Spring training is for players, especially pitchers, to get ready for the season. It's also at time to settle questions about the roster and team roles. Nevermind that spring training is a small sample in an atypical environment but yeah, it seems roster decisions are still made based on spring performance. With that in mind, here are some burning questions for FZ and Bob Melvin to answer by Opening Day:
Will the Giants make a significant roster addition by Opening Day? This is the 800 lb gorilla, the elephant in the room which carries over from a very strange Hot Stove League season. The Giants clearly need to add a reliable veteran SP. It's so clear to everybody you have to think FZ and Melvin are either in extreme denial or playing possum trying to drive someone's price down.
Is Keaton Winn's elbow soreness serious? Going into spring training, Winn was penciled in as at least the #4 SP on most Giants depth charts. He's already been shut down with elbow soreness. Recall Winn has already had TJ surgery and missed time last season with a sore elbow.
Will Austin Slater and Mike Yastrzemski be healthy by Opening Day? Slater also has a sore elbow and is on a throwing program. YtY has a sore shoulder and is also on a throwing program. Corollary: Is there an opening for Luis Matos to show off his newly acquired muscle and have a breakout season? Matos had promising secondary stats last season and barreled up quite a few balls that died on the warning track. He's reportedly bulked up with about 10 added pounds of muscle. Is that enough to send those balls over the fence? If it is, we may have an emerging star.
Who is the reserve middle infielder? Otto Lopez seems more like a Churn candidate. Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt also have MI experience. There is also....ahem.....Brett Wisely and Donovan Walton. BTW, Tim Anderson just signed with the Marlins for $5 M.
What will become of Joey Bart? Bart is out of options and appears to be blocked at the Giants MLB level. I still think there is a non-zero chance he starts the season on the active roster. Will Patrick Bailey's struggles to hit and wild throws from the second half of last season carry over into spring games? Will Tom Murphy stay healthy all spring?
What are your burning questions for the Giants spring training?
You asked. My burning question is "who really is calling the shots". Larry and Charles ?
ReplyDeleteI believe Greg Johnson is calling the shots.
DeleteSome of my questions:
ReplyDeleteDoc, You have covered a lot of my questions..but I will add..
1) Here's one I mentioned in a prior post---- With it being likely there will be injuries, inconsistencies, and inning/pitch limits on the entire boat load of the youngsters and Hicks, who will be the long reliever(s)?? That/those guy might be as important as anybody for the Giants, but who will it be? Junis/Stribling gone...Is BECK likely for the rotation or is he more valuable as a long reliever that can pitch 2-3 times a week? And can they find somebody else that can do the same job (and that player is not usually a rookie) instead of or along with BECK? Am I missing somebody?
2) Insurance for Luciano/Utility/reserve Middle infielder,? ALl linked together but there is a special need for a LH bat and especially insurance for LUCIANO
3) LH Relief pitcher?????..It's Rogers and a bunch of retreads and question marks. I have some hopes for MILLER but I think they need more than Miller , Garret and Smart
SteveVA
1. Sean Hjelle has an enormous opportunity. 2. Are available reserve MI better than Brett Wisely, Tyler Fitzgerald or Casey Schmitt? 3. It seems like the Giants want Amir Garrett to win a LHRP role. If they can fix his command issues he could dominate.
DeleteI have seen zero from Hjelle and Wisely that suggest they should even be Major League players, even if Melvin said some nice words. And hoping and wanting a player like Garret with three horrible years and no control to succeed is not how you build a successful bullpen. But all three are where FZ has left the Giants and I think that is horrible GMing over the past few months...That being said, I do like the potential of both SCHMIDT and FITZ and won't mind watching them (but they need a lefty bat in the IF and Wisley is a non entty), but that is where the Giants are if Luciano fails or gets an injury, which always happens with him..., is that what this year will be about, kids learning and failing to get ready for the future and trading vets at the deadline for more kids?Is that the direction the Giants are going?
DeleteSteveVA
Wisely looked overmatched at the MLB level but put up decent AAA numbers. Maybe he does better with a second opportunity? I still think Hjelle is a unique talent and really want to see him get another shot at a role, probably long relief, before they give up on him. Yes, I know those are thin reeds to lean on but two names I am interested in seeing what might be possible.
DeleteMy burning question is why does any one care? All of Farhan/Johnson's offseason "moves" have merely moved the deck chairs around on the Titanic. The Giants are going to be irrelevant until Farhan is shown the exit and Johnson sells, they aren't worth following.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you following them, then?
Deleteburning question: why does Wisely merit "ahem"? Lefty bat, can play most positions, high walk rate (offsetting high K rate), lil bit power, lil bit speed, team control -- seems to me could be quality depth
ReplyDelete.175/231/267, 6.9 BB%, 30.5 K%, 131 PA.
DeleteKeaton Winn said he was surprised by the MRI, not sure what the cost of having one, guess Giants spare no expense, I like the Giants in their present iteration not sure how they can upgrade
ReplyDeleteI am sure the medical staff has data that MRI's improve treatment planning for injuries. As for cost, I'll hazard a guess the Giants either have their own MRI equipment of they are contracted with a provider at a discount.
DeleteIs this the most insane off the rails way to start a season that anyone has ever seen? How do you start with only one proven starter and a middle infield that is anchored by a decent but injury prone 2B? The improvements made have been mediocre at best and in some reports the worst acquisitions of the offseason. The biggest need going in may not have been quantity at SP but that is the situation they find themselves and it’s really hard to see how they are going to chew through those innings even with a Snell or Montgomery signing. Things are setting up to be catastrophic and there seems to be a lot of “nothing to see here” attitude towards it all or maybe there are still a few people who think Farhan has magic tricks up his sleeve! This is by far the worst I have ever felt going into a season in a while
ReplyDeleteI am quite confident the Giants Hot Stove League acquisitions are not the worst of the offseason and far from it. But yeah, the pitching looks like an impending disaster. Why would you spend $113 M on a free agent and then squander the investment by failing to address your biggest weakness, frontline pitching.
DeleteMy burning question remains whether the Giants will make a significant addition. FZ said it's "definitely possible" on KNBR. I get why he said they were done earlier Spring training camps open which usually means the off season is done, not this year thanks to Boros. I don't understand why capable mid level pitchers like Lorenzen and Clevenger are still unsigned? FZ said they will work on bringing in non roster veterans as safety nets to compete with the kids for spots on the pitching staff and shortstop. I'll say that it's good that they are giving their young players a chance to earn a spot. The reason Tristan Beck went up and down several times last season was there was no room once the vet came off the IL. Hope the org does what's best for Joey Bart's career. We will see if the weight Patrick Bailey put on helps him get thru the season. Same with Matos. Can't wait to see Lee in center field.
ReplyDeleteNot directed at you, LG, but you can't criticize Boras on one hand and hate your team for not signing his clients at the same time. The only way to protect yourself from a passive-aggressive predator like Boras is to be even more passive-aggressive. Teams have to be willing to walk away from the table and really mean it.
DeleteI personally think a scenario like Judge is going on this year with Snell, but YMMV
ReplyDeleteSo far we haven't seen any "Blast Snell" rumors so not really feeling the Aaron Judge comp.
Delete"thanks to Boros"
ReplyDeleteHe is is hired to negotiate on behalf of his client, and advise them as to the current and future state of the market as it applies to their situation. The player client makes the decision. Exactly the same as a real estate agent bringing offers to a home seller, or a lawyer presenting a settlement offer to his client.
There seems to be pretty strong evidence that Boras goes a lot farther than providing market analysis and presenting offers to his clients. He has a definite strategy and it generally works out very well for his clients. But you are right, he has clients because he gets results and that is his job. If teams don't like it or think he does not play fair, the only antidote is to walk away.
DeleteIf FZ didn't burn his bridges with His Majesty S Boras on the Correa affair last year, it's a safe bet that he has a signification offer (or offers) on the table for Snell and/or Montgomery that would bend upward if there's a hint of a deal that doesn't include SF.
ReplyDeleteWe would hope that Boras is more interested in getting the best deal for his client(s) then "evening a score" for the Giants' very last minute backtracking still in memory.
Unless two certifiably crazy offers by two well-healed extremely wealthy owners (e.g. NYY, ChiCubs, PhilPhils, Red Sox, and LAA) for too-much-too-long, the Giants will pay too much on a gamble like they almost did last year.
But, will Boras bite again on a crazy SF offer? As they say, Once Burned don't go Back!
I am sure there are caveats and clauses Boras will use with the Giants going forward that he may not use with, say, the Nationals and he will give his clients his opinion of the Giants behavior in the Correa situation. Yes, that may well deter some of his clients from pursuing a deal with the Giants.
DeleteThis is an old (published December 6, 2023) SJ Mercury-News article on "SF Giants engaged with Scott Boras a year after Carlos Correa debacle" that says they are not "shying away from each another," and, to wit, Jung-Hoo Lee is a Boras client.
Deletehttps://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/06/sf-giants-engaged-with-scott-boras-a-year-after-carlos-correa-debacle/
By the way, the SJ Mercury-News is running a sale now: $6 for 1-Year trial.
The biggest problem with this year’s free agents is that they anre all flawed players whom I would not want to invest in like a Judge, Turner or Correa. He trying to get top dollar for an inferior product. Jim S.
ReplyDeleteSome have expressed a preference for JD Martinez over Soler to sign for DH.
ReplyDeleteApparently, the Giants preferred that also but that apparently was never going to happen.
Quote:
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Friday that the free agent slugger JD Martinez received a contract offer from the San Francisco Giants. However, Heyman adds that Martinez did not want to go there.
You can read the entire article at:
Reported on https://larrybrownsports.com/baseball/giants-turned-down-free-agent-jd-martinez/629081
F*** J. D. Martinez. I like the Jorge Soler signing!
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