Austin Slater, OF. DOB: 12/13/1992. B-R, T-R. 6'2", 215 lbs. Drafted 2014 Round 8.
AAA: .321/.377/.467, 12 2B, 5 HR, 7.3 BB%, 18.9 K%, 206 PA.
MLB: .282/.339/.407, 3 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 6.3 BB%, 27.8 K%, 127 PA.
Austin Slater looked like he was going to stop the Giants LF revolving door in it's tracks last year before suffering a torn abdominal muscle which morphed into a sports hernia. That is now repaired and Slater reportedly feels 100% coming into spring training. Unfortunately for him, the Giants felt they could not count on him to sustain his SSS production for 2018 so he will have to fight for a reserve role and will probably start the season in Sacramento. Slater is one of those players who does everything well, but possibly no one thing well enough. He might not have quite enough power for LF, not quite enough speed for CF and not quite enough arm for RF. On the other hand, a lot of teams, including the Giants could do a lot worse at any of those positions. He has a very high floor, which means he is almost certain to have some type of multiple year MLB career. The challenge for him is finding the right niche. That might be a 4'th OF role or he may eventually find a team that is willing to accept less power in LF or less speed in CF or less arm in RF in return for the other things he does well.
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Was his defense at second so bad that he can't play it anymore?
ReplyDeleteHe's at the age where you think about grooming him for a utility role, and it seems more likely that he can improve in the infield vs getting the arm or speed for the outfield.
I have a feeling that Pence is going to hang up the cleats after this season and move into his post-career activities, which he appears to have already begun with his wife and that coffee shop in Texas, which perhaps gives a clue where he'll be making his permanent home.
ReplyDeleteThat would open up starting LF for Slater, Shaw, Williamson, and Parker to fight over.
The Giants might sign McCutchen, but not before trying out the Bryce Harper lottery, which could last into January, given Boras is his agent. Depending on how well our prospects do in 2018, they might also leave RF open for them as well, if Harper falls through (as he likely will), though that seems like too much for Giants management to handle, for if Duggar is in CF, that would be an OF with minimal experience.
I’m made wary by Slater’s MLB BABIP over .350, so that his stats are probably not anywhere near so indicative as we’d like to believe. He seemed like a bright spot in the gray gloom of 2017, but his K rate (admittedly as a rather raw rookie), his declining splits (admittedly SSS), and the BABIP make me wonder if he’s closer to a glowworm than to a torch.
ReplyDeleteGood points on Slater, didn't know all of them. Probably why the Giants wanted vets in the corners.
DeleteWith less pressure this year, maybe Pence will have a good year.
ReplyDeleteStart with pitch selection -- now he doesn't have to get a hit every time there's someone on base. Although his K% wasn't particularly high, he seemed to be going out of the strike zone a lot last year.
He has the added incentive of a contract year -- no one ever wants to quit at 35.