- With Eduardo Nunez entering his final season before free agency, Christian Arroyo could be just one year from serving as the Giants’ primary third baseman, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco GM Bobby Evans wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Arroyo reaching the Majors at some point in 2017, in fact, when asked by Shea. Evans, though, did stress that the emphasis is on first succeeding in Triple-A. Evans noted that from a defensive standpoint, he feels Arroyo is capable of playing any of third base, shortstop or second base, though the Giants obviously have long-term options at both middle infield slots in the form of Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik. Arroyo hit .274/.316/.373 in 119 games as a 21-year-old in the Double-A Eastern League last year.
Giants Rumors
Heyman’s Latest: Quintana, Pagan, Cozart, Padres, Bautista, Giants
In his latest notes column, FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports that while teams such as the Astros, Pirates, Rangers and Yankees were all linked to Jose Quintana in trade rumors this offseason, the best offer the White Sox received came from an unnamed club that is currently perceived as more of a rebuilding team. That could mean any number of teams — the Braves, Phillies, Twins, Reds, Brewers and Padres are all in the midst of retooling their organizations — and further context is seemingly unknown at this time. A trade of Quintana, at this point, seems far likelier to occur this summer than during the final days of Spring Training, though Heyman’s note is a reminder that Quintana would appeal to virtually any club in baseball. With four years and $36.85MM remaining on his contract, Quintana’s affordable level of excellence can help clubs looking to win now or those looking to contend more in 2018-19.
A few more highlights…
- The Braves have made “multiple” attempts to sign free-agent outfielder Angel Pagan, but the veteran has been holding out for a big league deal worth around $5MM. Heyman notes that Pagan has received some guaranteed offers, but they’ve come with very low base salaries. Atlanta has also been tied to another reunion with infielder Kelly Johnson, but Heyman notes that Johnson, too, is seeking a Major League contract.
- Zack Cozart is still available in trade talks, but the Reds haven’t gotten much in the way of appealing offers due to the fact that few clubs are looking for a shortstop right now. The Padres have talked to Cincinnati about Cozart, but Heyman notes that they’re not keen on giving up top-tier talent for a player with only one year of club control remaining before free agency. Heyman notes that San Diego is still on the lookout for a shortstop upgrade.
- The Rangers would want a Major League ready starting pitcher in any trade involving Jurickson Profar, Heyman notes. The Padres like Profar but wouldn’t be willing to surrender right-hander Luis Perdomo in order to obtain him, he adds. That may raise an eyebrow for some fans, but I’d point out that Perdomo has five years of control remaining (to Profar’s three) and posted a 4.47 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 61.4 percent ground-ball rate across his final 110 2/3 innings in 2016 after a dismal start in the bullpen. In that time, he posted a 3.84 xFIP and 3.88 SIERA. Profar hit .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last season.
- Right-hander Jered Weaver tells Heyman that he considered retirement this offseason following a career-worst year in 2016. However, Weaver began to feel stronger after a month of rest, ultimately landing with the Padres on a one-year, $3MM deal. Weaver says that he’s “10 steps above last year” in terms of how he feels physically at this point.
- The Indians made an offer to Jose Bautista that was for roughly the same $18.5MM guarantee he received with the Blue Jays, Heyman reports, and they weren’t entirely closed off to a multi-year deal. However, Bautista’s preference was to head back to Toronto.
- The Pirates sought right-hander Derek Law (among other pieces) in trade talks centering around Mark Melancon with the Giants at last year’s trade deadline, per Heyman. It seems that the Pirates were focused on adding an MLB-ready replacement arm for the bullpen in Melancon talks, which they received in the form of left-hander Felipe Rivero. San Francisco, of course, signed Melancon to a four-year deal this winter.
Madison Bumgarner Discusses Contract Status
- Another important potential extension scenario is still open out west, where the Giants and ace Madison Bumgarner have three years to consider another long-term pact. As Heyman writes, there’s nothing new to report at this point. And that’s fine with Bumgarner, who says it’s “not really up to me” when talks will get underway in earnest. “Whenever the time comes, it’ll be a conversation held in private,” he says. The star southpaw says he’s comfortable pitching under his previous extension for the time being, explaining that he has no regrets. After all, he acknowledges, both he and the organization took a risk in inking that pact.
Giants Will Wait Before Making Tough Veteran Cuts
- With a number of veterans in camp on minor league deals and quite a few jobs still to be decided, the Giants’ final roster cuts “are going to come down to the end of camp,” Bruce Bochy told reporters (including MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom). “I’ve already had some guys tell me, ’I’m glad I’m not you.’ I mean, they’re all good guys, experienced guys, and they’re doing a good job,” Bochy said. As Bloom notes, versatility will be a big factor in the Giants’ decision, as a player who can handle multiple positions is a necessity given the team’s needs and lack of bench space. Jimmy Rollins, Aaron Hill, and Mike Morse are a few of the notable veteran names still fighting for jobs.
Latest On Giants' Rotation Battle
- While there’s nominally a competition for the Giants’ fifth starter role, primarily featuring Matt Cain and Ty Blach, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes that it may not be much of a battle. Though manager Bruce Bochy says nothing has been decided, he did intentionally bring Blach on in the middle of an inning in his most recent outing. Per Bochy, it could be that the young southpaw opens the year in the bullpen, functioning as the club’s long man and/or in a setup capacity. (Certainly, utilizing him to piggyback with Cain could make some sense, if there’s roster space. There are loads of competitors for the club’s few open pitching jobs.)
Giants Didn't Make Contract Offer To Santiago Casilla
- Santiago Casilla is happy to be back in the Athletics organization after not being offered a contract by the Giants this last winter, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. A reunion between Casilla and the Giants never seemed likely given how Casilla became a virtual afterthought for the team after he was removed from the closer’s job in September, and the two sides didn’t do much in the way of offseason negotiating.
Giants Notes: Alguacil, Cueto
There was a scary scene during the San Francisco-Kansas City game Saturday in Phoenix, as a line drive off the bat of Royals third baseman/outfielder Hunter Dozier struck Giants first base coach Jose Alguacil in the face, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News was among those to report. Alguacil suffered a fractured nose, a deep facial laceration and fractures in his left eye socket, and he was airlifted to a Phoenix trauma center to undergo surgery. He’s now resting with his family, tweets Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. MLBTR wishes Alguacil a fast recovery as he prepares for his first season on the Giants’ coaching staff.
- Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto will be able to opt out of his contract after this season, but the longtime ace told Chris Haft of MLB.com that’s not on his mind. “To me, this is just a regular year,” he said. “I signed for five [more] years, and I’m not thinking anything past that. It’s just another year for me.” Cueto will earn $106MM if he sticks with the Giants through 2022, though another great season would put him in prime position to land a more valuable pact next winter. In his age-30 campaign last year, Cueto pitched to a pristine 2.79 ERA, logged a 50.2 percent ground-ball rate and recorded 8.11 K/9 against 1.94 BB/9 in 219 2/3 innings.
Chris Marrero "Dark Horse" To Earn Bench Role With Giants
- Chris Marrero represents something of a dark horse in the Giants’ active battle for bench spots — which we covered earlier tonight — as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. San Francisco placed a call to his representatives right at the start of free agency, and the 28-year-old jumped at the opportunity. “If this team wants you, it’s a good thing,” he says. Once a highly regarded prospect with the Nationals, Marrero has scant MLB time, but did slash a productive .284/.344/.494 and hit a career-best 23 home runs in 544 Triple-A plate appearances last year with the Red Sox organization.
Camp Battles: San Francisco Giants
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.
NL Notes: Smith, Wieters, Drew, Franco
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.
