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Camp Battles: San Francisco Giants

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While the Giants already had a host of internal options for their few MLB openings, the club brought in a wide range of alternatives to compete for jobs in camp. It’s possible to imagine the team sticking with some old favorites, but the added contenders create some intrigue as the club looks to overtake a powerful Dodgers team in the NL West.

Here are San Francisco’s ongoing camp battles; click here for previous entries in MLBTR’s Camp Battles series.

THIRD BASE/INFIELD BENCH
Eduardo Nunez
Age: 29
Bats: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $4.2MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Conor Gillaspie
Age: 29
Bats: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.4MM (second of three seasons of arbitration eligibility) 
Options remaining: Out of options

Jae-gyun Hwang
Age: 29
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.5MM on active roster)
Options remaining: 3

Kelby Tomlinson
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason
Options remaining: 2

Orlando Calixte
Age: 25
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2

Gordon Beckham
Age: 30
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.25MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Aaron Hill
Age: 34
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($2MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Jimmy Rollins
Age: 38
Bats: S
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

 

A pair of deadline swaps drastically altered the outlook for the Giants at the hot corner — out went Matt Duffy, in came Nunez — and the team has gone on to add a whole host of competitors for time there. Given the commitment to Nunez, and his lack of an obvious alternative position, it seems likely that he’ll earn the lion’s share of the time, but perhaps it’s not etched in stone. Also at stake in this battle is a job as a utility infielder.

Hwang represents the most intriguing alternative. He showed a fantastic blend of power and plate discipline last year, though it came in the hitter-friendly KBO and he had to settle for a minor league deal in his bid to make it in the majors. But if any of these players is a threat to Nunez as a semi-regular at third, it may be the unknown Hwang.

Of course, Hill has shown life in the not-so-distant past, and could also be a real contender with a big spring. Beckham would have quite an uphill climb to lay such a claim himself, though the team thought enough of him in a brief cameo late last year to bring him back on a minors deal. Gillaspie was a surprising postseason hero, and may be a favorite for an Opening Day nod, though he’d likely factor as a platoon candidate at the hot corner.

Rollins may fight with Tomlinson and Calixte for a true utility spot. All are capable of playing shortstop, which doesn’t hold for any of the other players — excepting Nunez, who could conceivably add value as a heavily used multi-position player rather than parking on third base.

Prediction: Nunez holds serve, with Gillaspie seeing time against righties. But I’ll guess Hwang stakes out a roster spot, too, and plays third on occasions when Nunez spells left-handed-hitting middle infielders Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik.

LEFT FIELD/BENCH BAT
Jarrett Parker
Age: 28
Bats: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: Out of options

Mac Williamson
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2

Gorkys Hernandez
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason
Options remaining: Out of options

Michael Morse
Age: 34
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Justin Ruggiano
Age: 34
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Kyle Blanks
Age: 30
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Chris Marrero
Age: 28
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

The Giants have made clear they’d like someone to take the job as a semi-regular in left, which makes this a true battle for an important role — albeit one that could change as the season goes on. Indications are that the out-of-options Parker will battle with Williamson for the job. Both have shown signs of promise in the upper minors and in their brief time in the bigs, though neither has yet been given a full opportunity to sink or swim at the game’s highest level.

While a platoon makes sense at first glance, it’s trickier in practice. Indeed, GM Bobby Evans has strongly suggested that he doesn’t really love the idea of both Parker and Williamson being on the same roster. The former hasn’t shown evidence that he can succeed against lefties, making him a prime candidate to be spelled by a lefty bench bat. But the latter is also better historically against right-handed pitching, meaning he’s not an optimal candidate to do so.

Given the array of veterans assembled here, it seems that San Francisco is giving thought to a few scenarios. If Parker can win the job, as Evans says is his hope, then the club could option Williamson and keep a lefty masher on hand to share time in left and perhaps also spell Brandon Belt at first. Morse and Ruggiano will try to show what they have left this spring, while Blanks will look to get his career on track after a series of injuries, but Marrero could also be a real consideration given that the team targeted him early in the offseason. Any of those players could also conceivably coexist with Williamson, though that would leave just one left-handed-hitting outfielder in Denard Span.

Hernandez, meanwhile, occupies a somewhat different place in the picture. Despite a lack of significant MLB time, he has shown a high-OBP approach in the upper minors. Hernandez could ease the burden on Span in center; he’s also out of options.

Prediction: This is an exceedingly difficult situation to prognosticate, but sometimes you have to go with your gut. I’ll guess that the Giants preserve their control rights and flexibility by handing near-regular duties to Parker, with Williamson optioned back to Triple-A to open the year. Hernandez will be the fourth outfielder, seeing most of his time in center, while one of the four righty bench bat candidates will take a job as well. My guess is Ruggiano, who has actually been rather productive in recent years when healthy and given a MLB opportunity.

ROTATION (ONE SPOT)
Matt Cain
Age: 32
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $20MM (club option for 2018 at $21MM, with $7.5MM buyout; vests with 200 IP if Cain doesn’t end year on DL for elbow/shoulder injury)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Albert Suarez
Age: 27
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: Out of options

Ty Blach
Age: 26
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2

Clayton Blackburn
Age: 24
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2

Chris Stratton
Age: 26
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2

This certainly appears to be Cain’s job to lose; barring injury, it’s difficult to imagine he won’t get another shot at rediscovering his form. Given his salary and history with the organization, he’ll have every chance of proving that he’s back to health — and that his last two seasons (combined 5.70 ERA over 150 frames) aren’t a reflection of his true talent going forward.

While there’s limited opportunity for other hurlers to snatch the job based solely on their performances in camp, there are contenders. Suarez is perhaps a swingman option after giving the Giants 84 serviceable frames in 2016. Blach had a nice debut last year, though it was brief and he doesn’t carry overwhelming minor-league numbers. Much the same holds true of Stratton. Meanwhile, Blackburn has shown signs of greater upside, though he managed only a 4.36 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in his repeat of Triple-A last year.

Looking somewhat further down the line, Tyler Beede headlines the team’s prospect pool in the rotation department, and he could soon be ready after strong year at Double-A in 2016.

Prediction: Cain gets the job out of camp, but could be pressured relatively early in the season.

BULLPEN (THREE  or FOUR SPOTS)
Cory Gearrin
Age: 30
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.05MM (two remaining years of arbitration eligibility)
Options remaining: Out of options

George Kontos
Age: 31
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.75MM (two remaining years of arbitration eligibility)
Options remaining: Out of options

Steven Okert
Age: 24
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2

Josh Osich
Age: 28
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 3

David Hernandez
Age: 31
Throws: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.5MM on active roster) 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Matt Reynolds
Age: 32
Throws: L
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported) 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Bryan Morris
Age: 29
Throws: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.25MM on active roster) 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Neil Ramirez
Age: 27
Throws: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: 1

The wild card here is the health of lefty Will Smith, who has been slowed early. Any setback could not only open up another job (at least temporarily), but lock up Okert’s already strong hold on an Opening Day roster spot.

While he only threw 14 MLB frames in his debut last year, Okert recorded a strikeout per inning and also racked up sixty punchouts to go with just 11 walks in his 47 1/3 Triple-A frames. Osich was a similar story entering camp last year, but struggled badly in his sophomore campaign (4.71 ERA, 6.2 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 in 36 1/3 innings) and seems destined for a reboot. The other lefty, Reynolds, has an outside shot at factoring in despite his lack of recent contributions in the majors, though perhaps that’s mostly plausible in the event that Smith is shelved.

On the righty side of the equation, Gearrin and Kontos seem to have the inside track. Gearrin bounced back from two injury-limited seasons to post a 4.28 ERA, though it came along with a solid 8.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Kontos, meanwhile, has produced outstanding results in recent years (2.49 ERA in 159 innings); while he has averaged only 6.0 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9, he has managed to suppress the runs by generating lots of weak contact (.260 lifetime BABIP).

Those pitchers could be challenged, though, and it’s worth bearing in mind their arb deals aren’t guaranteed (so far as has been reported, at least). Hernandez is fresh off of an uneven year in which he landed with a 3.84 ERA over 72 2/3 innings; while he coughed up four free passes per nine, he also racked up 9.9 K/9 and showed he was healthy. Morris and Ramirez have more to prove, given their health situations, but have big arms and have had success in the majors in the past.

The above-noted Suarez (if not one of the optionable rotation candidates) could also factor here if the Giants elect to keep a long man — and especially if they choose to forego an extra position player on the bench. Dan Slania is another name to consider, perhaps; he showed well in the upper minors last year and could surprise in camp.

Prediction: I’ll go with a somewhat conventional outlook here, predicting that Gearrin and Kontos keep their jobs and are joined by Okert. Just to mix things up, though, I’ll also guess that Smith is unable to start the year in the majors, opening the door to the team preventing Hernandez from opting out by placing him on the active roster.

[RELATED: San Francisco Giants Depth Chart]

NL Notes: Smith, Wieters, Drew, Franco

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Giants lefty Will Smith has been shut down for a week after experiencing inflammation in his pitching elbow, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News was among those to report (Twitter links). Fortunately, an MRI has already returned clean, so it seems there’s no worry of a major injury. But while it’s still early, San Francisco’s plan to get Smith ready for Opening Day is already on a tight timeline, Baggarly notes. So long as he can progress after his rest, Smith will be given six spring appearances in preparation for the season.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • The Brewers, like the Rays, kept tabs on Matt Wieters up to his agreement with the Nationals, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. Though Milwaukee GM David Stearns wouldn’t acknowledge whether an offer was made, he acknowledged that there was contact. “I would say we have regular contact with many agents, including Scott,” Stearns explained. “So Matt’s name came up, and we made sure we understood where the market was for him and what the potential fits were. But nothing really beyond that.”
  • Infielder Stephen Drew likely won’t see as much time with the Nationals as he could have elsewhere, but as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes, he nevertheless chose to reprise his role as a key reserve in D.C. His comfort with the team came into play, along with family considerations. Drew also discussed his bout of vertigo last year, which occurred due to an ear infection. He dealt with symptoms through the postseason and into the offseason, but seems to be back to normal as camp opens.
  • While Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is entering only his second full season in the majors, there’s still plenty at stake, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes. Refining his approach at the plate and work in the field certainly seem to be on the agenda, and whether he can successfully turn his talent into consistent productivity could have a major impact on the organization’s plans. Salisbury suggests that a player such as Manny Machado could become a serious consideration for the team — he’ll be a free agent after 2018 — depending upon how Franco progresses. While it’s obviously too soon to factor in players such as Machado in any meaningful way, as Salisbury acknowledges, Philadelphia is no doubt already thinking about where Franco will end up in the long run. It does seem worth noting that, even if he isn’t able to lock down the job at third for the foreseeable future, he could ultimately be a candidate to shift across the diamond to first base.

Giants May Carry Five Outfielders

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Notes On Giants' Bench Competition

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  • The Giants may have the game’s most interesting aggregation of veterans competing for limited bench roles in camp, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. “No promises, no guarantees,” GM Bobby Evans said of the signing of Aaron Hill. “Just creating competition. We’ll see how it plays out.” If there is a drawback to the large number of competitors, it’s probably the lack of reps available to young players — particularly top prospect Christian Arroyo. However, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area writes, GM Bobby Evans says that the organization already feels confident that Arroyo is capable of handling the bat at the major league level, suggesting that the club doesn’t need a long look this spring to determine his timeline.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/17/17

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Plenty of players are still looking for opportunities as Spring Training gets underway in earnest. Among them is former White Sox lefty Scott Snodgress, who worked out for teams this week and will likely choose his landing spot tomorrow, per MLBTR’s Zach Links (via Twitter). Snodgress played indy ball last year after a rough 2015 season in the upper minors with the Angels.

Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, featuring a host of other southpaws:

  • The White Sox have added lefty Tyler Matzek on a minors pact, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). A 2009 first-rounder, Matzek worked through control problems and showed promise upon reaching the majors in 2014 with the Rockies. But his struggles with the strike zone returned with renewed vigor the next year, and Matzek was ultimately diagnosed with anxiety. Though he was able to make 33 minor-league appearances in 2016, he was outrighted off of Colorado’s 40-man and ended up issuing as many walks as strikeouts (11.1 per nine) on the year.
  • Former first-round pick Chris Reed has decided to retire from the Marlins, Eddy tweets. Just 26 years of age, Reed worked to a 3.65 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 81 1/3 innings in the upper minors last year. That represented progress after he struggled badly with control in 2015, but it seems that Reed will move on to other pursuits. The Dodgers, who originally took him 16th overall in 2011, will still get something out of their investment, though, as the trade that sent Reed to Miami netted southpaw Grant Dayton.
  • Outfielder Slade Heathcott has landed with the Giants on a minor-league deal that includes a camp invite, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The 26-year-old, who was taken after Reed in the first round in 2009, has long been viewed as a talented player but hasn’t yet earned a full MLB opportunity. He showed well in his lone stint in the bigs, in 2015, but hit only .254/.359/.380 in his 247 Triple-A plate appearances last year.
  • Lefty Hung-Chih Kuo is attempting a comeback with the Padres, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County-Register reports on Twitter that he has struck a minor-league deal with San Diego. Now 35 years of age, the Taiwanese native provided the division-rival Dodgers with 292 1/3 innings of 3.73 ERA ball over 2005 through 2011. Kuo has been pitching in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League for the past two campaigns.

Giants Agree To Minor League Deal With Aaron Hill

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The Giants have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran infielder Aaron Hill, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The 34-year-old Legacy Agency client will head to camp and compete for a roster spot in San Francisco. Hill’s deal comes with a $2MM base salary if he makes the Majors, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link), and ESPN’s Buster Olney adds that Hill can also earn up to $1MM worth of incentives.

Hill split the 2016 season between the Brewers and Red Sox, hitting a combined .262/.336/.378 with 10 homers in 429 plate appearances. Hill was among the game’s most productive second basemen back in 2012-13, but his bat has gone quiet in the three seasons following that strong stretch of production. Since 2014, Hill has batted a collective .246/.305/.365 (81 OPS+) in 1323 Major League plate appearances.

While he was primarily a second baseman earlier in his career, Hill has spent more time at third base than at second in the past two seasons. The Giants’ starting infield is largely set with Brandon Belt at first, Joe Panik at second, Brandon Crawford at shortstop and Eduardo Nunez at third base. But, San Francisco doesn’t have a clearly defined bench just yet, and Hill will seek to earn a reserve role with the club. He’ll join Korean star Jae-gyun Hwang in that regard, as Hwang (who also plays both third base and second base) also inked a minor league pact with the Giants earlier this winter.

Giants To Sign David Hernandez

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10:07am: Hernandez would earn $1.5MM if he makes the MLB roster, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports on Twitter. He has already passed his physical.

9:18am: The Giants have agreed to a minor-league deal with righty David Hernandez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Other terms of the agreement remain unreported at this time.

Hernandez, 31, landed a $3.9MM deal last year with the Phillies, but he’ll need to earn a major league job in camp this time around. He ended up posting an up-and-down season, but did show that he was fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and capable of providing innings.

Over 72 2/3 frames in 2016, Hernandez worked to a 3.84 ERA with a healthy 9.9 K/9 to go with a sub-optimal 4.0 BB/9 walk rate. While he continued to generate few grounders (37.3% groundball rate) and allow a few too many home runs (1.36 HR/9 and 14.3% HR/FB), he also showed typically strong velocity (94.0 mph average four-seam fastball) and swinging-strike numbers (11.7% SwStr).

While that effort largely fell in line with Hernandez’s overall career numbers, perhaps there’s still some upside left in his right arm. He logged a 2.50 ERA with 12.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 over 68 1/3 innings back in 2012, and still has much the same arsenal that he did then.

For San Francisco, the move puts another experienced late-inning arm in camp at a minimal commitment. Hernandez will likely compete with pitchers such as George Kontos, Cory Gearrin, and fellow minor-league signee Bryan Morris for a slot in the Giants’ relief corps.

Latest On Possibility Of New Deal For Madison Bumgarner

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  • A new deal for star Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner may need to wait until at least next year, owing to luxury tax considerations, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. But the already fabled, still youthful southpaw says he’s not unhappy with the lack of contract movement as camp opens. As Baggarly notes, the team has suggested that it is ready to discuss a second extension whenever Bumgarner likes, but striking accord now would drive up the team’s tax bill because future years would be averaged in determining his CBA hit.

Giants To Re-Sign Gordon Beckham

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The Giants have agreed to a minor-league deal to bring back infielder Gordon Beckham, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). He’ll earn at a $1.25MM annual rate if he cracks the MLB roster, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.

Beckham, 30, landed in San Francisco late last year — September 27th — as the team sought to bolster its depth down the stretch. Though he didn’t manage a hit in six plate appearances, and wasn’t eligible for the postseason, he left a good impression on the organization, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter).

Before that, Beckham turned in a .217/.300/.354 batting line in his 273 plate appearances with the Braves, who had signed him to a one-year deal last winter. The former first-round draft pick had spent the vast bulk of his career to that point with the White Sox, though he also had a brief stint with the Angels.

For the Giants, Beckham figures to enter a camp battle for roster spots and playing time in the infield. Though Joe Panik will likely command the bulk of the reps at second, he did struggle against left-handed pitching last year. And there’s plenty up for grabs at third, with Eduardo Nunez perhaps best suited to a utility role. Beckham could end up jockeying for position with fellow right-handed hitter Jae-gyun Hwang, with lefty swinging Conor Gillaspie also representing a factor.

Ramiro Pena To Play For Japan’s Hiroshima Carp

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Former Giants infielder Ramiro Pena will play next season with Japan’s Hiroshima Carp, according to a tweet from Bambino Sedano retweeted by Pena himself. Pena is represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council.

At last check, Pena was close to agreeing to a minor league deal that would keep him in the Giants organization, but it appears that deal is no more, if it was consummated in the first place. He is not listed among the Giants’ non-roster invitees, and his MLB.com page does not list a transaction connecting him to the Giants since he elected free agency in October.

The 31-year-old Pena collected 91 plate appearances in the big leagues in 2016 and hit well, but he spent the bulk of the season with Triple-A Sacramento, where he slashed .296/.361/.431 in 245 plate appearances while playing both middle-infield positions. He’s now appeared in parts of seven big-league seasons, batting .252/.293/.343 while splitting his time between shortstop, second and third. He’s proven to be a useful and versatile defender, but his modest offensive abilities have limited his impact at the big-league level.

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