Spring Training Game Wraps 3/10/2024(Split Squad): Giants 5 White Sox 4; Mariners 8 Giants 3

Home Game:  The Giants won a see-saw game on a walk-off single by Tom Murphy.  Key Lines: 

Michael Conforto LF- 3 for 3.  BA= .400.  Maybe with Soler and Chapman in the lineup, Conforto won't feel as much pressure to hit for power?  Now, if he can just stay healthy.

Tom Murphy PH/DH- 1 for 1.  BA= .385.  Murph has always hit.  Can he stay healthy?

Joey Bart C- 2 for 3, SF.  BA= .400.  If I am not mistaken, Bart has hit in spring training before and as we all know, spring stats don't mean a thang.  Are the Giants showcasing him for a potential trade?  Patrick Bailey went 0 for 3 in the away game.  Is there a non-zero chance Bart starts the season on the active roster with Bailey optioned to Sacramento?  

Spencer Howard RHP- 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K's, GO/AO= 4.1.  ERA= 3.18.  Too many walks but he kept the ball on the ground and worked out of trouble.  BTW, all 3 walks came in the first inning.

*************************************************************************************

Away Game:  Tommy Romero RHP gave up 6 runs in 1.2 IP and the Giants could not come back.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 3.  BA= .368.  So far Lee is just what the Giants thought they were getting.

Luis Matos RF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .240.  Matos' bat had cooled off after a hot start. Will this get it going again?  He definitely is flexing his extra-base power.

David Villar DH- 1 for 2, 2B.  BA= .238.  Villar is a forgotten man but I think he has an option.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 2, BB, SB(1). BA= .091.  3 walks in 2 games.  Is Schmitt improving on his plate discipline?  

Carson Seymour RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K.  ERA= 7.20.  Can Seymour turn the Darin Ruf trade into more than a wash?

Juan Sanchez LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 1.80.  Sanchez is quietly having a tremendous spring.  I read somewhere his FB is up to 96 MPH.

*************************************************************************************

Logan Webb RHP makes his 4'th start of the spring tomorrow afternoon against the Royals and somebody named Angel Zerpa LHP in Surprise, AZ.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/9/2024: Giants 5 A's 1

 Jordan Hicks pitched an electric 3 innings and the Giants scored 5 runs in a pivotal 7'th inning for a spring training win.  Key Lines:

Wilmer Flores 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .412.  Wilmer is quietly one of the Giants best hitters this spring.  So, what else is new?

Trenton Brooks PR/1B- 1 for 1, 2B, SB(1).  BA= .500.  Another guy who is quietly having a great spring.  Brooks is an intriguing sleeper in the system.  Acquired last August for Sean Newcomb LHP.  Brooks is limited defensively but appears to have a serious bat.

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .500.  Chapman makes his 2024 spring training debut.  More on this later.  All I can say is I hope he vindicates FZ's ham-handed handling of the J. D. Davis situation.

Wade Meckler LF- 1 for 1, SB(2).  BA= .400.  Meckler broke his bat on the hit, but it drove in 2 runs.

Giants hitters drew a total of 11 walks in the game including 2 each by Tyler Fitzgerald PR/CF, Casey Schmitt PR/3B and Nick Ahmed SS.  

Jordan Hicks RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's. ER= 4.91.  Hicks was electric and he said he dialed it back a bit because he wasn't feeling 100%.  

Mason Black RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.14.  Black loaded the bases on 3 infield hits before he recorded an out.  He got out of it allowing just 1 run.  

Landon Roupp RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Roupp made his spring debut and it was sensational as he hit 97 MPH on the radar gun and showed off a knee buckling hard curve to finish batters off.  Roupp is another reason the Giant may feel they don't have to cave to free agent or trade demands for a fronline SP.  He was sidelined last year with a bad back.

Camilo Doval RHP, Tyler Rogers RHP and Spencer Bivens RHP pitched a scoreless inning each.

*************************************************************************************

In a shocking development, the Giants reportedly DFA'd J. D. Davis in the wake of the Chapman signing.  It was obvious from long before the signing there was not room on the roster for both players.  In a twist that I was not aware of until reported by the Giants beat writers, if Davis clears waivers the Giants can release him and owe him only a small prorated fraction of his $6.9 M salary because he won it in arbitration.  Winning arbitration salaries are not guaranteed.  Davis would then be able to cut the best deal he can find as a free agent but the there are several hitters at least as good as him still unsigned so the market looks rather bleak for him.   You have to think the Giants were well aware of this wrinkle all along and that it factored into their signing of Chapman who now only costs them a net $11 M in the first year of his contract.

It all makes a lot more sense now and it is a savvy move by FZ but I still don't like how Davis got treated and I'm sure that is not going be lost on players around the league.  It also makes me wonder if maybe FZ could have sold high on him at the trade deadline last season, a possible missed opportunity to amplify the return on the Darin Ruf trade.

*************************************************************************************

On a happier note, while Thursday's game against the Dodgers was officially cancelled by rain, Kyle Harrison LHP was tremendous with 6 K's in 2.2 IP against the hated rivals.  Speaking of which.....Mookie Betts is now the Dodgers starting SS due to throwing issues for Gavin Lux and lack of hitting by Miguel Rojas.  Hey!  Betts is a great player and athlete so it may work out, but it sure seems like the Dodgers are playing with fire here.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/5/2024: Giants 13 Brewers 8

 The Giants came out on top of a high-scoring affair in Scottsdale.  Key Lines:

LaMonte Wade Jr.  1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .250.   Jung Hoo Lee got the day off so LMWJ batted leadoff.

Thairo Estrada 2B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .278.  Is there another level for Estrada?  

Michael Conforto LF- 1 for 1, 2B, 3 BB.  BA= .250.  OBP .474 in 19 PA.

Jorge Soler DH- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .500.  Soler has not hit for much power so far but as long as he hits he'll produce in the middle of the Giants lineup.

Wilmer Flores 3B- 2 for 2, 2 2B, BB.  BA= .333.  The man can hit.

Tom Murphy C- 2 for 2, 2B.  BA= .400.  Bold prediction:  Tom Murphy gets more PA's and innings behind the plate this year than Patrick Bailey.

Wade Meckler CF- 3 for 4.  BA= .368.  Meck also made a throwing error.  Similar player demographic as Jung Hoo Lee.  Probably only room for one of those on a roster.

Logan Webb RHP- 3.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 8.64.  Webb is just building his pitch count.  No worries about outcomes.  He does tend to start seasons slower than he finishes.

Taylor Rogers LHP and Tommy Romero RHP pitched a scoreless inning each.

The Giants get a day off tomorrow before facing the Dodgers in a night game in Scottsdale Thursday.  Kyle Harrison LHP gets the start for the Giants.

In more bad news for Giants starting pitching, Sean Hjelle RHP is shut down due to an elbow sprain.  MRI reportedly did not show any tears of the UCL.

Blake Sabol OF/C tweaked a groin while running out an infield single in the 6'th.   He is due to undergo an MRI tomorrow.  

If you want a nice story line to root for, Spencer Bivens RHP got a formal invitation to Spring Training. The Giants gave him a shot in 2022 after he kicked around Indy ball for a couple of seasons.  Now he gets a chance to live his dream.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/4/2023: Rockies 12 Giants 10

 The Giants lost a typical Coors Field game.....oh wait!  This was in Arizona?  It was a typical Giants/Rockies game in which the Giants blew 7-1 and 9-4 leads and ended up losing the high-scoring game.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .462.  Lee has appeared in 5 of 8 spring games.  Giants probably want him to see as much MLB pitching as reasonable before the season starts.  

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .250.  YtY was delayed in playing in the field due to shoulder issue.  He's apparently completed his throwing program and cleared to play out there now.

J. D. Davis 1B- 2 for 3.  BA= .400.  Gotta feel for J. D. whose hot start at the plate may well have helped drive Chapman's price down and cost him a starting 3B job.

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .286.  Not spectacular, but Bailey has not done anything to lose the starting C gig so far.

Cooper Hummel PR/3B- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .375.  Hummel is an intriguing option for a utility/3'rd C role.

Nick Ahmed SS- 2 for 2.  BA= .625.  Ahmed came in hot and has all but won the starting SS gig to start the season which allows Luciano to get more salt in Sacramento, which he probably needs.

Brett Wisely 2B- 2 for 3, 2B.  bA= .214.   If Ahmed starts at SS and Luciano starts the season in Sacramento, Wisely could be in the mix for a backup MI role.

Spencer Howard RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 6.00.  In answer to SteveVA's possibly rhetorical question from yesterday, Howard and Jefferies were both once highly regarded pitching prospects who fell on hard times with injuries and/or poor performance. Interesting reclamation projects.

Cody Stashak RHP and Juan Sanchez LHP added scoreless frames in what was a rough day for pitchers.

Logan Webb RHP takes his third spring start tomorrow facing Forever Giant Jakob Junis RHP and the BrewCrew in Scottsdale.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/3/2024: Giants 6 Guardians 5

 The Giants fought through a see-saw battle for their second spring training win.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 2, BB, SB(1).  BA= .455.  So far Lee looks like the perfect leadoff hitter.

LaMonte Wade Jr 1B- 1 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .188.  LMWJ is off to a slow spring start.  Maybe this HR will get him going?  

Ismael Munguia LF- 2 for 2, HR(2).  BA= .700.  Munguia is this year's spring phenom.  

Nick Ahmed SS- 2 for 3, HR(2).  BA= .500.  With Marco Luciano slow out of the gate, I'm starting to get the feeling Ahmed will be the starting SS on Opening Day with Marco getting some more salt in Sacramento.  

Jordan Hicks RHP- 2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K's, GO/AO= 3/1.  ERA= 8.31.  Most important task for Hicks is to ramp up his pitches.  I'll get worried about results if he puts up lines like this in the last 10 days of spring training.

Daulton Jeffries RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K, GO/AO= 2/0.  ERA= 4.50.  Is Jeffries a dark horse for the #5 rotation slot?

Nick Avila RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.40.  Avila could be a candidate for a middle-relief/multi-inning role.  And yeah, record another W in relief.

Spencer Howard RHP gets the start tomorrow as the Giants go on the road to face the Rockies and Dakota Hudson RHP

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/2/2024: Padres 3 Giants 2

A late Giants rally to tie the game in the 8'th inning went for naught as the Padres scored in the top of the 9'th and held on to send the Giants to another spring training loss.  Key Lines:

Giants had 8 hits in the game by 8 different batters including doubles by Tom Murphy and Thairo Estrada.

Mason Black RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.40.  Black struck out the side in the first inning around a double.  The run was pure bad luck as Forever Giant Bryce Johnson hit a fly ball that Wade Meckler lost in the sun in LF.  He took third on a bunt single and scored on a wild pitch.  Is Black in the mix for n Opening Day rotation spot?

Taylor Rogers LHP, Camilo Doval RHP and Amir Garrett LHP recorded scoreless frames.

Jordan Hicks RHP makes his second spring start tomorrow against the Guardians facing Tanner Bibee RHP in Scottsdale.

 *************************************************************************************

We've already hashed and rehashed the Matt Chapman signing in the Comments after yesterday's post.  Sine the Giants already had an incumbent 3B who Chapman will apparently replace, I thought we could do a smackdown and see just how much of an upgrade this move is.  I will say that if the Giants really, really wanted Chapman, which is how it appears, FZ emphatically won a very ballsy staredown with Scott Boras to keep the amount of guaranteed money far below industry projections.  

Matt Chapman 3B.  DOB:  4/28/1993.  B-R, T-R.  6'0", 215 lbs.  

2023(Blue Jays):  .240/.330/.424, 17 HR, 10.7 BB%, 28.4 K%, UZR/150- +8.7, fWAR= 3.5.  

2024(ZIPS):  .241/333/.438, 22 HR, 11.2 BB%, 27.6 K%, fWAR= 3.7.

Note:  Chapman hit 27 HR in 2021(A's) and in 2022(Blue Jays).  The only significant difference in his stat line from 2023 is HR/FB which fell off significantly.  That's a stat that is supposed to normalize so we should expect at least some positive regression.  On the other hand, Roger's Stadium is HR neutral while Oracle Park still pretty severely suppresses HR's.

J. D. Davis 3B.  DOB 4/27/1993.  B-R, T-R.  6'3", 218 lbs.  

2023(Giants):  .248/.325/.413, 18 HR, 9.5 BB%, 27.8 K%, UZR/150= 0.8, fWAR= 2.2.

2024(ZIPS):  .249/.334/.411, 14 HR, 9.9 BB%, 28.9 K%, fWAR= 1.8.  

Note:  although Davis had a neutral UZR at 3B last year ZIPS expects it to regress into negative territory this season.  

Smackdown Verdict: Two very similar players although Chapman appears to be a definite upgrade.  Whether that upgrade is large enough to justify the investment is debatable and remains to be seen. There does seem to be a larger WAR gap when using bWAR but I tend to believe fWAR is more accurate.   It does create an awkward situation regarding Davis' fate.  At this point it appears some type of trade scenario involving Davis is in the cards.  What can the Giants get in return?  3B is a fairly stacked position across MLB which is one reason why Chapman's market was soft.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/1/2024: Giants 11 Rangers 5

 The Giants got encouraging performances from several players in their first spring win.  Key Lines:

Michael Conforto LF- 2 for 3.  BA= .222.  Conforto did not figure into the scoring but whether he is the starting LF or trade bait, multi-hit games help.

Ismael Munguia PR/LF- 2 for 2.  3 SB(3).  BA= .714.  Munguia is having a sensational spring so far.  Is he a sleeper in the system?  

Jorge Soler DH- 2 for 3.  BA= .500.  Soler's bat anchoring the middle of the order almost every game should lead to more run scoring.

J. D. Davis 3B- 2 for 2, HR(2), BB.  BA= .444.  Hopefully Davis' hot start allows FZ to shift his focus exclusively to bolstering the rotation.

Nick Ahmed SS- 1 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .333.  Ahmed already obviously had the inside track for a reserve MI roster spot.  The HR today may have guaranteed it.

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 3, 2 HR(3).  BA= .455.  What a monster start to the spring for Matos!  His secondary numbers were good last year and it appears the added bulk paid off in more HR power.  Still a long way to go before the season starts but if he keeps this up he may force his way into a starting OF role.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.98.  Webb and Harrison are on track to be 1, 2 in the rotation.  Hicks is probably #3.  After that it's Winn if he can stay healthy and then open mic night.  Giants could really use another reliable SP if they are serious about competing for the postseason.  I'd be OK with Lorenzen or Clevinger if FZ doesn't want to go long with Blake Snell.

Mason Black RHP gets another start tomorrow in Scottsdale facing Michael King RHP and the Padres.