Cameron Maybin, OF. DOB: 4/4/1987. B-R, T-R. 6'3", 215 lbs. Drafted 2005, Round 1, Pick 10(Tigers).
2018(2 Teams): .249/.326/.335, 14 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 10 SB, 9.9 BB%, 19.5 K%, 1.76 GB/FB, 0.5 fWAR, 384 PA.
Cameron Maybin was once one of the very top prospects in baseball. He lost traction on his career a long time ago due to multiple ill-timed injuries and a pernicious groundball tendency which robbed him of power opportunities. He has become a decent utility guy and played all 3 OF positions for 2 teams last year. He says he's been working with a hitting instructor this winter and hopes that will lead to one last chance for a breakout season.
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Meanwhile, no word from Bryce Harper about where he is going to sign. From the rumors, it sounds like Scott Boras is up to his old tricks and now has at least 3 teams bidding up the price. Remember that random Twitter user who spotted Larry Baer in the Bellagio in Vegas? You gotta wonder if he works for Scott Boras.
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Here is a list of outfielders currently in camp in one capacity or another. I've tried to break it down into categories:
40 Man Roster: Steven Duggar, Drew Ferguson(Rule 5), Chris Shaw, Austin Slater, Mac Williamson(out of options).
Non-Roster Invitee(MLB Experience): Cameron Maybin, Gerardo Parra, Craig Gentry, Mike Gerber
Non-Roster Invitee(No MLB Experience): John Andreoli, Anthony Garcia, Henry Ramos.
As it stands now, barring trades or additional FA signings, Duggar seems like a lock to be at least the strong side of a CF platoon. Slater and Shaw have options. Duggar, Ferguson and Mac seem likely to make the Opening Day 25-man Opening Day Roster Gotta think at least 1 or 2 out of Maybin, Parra and Gentry make the team for "veteran presence" if nothing else. The Giants seem more likely to carry 4 OF's than 5, so that may be the roster right there with everybody else being cut loose or going to the minors. Farhan Zaidi seems to be obsessed with preserving depth, so having an option or a minor league contract without an opt-out is a big handicap toward making the 25-man roster.
Q: Would a starting OF of Maybin, Parra and Gentry be an upgrade on the 2018 OF?
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Not in my opinion. Very little "pop" in any of their bats.I think Mac Williamson needs to e given every opportunity to succeed in left field.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the three in your question, I would prefer Mac, Duggar, Slater as the starting OF.............unless we sign Harp!
ReplyDeleteThe reason I asked the question that way is because we all know of Bochy's penchant for keeping veteran mediocrity over young potential. I think I should have asked a second question: Assuming the Giants carry 5 OF's on the 25 man roster and Mac, Duggar and Ferguson are close to locks, which other 2 players would you like to see make the squad?
ReplyDelete....and would that be an upgrade on what they had in the OF last year?
DeleteThe other teo will be Maybin and Parra. Slight improvement, but not much.
DeleteBaggarly wrote on Friday that Parra and Solarte have Zaidi’s word that they will make the Opening Day’s roster—both those guys apparently were recruited by Sandoval, with whom they have Venezuelan histories going back to boyhood. My guess is that Parra and Maybin, Duggar and Mac make the roster, plus the obligatory Ferguson (Rule 5). Mac is optionless, potentially valuable, and probably untradable. Duggar is supposed to start as the CF. And would Maybin have signed with no private assurances? All this assumes that Harper will be a Phillie in 2019.
ReplyDeleteWell if Zaidi promised Parra and Maybin 25-man spots and Mac, Duggar and Ferguson are locks, then that's it. Unless one of those five totally faceplants in March OR one of Shaw, Slater, Gerber, Garcia, etc rip the cover off the ball every day, OR Harper signs. Mac had better bring the hot bat...and I hope he does! Let's just see who's red hot and who's not.
DeleteLOL, a 2018 OF with 140 games each from Mac, Duggar, and Cutch might have been on a .500+ team -- maybe not with 91 wins that got the Rockies into the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteOTOH, improving the 7-12 record with COL to 10-9 and the 2-5 record with StL to 3-4 could have had the Giants at 88 wins and sole possession of the 2nd WC.
That's really not too far fetched, they were 68-68 on September 1 before collapsing with an OF of Shaw, Hernandez, and Slater with Blanco the first in and Posey out for the season and Belt might as well have been.
Is what-might-have-been just sour grapes?
Bochy seems committed to Duggar and Mac is almost a sure thing, so whatever BB does with the 3rd OFer "vet" it still depends on the other 5 veterans who all but Crawford had down 2018s.
And maybe not losing the top 3 SPs for all/most/a lot of the season.
After being mismanaged 2015-18 I'm not expecting anything special from Last Years Team even if we add a few castaways from other Teams. Without a Harper we have to find the new Bums, Crawfords, Belts...........with Harp and Posey we might be able to squeeze another run out of them.
DeleteI don't agree they were "mismanaged" from 2015-2018.
DeleteWith Harper a Phillie and the Giants out of it in July, adding Bum and Smith for a couple of their hot prospects (they have 2 in the MLB Top 100 Prospect), that might give PP the edge they need to get past the Dodgers so we, at least, don't have to sweat an LA World Series, although it is fun to watch them lose.
ReplyDeleteI would even cheer for the Yankees whom I have hated since 1951 over LA!
Without a Harp we might as well see what we have in the youngsters, Maybin and Parra just steal AB's for marginal payback.
ReplyDeleteWithout Harp I seriously consider trading Bum, Smith and Watson ............with Harp it's a new Ballgame.
If the Giants started Belt in LF alongside Maybin and Parra, Panda at 1st, Solarte at 2nd, and Holland or Samardzija or Pomeranz on the mound, Bochy would have his ideal veteran team -- all 30 or above!
ReplyDeleteStephen Vogt could be the DH (or C with Posey the DH) in an AL park or first guy off the bench with major league time at 1B and the OF.
For relief, there's Dyson, Watson, Venditte, and Melancon to close for a blown save.
If this isn't a team made in heaven, it's a team closer to heaven than any other!
Go Giants -- never give up!
This is Team in need of a Rebuild not a Face Lift, after 4 years the Core has proven they are no longer up to the Task of competing.
Deletei can see belt getting more reps in left with the giants wanting preserve posey's health this season.
DeleteWhy do people continue to try to make Brandon Belt out to be a left fielder? He's played a few innings of LF here and there, but he is not a left fielder, never was, never will be.
DeleteI don't agree that the "core" has proven they are no longer up to the task of competing. If they all stay healthy and turn in an average season, they will be just fine, provided the Giants also put a competitive OF on the field.
Deletei think maybin will be the bridge in left field with slater starting the year in sacramento
ReplyDeleteLongtime admirer Doc.
ReplyDeleteI personally think it's time for a change. Time to throw money at big time FA bats instead of arms.
I am tired of the arms wearing out after 2-4 years and eating up all the salary.
If the Giants do sign Harper I will be very happy. Draft another college bat and the Giants could have a monster team in two to three years.
Bochy retiring after 2019 just announced..stay tuned...
ReplyDeleteBochy announced his retirement after this season. Hope Wotus will be hired as his replacement. Thanks Boch. Let's win you number 4 to send you off. :)
ReplyDeleteIf Wotus wants to be the next Manager, he better start proving to Farhan that he is willing and able to use data to inform his decisions. I will say this, Wotus was one of the pioneers in defensive positioning and I doubt that he did it in a data vacuum.
DeleteI believe Z will go with his own Manager, someone NOT tied into the 2015-2019 Team. A fresh start with someone more inline with his management style. Which is why Boch is retiring, he recognizes that He and Z are nowhere close on how to go forward.
DeleteI don't understand the gloom!
ReplyDeleteThe Giants were 68-68 last year after August 31st games.
Who have the Giants lost from that team? McCutchen, Hernandez, Blanco, Pence, and Jackson with a combined WAR of 0.
They don't have Cueto, but his WAR is offset by Strickland, Osich and Law.
Why is the 2019 team worse than the 2018 team through August 31?
Because the core 5 are worse? Maybe, but not yet, and they could be better. See Dr B's State of the Giants: 2019 Best Case Scenario, AKA California Dreaming February 2.
Because their starters are worse? Bumgarner's nor injured yet, Samardzija thinks he's ready to go, Holland, Rodriguez, and Suarez are "found" which they weren't to begin last year, Melancon is supposed to be better.
Plus they have Williamson, Duggar, and a healthy (maybe) core 5.
Are they worse because they don't have, essentially McCutchen?
But they do have Mac and Duggar and a bunch of guys to try to play the 3rd OF, and hopefully have a combined positive WAR which they didn't have in 2018.
They have a .500 team or better, and if some of the vets actually earn their pay, they'll be even better.
Just because we were expecting more and maybe didn't get it, doesn't mean we have less, plus Bum is back.
Let's Go Giants!
2 keys to the season: 1. "Core" stays healthy 2. Farhan and Bochy somehow put together at least a league average OF.
DeleteWhat we don't know (and won't know for a while):
Delete1. Are Mac and Duggar above average?
2. Can any of the other 10 OFers play above average?
3. Will Farhan sign Mr Good-bat?
IMO, the Giants are better off without additional long term contracts which would adversely affect the long run and be problematic in the short run.
OTOH they would be instantly better with Harper and almost guaranteed to have a better than average OF.
"Real success" in the short term still depends on the Core-5.
As you said.
Doom & Gloom is falling behind SD for a few years, I would prefer to avoid this
DeleteThe Core fell asleep after 2014 became complacent, they just didn't seem to care. They had money and 3 WS Rings, they didn't look Hungry. Same with Mgmt. they appeared to be riding 3 WS Rings for as long as possible as long as the Seats were filled.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what "as long as the Seats were filled" means?
Delete2014 3,368,697
2015 3,375,882
2016 3,365,256
2017 3,303,652
2018 3,156,185
And when was Mgmt "riding 3 WS Rings for as long as possible"?
The Brice Harper saga has lasted so long, I'd be happy if he signs with any team soon. If he signs with the Giants great! If not that's fine too, I just hope that the Giants don't wait too long for Harper to decide, Zaidi won't be able to go to his plan b options to upgrade the frontline roster. I'm sure other teams might be hesitant to make trades as we get closer to opening day.
ReplyDeleteWithout Harper I'm not sure Z's Plan B is to upgrade the Roster, he might go into Full Rebuild.
ReplyDeleteHarper signing is the key.