and Mike Gerber are also in the organization as non-roster invitees to camp after the Giants were able to pass them through waivers.

Giants Interested In Yangervis Solarte

By Jeff Todd | February 14, 2019 at 6:05pm CDT

The Giants have interest in veteran infielder Yangervis Solarte, according to Alex Palovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).

While this connection is decidedly less splashy than another recently reported expression of interest, Solarte seems to be a readily achievable target. He is looking for a new opportunity after the Blue Jays declined a $5.5MM club option and then non-tendered him.

A 31-year-old infielder, Solarte is capable of lining up anywhere in the infield, though he has spent most of his time at third base and second base. Solarte has played some shortstop, though he has logged fewer innings there than he has at first.

If he’s a utility piece, then, the switch-hitter is more of a bat-first option who probably shouldn’t be relied upon too heavily at shortstop. That profile arguably suits the Giants well, given that they’ll likely play Brandon Crawford nearly every day at shortstop but could stand to find complementary pieces at second and third base to go with Joe Panik and Evan Longoria.

Solarte has at times been a solid overall contributor. From 2014 through 2017, he turned in over two thousand plate appearances of .267/.327/.419 hitting with 57 home runs. Defensive metrics have graded Solarte as an average or slightly below-average performer.

Last year, though, was a rough season in all respects. Solarte topped five hundred plate appearances for the fourth time in his five MLB seasons, but slashed a meager .226/.277/.378 while receiving his lowest-ever marks defensively. No doubt a .233 batting average on balls in play reflected some poor fortune, though Statcast was not particularly enamored of his batted-ball profile, crediting him with a .284 wOBA and .299 xwOBA.

Now in search of an opportunity to bounce back, Solarte will surely be looking for the best chance to carve out a significant role. If he lands in San Francisco, it stands to reason that Solarte would battle with Pablo Sandoval and Alen Hanson for a roster spot and/or position on the depth chart.

Giants Acquire Trevor Gott

By Jeff Todd | February 13, 2019 at 9:01am CDT

The Giants have acquired righty Trevor Gott from the Nationals, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Cash considerations are headed to D.C. in return. The Giants placed injured righty Johnny Cueto on the 60-day injured list to make roster space.

Gott was designated for assignment recently by the Nationals. The hard-throwing sinkerballer becomes the latest relief arm to be targeted by the San Francisco organization.

Still just 26 years of age, Gott turned in a highly promising 2015 campaign but has stalled out since heading to the Nationals in the ensuing offseason. All told, he owns a 4.64 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 75 2/3 MLB frames. Gott’s standout pitch is a blistering two-seamer that has enabled him to carry a 54.3% groundball rate in the majors.

Giants Claim Jose Lopez, Designate Josh Osich For Assignment

By Steve Adams | February 12, 2019 at 3:53pm CDT

The Giants announced Tuesday that they’ve claimed right-hander Jose Lopez off waivers from the Reds. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, San Francisco designated left-hander Josh Osich for assignment. Cincinnati had designated the 25-year-old Lopez for assignment Monday after signing Zach Duke.

A year ago, Lopez was considered to be one of the more promising pitching prospects in Cincinnati’s system. The righty was fresh off a 2.57 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 44 percent ground-ball rate in 147 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A and was added to the Reds’ 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. In 2018, however, Lopez turned in a 4.47 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.21 HR/9 and a diminished 29.1 percent ground-ball rate in 141 innings at the Triple-A level. As noted at the time of his DFA yesterday, Lopez’s relative youth, success in the upper minors and remaining two minor league options made him unlikely to clear waivers.

Lopez will add a potentially useful arm to the upper levels of a San Francisco organization that has been thin on pitching depth in recent seasons. He’s not likely to crack the roster to open the season with Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Dereck Rodriguez, Derek Holland, Drew Pomeranz and Andrew Suarez all ahead of him on the depth chart. However, Bumgarner, Holland and Pomeranz could all become free agents next winter, which could present Lopez an opportunity to eventually emerge as an option (as could injuries elsewhere on the roster in 2019).

Osich, 30, has spent time with the Giants in each of the past four seasons, though he’s struggled increasingly at the MLB level dating back to 2016. In 120 1/3 innings, Osich has a 5.01 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.50 HR/9 and a 51.8 percent ground-ball rate. Osich has a minor league option remaining and averages about 95 mph on his heater, but his struggles in recent years make it plausible that he could clear waivers and remain in the Giants organization. Last year in Triple-A, Osich posted a 4.96 ERA with a 42-to-18 K/BB ratio in 45 1/3 innings.

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