The Giants did not get their first hit in the game until the 6'th inning and did not score until the 9'th inning in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score looks. Key Lines:
Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .250. I truly hope Chapman hits 25 HR's and wins a Gold Glove at 3B this season.
Otto Lopez PH- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .278. A couple of errors by Dodgers 3B prospect Jake Gelof opened the door for a late rally capped off by Lopez' bases-loaded double to drive in 3. Lopez is looking like the frontrunner for a utility role, particularly if Marco Luciano starts the season in Sacramento.
Blayne Enlow RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, GO/AO= 5/2. ERA= 3.86. Impressive appearance facing the Dodgers likely starting lineup, at least 1-4. Enlow got the start because it was Kyle Harrison's turn and the Giants did not want him facing the Dodgers this close to when they play them in April so Harrison started a minor league game.
Shohei Ohtani DH- 3 for 4, HR(2). BA= .579. **** the Dodgers! Have fun paying him $68 M in 2044.
Mason Black RHP starts tomorrow's game against the Reds in Scottsdale with Frankie Montas RHP going for the Reds.
Patrick Bailey C left the game early after taking a foul tip off his right hand. X-rays reportedly showed no fracture.
Thought this might be as good as a place as any....With good ABs this spring from The triple M's in the OF, any Vaun Brown sightings? He was skyrocketing through the system and now not a peep...Was injuries last year...probably the same now...just checking
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It looks like neither Luciano or fitz will make the roster? Bummer, but it’s a long season.
ReplyDelete- Fan
Some analysts think Fitz is running ahead of Lopez for a utility role but I am thinking Otto's switch-hitting will win out if he keeps hitting like he has so far.
DeleteIf Matt Chapman hits 25 home runs and wins a gold glove, the most likely playoff-less Giants will lose 100% lose him in free agency to a team willing to spend more on him when he opts out…..it was nice to know ya, Chapman.
ReplyDeleteDylan Cease on the move to the Padres. Plenty of pitching still out there and FZ is just gonna roll with his lambs that will be taken to slaughter once the season starts. Bold strategy Cotton!
ReplyDeleteWhat I wonder is how he will rotate through all the arms that he will need to get through the first 6-8 weeks. Most of these guys aren’t on the 40 man roster right? At the rate they are getting obliterated in spring my guess is there will be some interesting moves made to accommodate all the arms he will need.
But then again what do I know? Just because it’s never successfully been done in the history of baseball starting a season with only one proven starter doesn’t mean we have anything to worry about right?!?
Am I just being negative again and unfairly putting blame on poor Farhan? It’s not his fault nobody wants the trash he collects like Davis or any of his prospects is it? It’s not his fault he traded away several SP’s that could have at least allowed us to avoid a disaster like whats to come right? At least the owners will get to break even which I know is his only real concern!
I'll leave the keystone cop handling of the left side of the infield alone for now....but.....The rotation is a disaster of the highest order......by itself..and compared to other teams...Logan Webb and a bunch of Question marks....Way too much pressure on Harrison as a #2..a converted closer as Your # 3...None of the prospects kids ready.. Pitch and inning limits up the yin Yang ....so the backened will be filled by the weasel's smarter than thou Bottom of the barrel dumpster dives....And the LHRP situation is even worse ..Total negligence so far..I really want it to be good..somehow..but just don't see it!
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Regarding Cease, Pavs tweeted the Giants and White Sox didn't have recent conversations since the 2 teams didn't match up well. Not much you can do. It was reported the Giants were in the running for Corbin Burnes before his trade to the Orioles. FZ did trade for Robbie Ray, former Cy young awards winner, a good trade, but he still hasn't made a big trade involving trading his prospects like I thought he would. Could the reason be the Giants don't have enough good prospects or he doesn't want to give them up?
DeleteSomeone on X pointed out the top prospect in the Cease package is ranked #85 by MLB while Carson Whisenhunt is #83. Personally I would have no problem trading a package of prospects for 2 years of Dylan Cease if The Whiz was the top ranking but maybe the ChiSox don't dig him as much as MLB? MLB ranks him #3 on their Giants Top 30 but DrB has him at #8. I would be less sanguine about giving up Bryce Eldridge and/or Rayner Arias.
DeleteMaybe it’s more perception rather than anything else but the perception of the Padres is that they are still trying to win even after several big subtractions while the perception of the Giants is they are trying to “break even”. The Ray trade isn’t in the same category at all as the Cease or Burnes trades and none that FZ has pulled off in 6 years have been. The situation the Giants find themselves in now is an insane level of desperation and someone like Cease or Snell would provide a lot of relief but I don’t think other teams or Boras want to help Farhan out of this mess. He made his bed and had 6 years to do it so time to face the music.
DeleteCome on, we know Farhan is engaging in conversations for these guys but he’s trying to acquire them on the cheap, he’s not trying to trade a Whisenhunt or an Eldridge for Burnes or Cease. Farhan’s conversations basically amounted to “hey, we aren’t desperate but if you get desperate we are interested.” Farhan is a joke, and so are these reports that come out saying Giants were interested or talking to this guy or that guy. It’s all bull. Farhan is just trying to see who he can get on the cheap, and it never works out for him. He’s got nothing to show for the 6 years or however long he’s been running the team.
DeleteYou have to wonder if the Doubters that have coalesced here are really better POBOs than the guy hired to do the job.
ReplyDeleteAfter the last of the 2014 heroes, who rose up with the new guys in 2021 to leave their mark, have all left, and following disappointing collapses late in '22 & '23, is it time to burn it down or see if the next generation has the Stuff?
Are geniuses good guessers or good planners?
We will see: are the additions since 2018 the Next Generation or the Losers condemned by so many would-be geniuses?
2024 is Chapter 1.
I think it's gone way beyond doubters. It's a full on pitchfork mob. Look, part of being a serious fan is thinking you actually know something about the game. It's the reason I write a post on this blog almost every day. Take it for FWIW. It's my/our opinion. Nothing wrong with expressing it. I do try to cull out the more vitriolic and repetitive ones but I'm also going to let folks express differing opinions.
DeleteWhile I understand FZ may still have a move or two up his sleeve, I overwhelmingly believe it is a huge mistake to go into the season without at least one more reliable SP. It isn't just me or SteveVA or other naysayers who comment here. No less than the MLBTR guy said in a chat just yesterday came this close to calling FZ's failure to add a frontline SP front-office malpractice. FZ has spent a lot of ownerships money this offseason on some pretty good players. It now appears he is on the verge of squandering it all by failing to add what I think is the single most important piece of all.
DeleteI.understand the doubters due to all the questions in the rotation. I think this season will answer an important question as to whether the Giants will be good at developing their young starting pitching led by Harrison, Winn, Black and others until Ray and Cobb come back. I almost forgot to mention Roup and Whisenhunt whom I'd like to see too. It's a long season and it's unpredictable so I just look forward to seeing how the season plays out. Apparently the Cleveland Guardians are good at developing young pitching. Their 2024 starting rotation is projected to be Bieber, McKenzie, Bibee Williams, Allen, all young home grown pitchers . It's an impressive group who has kept the Guardians reasonably competitive. If the Giants can be reasonably successful developing their young pitching in MLB that would be good development for their organization
DeleteMethinks FZ believes in the Stable of Pitchers in the system.
DeleteHe hopes a couple might be very good, a couple or more might be productive, and maybe 3 or more might be useful — He like everyone else, opponents, fans, Doc, and SteveVA just don't know which is which, who is who.
FZ just doesn't want to be the guy who traded Wheeler and Reynolds, to name a couple. He is already taking Grief for rolling the dice in 2021 to get Bryant — which almost worked. What if Gausman had performed to expectations? The Ace got beat by the Hated Ones and Urias — it coulda been different.
There's a fun article on Fangraphs today about GM's worrying that they are being taken in a trade. You can't be afraid to pull the trigger on a trade that needs to be made out of fear it might turn into another Reynolds, Wheeler or, God forbid, Adam Duvall!
DeleteA’s To Sign J.D. Davis, perhaps for less than what he's worth, but a deal he took:
ReplyDeleteOne-year, $2.5MM guarantee that includes up to $1MM in incentives
It's a nice pillow contract for J. D. He should get plenty of playing time to build his counting stats, has a chance to get traded to a contender at the deadline and set himself up for a nice payday when he hits free agency next Hot Stove League season.
DeleteSusan Slusser when asked who will be Giants #4+#5 said Keaton Winn and Mason Black are currently in the lead, but Giants not sure and it could still come from outside the organization, and the Giants are in on all available pitching .It's surprising that those 2 spots remain unsettled this close to opening day. I thought FZ would acquire 1 more reliable starter by now, but it's not easy. I couldn't believe the Giants and Astros scouted Blake Snell recent 4 inning simulated outing . If Giants have been interested in Blake Snell this long, what's taking them so long to sign him?? Maybe FZ needs to move quicker!
ReplyDeleteI've read that Keaton Winn is throwing but I don't think we have seen him in a game since he experienced the elbow pain. He's going to have to push it to be ready for the first round through the rotation and that may not be best for the longterm.
DeleteRecently listened to an interesting interview between Roger Munter and recently retired Giants advisor JP Riccardi talking about his 40 years in baseball and briefly about the Giants farm system. Just a couple of things he said: the Giants 2023 draft was the best they've had in awhile. He scouted Bryce Eldridge and wrote that his swing reminded him of Paul ONeils swing and Eldridge is gonna be a good player as a 1st baseman . He said a few other things that were interesting that I can't think of right now
ReplyDeletei agree and I am also excited by the 2023 international class. I also like what I've read about the 2024 international class even though they didn't sign a Rayner Arias/Marco Luciano level player.
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