Spring Training Semi-Open Forum and AQA

 Hey team!  We've wrapped up our Hot Stove League Coverage and DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects.  We await the first exhibition games of spring training.  We find ourselves in the silly time when we're trying to figure out roster spots and predict Rafael Devers is going to hit 50 home runs(I think it was Glen Kuiper who predicted that) from live batting practices.  So we've got a couple of days with nothing to write about except parsing some comments the manager made to the press.  So, let's open it up.  You are all welcome to post your thoughts and burning questions in the comment section.  I will do my best to answer or respond.  As always it's my blog and I reserve the right to hit the button on comments I deem less than constructive.  

Otherwise, let's hear it.

Spring Training Update: Did Tony Vitello Leave His Heart In Tennessee?

 Whoo boy!  This is not great!  Reports from Scottsdale say new Giants Manager, Tony Vitello, walked into the daily press gaggle and before even one question was asked, he posed a question of his own to the assembled media(one report seemed to say he directed the question at Susan Slusser):  "When did you first  think I was taking this job, can you remember that far back?"  Susan replied that it was 4-5 days before the news that it happened.  That did not seem to set well with Tony who launched into a timeline of how it came together, once again airing grievances over how it interrupted his plan to break it to his team.  Really?  I distinctly remember him reviewing that timeline and those grievances at his introductory press conference.  So why the heck is he still talking about it and without prompting from any of the press? This comes on the heels of a very odd comment he made yesterday which didn't seem like such a big deal at the time but now raises even more questions where he suggested he is so popular around the Knoxville area the Giants are now going to have a whole new fanbase from there.  Really?

Today was the second day of full squad workouts at spring training.  How does Tony Vitello get to spring training after fielding questions at his introductory press conference, the Winter Meetings, multiple press conferences for free agent signings where questions about his readiness to manage professional players let alone at the MLB level seemed endless and still have his mind on what went down when he was hired for the job.  I have to say I have become increasingly cringed over the way he continues talking about former Tennessee players like Gavin Kilen and Drew Gilbert, almost like he is still their old college coach looking on proudly as their pro careers develop and wondering if he can let go of that connection to make objective decisions.  This incident does not help assuage those cringey feelings.

Tony, my man!  Coaching at Tennessee was your old job.  This is your new job.  You've had 4 months to process and come to terms with why and how you left the old job.  Let it go!  Your focus needs to be on your current job which is managing the San Francisco Giants.  

If I'm Buster Posey, I am not too pleased right now and if I haven't touched bases with my new manager to make sure everything is OK, it is definitely on my to-do list first thing in the morning.  Yikes!

Spring Training Update: The Churn Goes On

So, you thought The Churn went away with Farhan Zaidi?  Well, think again.  The Churn is alive and well in Buster Posey's front office.  The Giants opened Spring Training with a full 40-man roster.  But the 60-day IL opens up on the first day of Spring training and the Giants have two players, Randy Rodriguez RHP and Jason Foley RHP, expected to be out with injuries for more than 60 days.  So they waited until camp opened to formally sign Luis Arraez 2B and move RR to the 60-day IL.  OK, that's not really a churn move but two days later they moved Foley to the 60-day IL and signed Rowan Wick RHP to a 2-year contract.  Now, the thing about Rowan Wick is he is expected to miss the whole season due to Tommy John surgery so two days later they sent him to the 60-day IL and signed Will Brennan OF.  Let's meet our new Giants:

Rowan Wick RHP.  DOB:  11/9/1992.  6' 3", 234 lbs.  1 Option, Free Agent 2028.  

2025(NPB):  4-1, 0.84, 42.2 IP, 10.34 K/9, 2.32 BB/9, 5 Saves.

I remember Wick pitching for the Cubs but he's played in Japan the last two seasons with great numbers last season.  The Giants will stash him on the 60-day IL all season and hope for a full healthy season in 2027....if there is no work stoppage.

Will Brennan OF.  DOB:  2/2/1998.  B-L, T-L.  5' 11", 200 lbs.  2 Options, Arbitration Eligible 2027, Free Agent 2030.  

2025(AAA):  .304/.340/.419, 3 HR, 2 SB, 5.1 BB%, 12.8 K%, 156 PA.

2025(MLB):  .091/.231/.091, 7.7 BB%, 7.7 K%, 13 PA.

High contact/low power hitter that seems to fit Buster's type.  I guess he'll compete with Drew Gilbert OF for a 4'th or 5'th OF role.  The loser of that competition will get optioned to AAA Sacramento.

Other News and Notes:

Heliot Ramos OF is definitely in the best shape of his life.  Per Alex Pavlovic, Heliot took his defensive struggles to heart and as soon as the season was over went to work in Arizona eating healthy and working out.  There's a photo of him up near the batting cage in Scottsdale and dude looks slimmer and absolutely ripped.  Unfortunately, Rafael Devers 1B is seen in the same photo and he.....well, let's just say I don't think we'll be getting any Best Shape of his Life stories about him this spring.  

Carson Whisenhunt LHP came to camp admitting he had a pitch-tipping problem with his changeup last season and says it's fixed.  He also reworked his breaking ball into more of a slurve.  Hayden Birdsong RHP says he was trying to get to high over-the-top in his delivery which caused him to lean left too far which led to command issues.  He hopes a slightly lower arm slot will fix that.  

That's it for now.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: Unranked 2025 Draftees

Hey team!  Before we wrap up our 2026 Top 50 Prospect list, we should acknowledge the 2025 draftees who went unranked because they did not appear in any pro games last season.  They should all make their pro debuts this season with an excellent chance of making next year's list either in the top 50 or as a Honorable Mention.

Jordan Gottesman LHP

Ben Bybee RHP

Reid Worley RHP

Isaiah Barkett 2B

Rod Barajas Jr C

Cody Delvecchio RHP

Broedy Poppell C

Trey Seeley RHP

Garrett Langrell RHP

Luke Mensik RHP

Cooper McGrath RHP

Braydon Risley LHP 

All those pitchers must compete for innings with a large contingent of rising international prospects.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top Prospects: #1 Bryce Eldridge

 

1.  Bryce Eldridge 1B.   DOB:  10/20/2004.  B-L, T- R.  6' 7", 240 lbs.  40-man roster, 3 Options.

2025(AA):  .280/.350/.512, 7 HR, 9.3 BB%, 27.9 K%, 140 PA.  

2025(AAA):  .249/.322/.514, 18 HR, 9.8 BB%, 30.8 K%, 286 PA.

2025(MLB):  .107/.297/.179, 18.9 BB%, 35.1 K%, 37 PA.  

Just for perspective, last year was Bryce Eldridge's age 20 season and was his third professional season.  Had he not been added to the 40-man roster, he would still have two development years before being eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.  He rocketed through the minor league system and hit with monster power at every level.  A late season cup of coffee at the MLB level didn't have the same results but he impressed with his plate discipline and pitch selection.  

All signs point to once he gets his feet on the ground and a larger sample size, he will be an impact power hitter.  The big question is whether he needs to work on closing some holes in his swing back in AAA before a promotion later in the season or if it's better for him to see MLB pitching on the theory that he won't improve if he's facing competition he's already beaten.  I favor the latter.  Yes, his K rate is high, but it's going to be for any 6' 7" power hitter.  Have you looked up Aaron Judge's K rate in his first MLB experience?  He's going to be a 3-true outcomes guy, especially early in his career.  

The tea leaves are telling me the Giants also favor the latter approach and are planning for him to be in the lineup on Opening Day.  That could change if he looks overmatched in spring training but if he does start the season in AAA, it should be a short stay there before he gets called back up to stay.  Whenever he takes his place in the lineup he should bat 7'th or 8'th and the Giants should accept he will have his share of strikeouts and will probably bat somewhere around the Mendoza Line but even that should come with 20-25 HR's which would be a very good outcome for his rookie season.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #2 Josuar Gonzalez

2.  Josuar Gonzalez SS.  DOB:  10/16/2007.  B-S, T-R.  6' 0", 167 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec.  2029.

2025(DSL):  .288/.404/.455, 10 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 33 SB, 16.2 BB%, 15.8 K%, 1.56 GB/FB.  

Josuar Gonzalez was widely considered one of the top 2 or 3 prospects in the 2025 international signing period and he didn't disappoint.  He showed off excellent combination of contact and plate discipline with projectable power and game-changing speed.  The 33 SB's project to almost 90 over 600 PA's.  Comps to Jose Reyes put him in rarified air.  Has the tools to stick at shortstop.  He should start out 2026 in the ACL but if he does well there I would expect to see him in A San Jose by the end of the season a la Jhonny Level.  Seems more likely to be the Giants SS of the future while Luis Hernandez bat looks like it will play anywhere so I don't see harm in keeping both in the organization.  I am extremely excited by what the Giants are doing in the international market which is a big reason I think they are as well positioned for the future as any organization in baseball.

Hot Stove League Update: DrB's Final Grades

 Hey team!  I really appreciate the comments and grades for the Giants offseason.  I specifically asked for grades for Buster Posey(and by extension his assistants in the front office).  In this post I will give you my grade for Buster Posey et al and also for the organization which I think had a better Hot Stove League than Buster did personally((I will explain although maybe Buster gets all the credit by virtue of sitting in the hot seat where he gets blamed for bad luck and therefore maybe should get credit for good luck?).  Here are the grades:

Buster Posey B: Buster came into the 2025/2026 Hot Stove League with multiple holes to fill and one big limitation.  We can argue endlessly about whether Giants ownership can or should be spending money to match the Dodgers.  I do believe that if Buster went to ownership with a player he felt he needed to give them a serious shot at not just the postseason but a championship, ownership would give him the green light even if it put them over the CBT threshold.  I also believe there were no players on this year's market he would do that for.  I also agree with Buster and Greg Johnson that too many simultaneous 5 and 6 year contracts are asking for disaster down the road.  So for all practical purposes, the CBT threshold was the upper limit of the payroll he would end up with and there were not going to be any long term contracts handed out.  So with that situation as the starting point, let's look at the holes he filled:

Manager:  Wow!  Buster gets extra points just for the publicity the Tony Vitello hiring generated.  Might actually be the biggest story of the Hot Stove League.  He backed that up by bringing in a team of diverse but highly respected coaches who are expected to do what FZ and Gabe Kapler claimed they would do with their coaching staff.  Now if all this turns out to be the right Manager and right coaching staff, he looks like a genius.  If it fails, it may take Buster down with it so he may have bet his entire tenure on this one move.

Starting Pitching Depth:  With Justin Verlander RHP a free agent, he needed to be replaced.  Beyond replacing Verlander, He needed additional starting depth.  He had a bevy of young starting pitchers who might step up but he had that last year and came up short.  He needed at least 2 veteran arms more than he needed one top-end SP.  On top of all that, the price of pitching was insane.  Buster ended up with Adrian Houser RHP and Tyler Mahle RHP two veteran SP's coming off strong seasons but with injury histories.  Signing pitchers with injury histories to discounted short term contracts is a Moneyball GM's wet dream.

Right Field/Outfield Defense:  Buster faced a two-headed monster in the outfield with a hole to fill in RF and a CF coming off one of the worst defensive performances in MLB.  He solved both problems with one move signing Harrison Bader CF, one of the best defensive CF's in baseball, to 2 year contract.  That basically forced Jung Hoo Lee OF to move to RF where his more range limitations and strong arm should be a better fit.  

Second Base:  A lot of us would be happy if Casey Schmitt IF was the presumptive starting 2B but Buster has been clear on his desire to increase contact and decrease strikeouts.  When the opportunity arose to snag the top contact hitter in all of MLB at a discounted price and just one year to boot, he did not hesitate.  Luis Arraez is the Giants new 2B on 1 yr/$11 M.  Buster is counting on Arraez work ethic and IF coach Ron Washington to make him at least playable at 2B.

DH:  Whether Bryce Eldridge starts the season in AAA or in the Opening Day Lineup, it's clear Buster and the Giants intend for him to get his big shot at MLB stardom this season.  He may be shagging fly balls in the outfield but the bulk of his PA's will come as either DH, 1B or both, splitting the positions with Rafael Devers.  There is some risk in this move but I love the commitment and if it works out, Buster comes out of it looking like a genius.

Bullpen/Closer:  This is where I knock Buster down by a letter grade.  I don't see how Ryan Walker RHP can come to camp as the presumptive Closer but here we are.  I get that Moneyball dogma says you don't spend top dollars on Closers or bullpen arms and somebody will alway step up, it didn't last season and it looks like there are fewer options this year.  Prices for Closer-quality bullpen arms were insane and signing one would have made it difficult to fill the other holes and remain under the CBT threshold but if the season ends up imploding, the Closer role is the most likely to be ground-zero.  

Giants sign Top international free agent Luis Hernandez for $5 M.  The groundwork was laid for this long before Buster took over as POBO so he does not get complete credit, but for the second year in a row, the Giants under his leadership traded for international bonus pool money, something they almost never did in the past.  This enabled the Giants to not only meet Hernandez' asking price but also sign other international players.  Based on review of the Giants transaction log, that extra money has already been spend on new signings.  So Buster gets at least partial credit for continued tangible commitment to the international market.  

Giants Win the Draft Lottery:  Well, they didn't exactly win it in terms of grabbing the #1 overall pick but they moved all the way up from #15 to #4 which should yield another top prospect and give another shot in the arm to a farm system that has serious Helium.  So, this is pure luck and Buster gets no credit.  Maybe Randy Winn gets credit for being the Giants representative in the room, or may Buster does get credit for choosing Randy Winn to be there.  In any event, I would bet a lot of money that Randy Winn is the rep at the next Draft Lottery.

Organizational Grade: B+(higher grade due to adding Luis Hernandez and moving up 11 spots in the 2026 draft).  

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #3 Luis Hernandez

3.  Luis Hernandez SS.   DOB:  12/13/2008.  B-R, T-R.  5' 10", 172 lbs.  

Consensus top international prospect from the 2026 cycle.  MLB Pipeline rates his tools 60 across the board except possibly arm which is a 50.  Considered advanced for his age.  Projectable frame.  Trained at the Carlos Guillen Academy in Venezuela.  Played in the Venezuela Major League at age 15 and hit .346 in 104 AB's.  Projects to a 30/30 player who can stick at short but the bat could play at any position.  Giants reportedly considering bringing him to the states for his first pro experience.  If he and Josuar Gonzalez are both playing in Arizona this spring, I might need to find a way to get over there and see what the fuss is about for myself, depending on my situation.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #4 Bo Davidson

 4.  Bo Davidson OF.  DOB:  7/5/2002.  B-L, T- R.  6' 1", 205 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2026.

2025(A+):  .309/.412/.507, 10 HR, 12 SB, 14.6 BB%, 22.1 K%, 335 PA.

2025(AA):  .234/.312/.401, 8 HR, 7 SB, 10.2 BB%, 24.1 K%, 187 PA.

Undrafted free agent from 2023 draft cycle.  Davidson gained national buzz has he raked his way through the Giants system.  While his BA took a step back after a late-season promotion to AA, his HR/PA went up It appears that result is due to a change in approach as his GB/FB went from 1.70 to 0.75 giving him more of a 3-true outcomes stat line.  I expect him to start 2026 back in AA and he'll try to break the Richmond/EL curse on hitting prospects.  I saw him play with A San Jose in 2024 and he certainly looks the part.  Impressive size and athleticism and barreled up everything.

Hot Stove League Update: Grading Buster

 Sup Dawgs!?  Amid a last minute flurry of Hot Stove League activity, including the announcement of Luis Arraez 2B signing a free agent contract with the Giants, Buster Posey commented to the beat writers that he is more on "listening" mode at this point than in pursuit mode.  Now, to his credit, Buster has not exactly been transparent about his Hot Stove League game plan so another under-the-radar move could happen if a last minute bargain presented itself but that can always happen. It seems like between Buster's comments and report day for pitchers and catchers we are reasonably safe to declare the 2025/2026 Hot Stove League complete and open it up to to snap grades.

Q:  What is your grade for Buster Posey and the Giants front office on the 2025/2026 Hot Stove League season?  

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #5 Jhonny Level

5.  Jhonny Level SS.  DOB:  3/29/2007.  B-S, T-R.  5' 10", 154 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2028.

2025(ACL):  .288/.375/.493, 10 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 17 SB, 12.6 BB%, 15.3 K%, 261 PA.

2025(A):  .236/.333/.339, 3 HR, 4 SB, 11.6 BB%, 20.4 K%, 147 PA.

Jhonny Level did something top Giants international prospects have had trouble with:  He stayed healthy for his first two pro seasons.  Don't discount the importance of that.  Level is not big.  I have not seen him play in person but from videos, he does not look like he is 5' 10" or even close to it.  He does have a wiry strength and some quick-twitch athleticism which may overcome the size deficit.  It's his stat lines that have drawn attention from the scouting community showing a nice balance of contact, power, speed and plate discipline.  While his numbers slipped a bit after a late season promotion to A San Jose, he wasn't overmatched and now has a head start on his age 19 season.  I hope to see him play on an early road trip to SoCal.  

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #6 Gavin Kilen

6.  Gavin Kilen 2B.   DOB:  3/28/2004.  B-L, T-R.  5' 11", 187 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2028.  

2025(College- Tennessee):  .357/.441/.671, 15 HR, 6 SB, 12.2 BB%, 11.0 K%, 245 PA.

2025(A):  .205/.279/.282, 7.0 BB%, 11.6 K%, 43 PA.

We have to accept this ranking for Kilen on some faith in his college record and draft position.  The numbers at A level are not good but it's a small sample and he was shut down early due to a nagging hammy injury.  Based on everything I've read, he's expected to be fully healthy this spring and that will be the true test whether he is at risk of becoming another in a long string of Giants disappointing first round draft picks.  I don't have any stats to back this up but if my memory serves me, the history of prospects who start their pro experience hurt and underperform is not encouraging.  Kilen's calling card is contact and hit tool. He basically has to hit close to .300 to have significant value.  He's been comped to Gavin Lux which would not be a terrible outcome.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #7 Keyner Martinez

7.  Keyner Martinez RHP.   DOB:  8/16/2004.  6' 1", 165 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2026.

2025(ACL):  3-1, 1.90, 47.1 IP, 12.74 K/9, 1.90 BB/9, 1.28 GB/FB.

2025(A):  2-1, 2.86, 22 IP, 12.27 K/9, 4.50 BB/9, 1.65 GB/FB.  

When Baseball America says you have the best fastball and best slider in the organization, how can you not be the top pitching prospect?  Martinez was a "pop-up" pitching prospect in 2025, dominated two levels and enters 2026 with big expectations.  The only issue with him is the pesky Rule 5 Draft.  Since he was 19 years old when he signed in 2023 he is eligible after 4 years.  He did not pitch in 2023 but that still counted as a year of service time so he's eligible at the end of this season.  If he remains healthy and continues to show premium stuff, The Giants will have to burn a 40-man roster spot to protect him.  Not that it's never been done but the Giants in recent years have been loathe to spend a roster spot on prospects who are still 2-3 years away.  If the stuff is for real, they might want to be aggressive with him, push him to A+ with the goal of having him finish the season in at least AA.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #8 Jacob Bresnahan

8.  Jacob Bresnahan LHP.   DOB:  6/27/2005.  6' 4", 195 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2027.

2025(A):  9-3, 2.61, 93 IP, 12.00 K/9, 4.16 BB/9.

Before I looked at Bresnahan's numbers and MLB Pipeline scouting report, I didn't think I would rank him this high.  I saw him pitch against Rancho Cucamonga early in the season and wasn't that impressed with his stuff and the first 6 weeks of his season were rough.  Through his first 3 starts his line stood at 0-1, 8.18, 11 IP, 8 BB, 12 K.  I think I saw him in the third game of that stretch.  The rest of the season he went 9-2, 1.85, 82.2 IP, 12.19 K/9, 2.81 BB/9 which is elite and at just his age 19 season.  

His MLB Pipeline scouting report has his FB 91-94 MPH topping out at 96.  I think the game I saw him he was at the lower end of that range.  Presumably he either gained command or built his velocity as teh season progressed.  His best secondary pitch is a fading changeup and also has a sweeping slider.  

He's a big kid who still has room to fill out his frame and get stronger.  He should start out 2026 in A+ ball with a chance to move up to AA before the season is over.  Starting to get some national recognition as a nice prospect but still qualifies as a sleeper with a lot of upside and a high ceiling.

Hot Stove League Update: Spring Invites Reveal Under Radar Move

The Giants revealed their list of non-roster spring training invitations.  There weren't a lot of surprises but a name that is causing some buzz is Michael Fulmer RHP.  Once upon a time, Fulmer was one of the best young pitchers in the game for the Tigers before his career got derailed by a series of injuries.  He made a  comeback as a reliever for the Cubs in 2023 but then missed the entire 2024 season after a revision of his previous Tommy John surgery.  He rehabbed his way through AAA stops with 4 different organizations in 2025 but appeared in just 3 MLB games between the Cubs and Red Sox.  Let's break it down:

Michael Fulmer RHP.  DOB:  3/15/1993.  6' 3", 224 lbs. 

2023(Cubs):  3-5, 4.42, 57 IP, 10.26 K/9, 4.42 BB/9, 2 Saves, 94.3 vFA.

2025(AAA-4 teams):  1-3, 3.39, 66.1 IP, 11.67 K/9, 3.93 BB/9, 5 Saves.

2025(MLB- Cubs, Red Sox):  0-0, 4.76, 5.2 IP, 4.76 K/9, 3.18 BB/9, 93.5 vFA.  

While the K/BB at the MLB level is not great, it's an extremely small sample and the AAA numbers look much better.  The FB is is a couple of ticks down from the 96 MPH at his peak but is also not terrible. 2026 will be his second season back from surgery which sometimes correlates with an uptick in performance.  You don't have to squint too hard to see Fulmer making the Opening Day roster out of the bullpen and even taking on some Save Opps during the season.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #9 Trevor McDonald

9. Trevor McDonald RHP.  DOB:  2/26/2001.  6' 2", 201 lbs.  40-Man Roster, 1 Option.

2025(AAA):  9-9, 5.31, 142.1 IP, 9.11 K/9, 3.92 BB/9, 2.03 GB/FB.

2025(MLB):  1-0, 1.80, 15 IP,  8.40 K/9, 1.20 BB/9, 2.30 GB/FB.  

I really liked McDonald as a pitching prospect since I saw him pitch in A ball.  He finally made it to The Show late last season and opened a few eyes in the process allowing just 1 ER in 13 IP over his final two games and striking out 10 in his final start.  His ground ball rates are elite.   His pitch mix includes a 93-94 MPH sinker which he threw 40% and a tight, hard curveball which he threw 50%.  Fangraphs also has him throwing a changeup and slider about 5% each.  The changeup was his least effective pitch.  Looking back in my mind's eye, I swear I saw a changeup that had the makings of a plus pitch.  Delivering that more often would seem to be the best path to a full SP pitch mix.  

At this point, Landen Roupp looks like the presumptive 5'th starter in the rotation but it's highly likely the Giants will need more than 5 SP's over the course of the season and McDonald should be an early option when more are needed.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #10 Carson Seymour

10.  Carson Seymour RHP.  DOB:  12/16/1998.  6' 6", 255 lbs.  40-man roster, 2 Options.

2025(AAA):  4-8, 3.86, 77 IP, 10.52 K/9, 4.56 BB/9, 2.45 GB/FB.

2025(MLB):  1-3, 4.75, 36 IP, 6.50 K/9, 3.25 BB/9, 1.54 GB/FB.

Seymour may have been on the active roster more than 45 days but he has less than 50 IP.  Nobody is talking about him and I'm not sure why because he did not pitch badly last season either in AAA or MLB.  He features a 5 pitch mix anchored by both a 4-seam and 2-seam FB.  He also throws a slider, curveball and change up.  Where he ran into trouble was hanging breaking pitches which resulted in too many HR's.  He finished strong giving up 1 ER over his last 5 IP.  He's a guy who can pitch in a swing man role  and go multiple innings in relief and thrives by putting the ball on the ground.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #11 Blade Tidwell

 11.  Blade Tidwell RHP.  DOB:  6/8/2001.  6' 4", 207 lbs.  40-man roster, 2 Options.

2025(AAA- Mets):  6-4, 4.10, 79 IP, 9.91 K/9, 3.65 BB/9.  

2025(AAA-Giants):  0-0, 1.50, 18 IP, 12.00 K/9, 2.50 BB/9.

2025(MLB- Mets):  1-1, 9.00, 15 IP, 6.00 K/9, 6.00 BB/9.

Tidwell is a former 2'nd round draft pick for the Mets out of Tennessee and acquired by the Giants in the Tyler Rogers trade.  It does seem like it might be more than coincidence the Giants have acquired several ex-Tennessee players leading up to Tony Vitello's hiring.  He's a big, hard-throwing RHP with two pitches:  4-seam FB that averaged almost 96 MPH and a slider.  He throws in a 2-seam FB which he throws under 20% of the time.  He pitched great in 3 appearances after the trade but then went on the IL with shoulder discomfort for a month.  He reportedly did not have structural damage.  He made one 2-inning start on 9/17 near the end of the season.  He is expected to be ready for spring training.  He has been used mainly as a SP in the minors but his pitch mix looks more relieverish unless he can add a changeup or split.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #12 Carson Whisenhunt

12.  Carson Whisenhunt LHP.  DOB:  10/20/2000.  6' 3", 214 lbs.  40-man roster, 3 Options.

2025(AAA):  9-5, 4.43, 107.2 IP, 7.94 K/9, 2.93 BB/9, 1.40 GB/FB.

2025(MLB):  2-1, 5.01, 23.1 IP, 6.17 K/9, 4.63 BB/9, 1.07 GB/FB.

The Whiz is basically a 2-pitch pitcher.  He has a sinking fastball that averaged 92.6 MPH and a changeup that has been rated as a 70 on the scouting scale.  He threw a slider just 14% of the time in his small MLB sample.  During his MLB stint I saw some really good pitches but he battled inconsistency.  It's hard to set up the changeup if you don't command the fastball and he needs to throw the slider more, especially to lefty batters.  I would think he starts out 2026 in AAA Sacramento to work on those items.  

Regarding the changeup, the best changeup I ever saw was Noah Lowry's.  I might have seen one or two of Whisenhunt's changeups that compare favorably to Lowry's but again, most of them didn't and he needs to find more consistency.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #13 Drew Gilbert

13.  Drew Gilbert OF.  DOB:  9/27/2000.  B- L, T- L.  5' 9", 195 lbs.  40-man Roster, 3 Options.

2025(AAA- Mets):  .243/.347/.430, 17 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 4 SB, 11.4 BB%, 16.6 K%, 361 PA.

2025(AAA- Giants):  .500/.650/.857, 2B, 2 3B, 2 SB, 30.0 BB%, 15.0 K%, 20 PA.

2025(MLB- Giants):  .190/.248/.350, 5 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 6.4 BB%, 18.3 K%, 109 PA.

Drew Gilbert is a classic old-school high-energy, top-of-the-order, hustling over-achiever type player who often has nicknames like Nails, Mad Dog, Scrappy.  Howard Cosell would call him a "pepper pot."  Former #28 overall draft pick out of Tony Vitello's shop at Tennessee.  Although the BA was unimpressive in his first, the secondary numbers were actually quite good and he was a plus defender who appeared at all 3 OF positions, mostly RF.  Strong opportunity to emerge from spring training as the 4'th OF on the Opening Day roster unless the Giants think he still needs daily PA's to further develop his hitting.

DrB's 2026 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #14 Jesus Rodriguez

14.  Jesus Rodriguez C/3B.  DOB:  4/23/2002.  B-R, T-R.  5' 10", 208 lbs.  40-man Roster, 2 Options.

2025(AAA- Yankees):  .317/.409/.430, 14 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 16 SB, 12.7 BB%, 15.2 K%, 362 PA.

2025(AAA- Giants):  .322/.399/.401, 6 2B, 2 HR, 4 SB, 10.4 BB%, 9.8 K%, 173 PA.

 Elite contact hitter with plate discipline, a relatively rare combination.  Main negatives are a lack of power and questionable catching skills.  It appears the Giants think he can be a catcher. It appeared he might have a shot at back up catcher in 2026 until they acquired Daniel Susac and Eric Haase.  It now appears the plan is to give Rodriguez more reps behind the plate in AAA to polish up his defensive skills.  If he can improve there his hitting skills should give him a solid MLB career.

Hot Stove League Update: Giants Sign Luis Arraez

 The Giants have kept the hot stove stoked late into the season.  We can all hope they have a comparable stretch run in the 2026 MLB season.  They moved closer to the all-important CBT threshold with yet another "value" signing as Buster's strategy of signing multiple lower cost players over one or two big-ticket targets comes into clearer focus.  This time it was the man with the shiny batting average, Luis Arraez for 1 yr/$12 M.  A second baseman by trade, Arraez had trouble finding innings at the position over the last two seasons and was openly looking for a team who would play him there.  The Giants reportedly are that team.  Let's break it down:

Luis Arraez 1B/2B.  DOB:  4/9/1997.  B-L, T-R.  5' 10", 175 lbs.  

2025(Padres):  .292/.327/.392, 30 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 11 SB, 5.0 BB%, 3.1 K%, 675 PA.  

Arraez is an elite contact hitter who almost never strikes out.  That is the type of hitter Buster Posey said he thinks fits the Giants home ballpark.  He's like a throwback to Pete Rose with two seasons of 200 or more hits.  The two raps on him are that he's an empty batting average and he is a poor defender.  His defensive metrics are a bit mixed as he looks worse by Outs Above Average(OAA) than by Fangraphs Ultimate Zone Rating(UZR).  Arraez reports he worked out with a defensive coach at the 2B position over the winter.  He is reported to have one of the slowest foot speeds in all of MLB but he somehow still managed to steal 11 bases.

From a hitting standpoint I like the signing.  I saw so many situations over the past few years where a base hit would drive in at least one and possibly two runs only to see the batter strike out of pop up and end the threat.  If he can be coached up to play a passable 2B then it's a great fit and the price is right.  Arraez' profile reminds me of Melky Cabrera.  Melky didn't work out in the end due to off-field issues but it sure was a fun ride while it lasted.  Arraez does create a tough situation for Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss as there now may not be room on the active roster for both as utility infielders although there could still be some PA's at DH if the Giants decide Bryce Eldridge needs some more seasoning in AAA.

Here is a list of Giants free agent signings for this year's Hot Stove League season:

Sam Hentges LHP:  1 yr/$1.4 M

Jason Foley RHP:  1 yr/$2 M

Adrian Houser RHP: 2 yr/$22 M

Tyler Mahle RHP:  1 yr/$10 M

Harrison Bader OF:  2 yr/$20.5 M

Luis Arraez 2B/1B/DH:  1 yr/$12 M

Total additional 2026 Salary(AAV):  $47 M.  

The Arraez signing bumps their CBT number to about $228 M which is about $16 M below the threshold.  

We can argue endlessly about whether the Giants ownership should be willing to spend above the CBT threshold but there are non-financial reasons why they shouldn't.  We can also disagree with how Buster chose to spend the money but he did spend it and got 6 players who should each upgrade their respective positions.  To my eye it looks like a successful Hot Stove League season.  I will be surprised if they make any more major signings which would put them over the CBT threshold.  Now watch Buster sign Framber Valdez and prove all of us wrong about how much Giants ownership is willing to spend.