The A's completed a sweep of the Giants in the Bay Bridge Series in a rain-shortened game in Oracle Park. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .333. Duggar was one of the true bright spots in a mostly dismal spring for the Giants. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that his spring success carries over in to the regular season.
Gerardo Parra RF- 2 for 5. BA= .341. Another spring bright spot. He made a couple of nice catches in RF. If he's able to cover Oracle Park's unique RF and gives career average offense, he should contribute at least 2 fWAR. Not necessarily ideal but way more than they have gotten out of RF since Hunter Pence was last good.
Mac Williamson LF- 0 for 0, HBP. BA= .237. Mac entered the game late and was HBP on the R hand. From the way he was holding it, I though for sure it was broken, but X-rays reportedly were negative for fracture. This could open the way for him to start the season on the DL which is one way of solving a roster problem(more on that later).
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.97. Not an ideal tune-up start, but it was a tune up start, the weather was bad and the first concern was to avoid injury and it was the Bay Bridge series against the A's. Overall, Shark had a strong spring. Also, Yangervis Solarte started in LF. I think Mac possibly could have caught Canha's double in the 2'nd inning.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 2.81. Pomeranz capped a strong spring with a dominant 2 innings and looks poised to to have a big bounceback season.
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That closes out spring training 2019 for the Giants. They start the season on Thursday 3/28 in San Diego with Madison Bumgarner facing fellow left Eric Lauer in an afternoon game.
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As the Roster Churns: Future Hall of Fame Manager Bruce Bochy tentatively set the 25 man roster with some very tough decisions. Many analysts are counseling to not write this roster into stone just yet as there may be more trades and acquisitions before Opening Day. The Giants will keep a starting 7 of C Buster Posey, 1B Brandon Belt, 2B Joe Panik, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Brandon Crawford, CF Steven Duggar and RF Gerardo Parra.
Mac Williamson did not make the cut and will either be traded, released, DFA and pass through waivers. Most likely he will start the season on the DL after the hand injury in the game. Michael Reed, Conner Joe and even Yangervis Solarte will vie for playing time in LF, unless the Giants acquire a starting LF before Opening Day. Interestingly, for a team starved for HR power, Farhan Zaidi opts for positional flexibility over power potential in his final roster selections.
Pablo Sandoval makes the team, but Alen Hanson does not, and a big Thank You, Next! to C Tom Murphy who the Giants will apparently either try to sneak through waivers or use as trade bait.
The Giants will carry 13 pitchers including 5 SP's: Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland, Drew Pomeranz and Dereck Rodriguez(apparently DRod is not getting sent down to Sacramento for the first few days of the season as rumored). The 8 RP's will be lefties Travis Bergen, Tony Watson and Will Smith. Reyes Moronta, Mark Melancon, Sam Dyson, Nick Vincent and Trevor Gott will hold down the right side. Ty Blach apparently has an option and will start the season in Sacramento.
This is a roster that has a chance to contend, but realistically needs at least 20 dingers out of LF, which they are not going to get from the current group. Hopefully Farhan acquires an upgrade for LF by Opening Day or soon thereafter.
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The Giants feels beige. They feel like they work at the DMV. Blandly competent and merely capable of inoffensively (pun intended) trudging through 500 hours of baseball.
ReplyDeleteCorrect.
DeleteI really like what Farhan has done with pitchng staff (Melancon is just an albatroos not of his doing) and there is more MLB ready depth in the minors (Black, Suarez, Anderson soon and others).... OTOH, I think it is a travesty what he has done with the OF so FAR..Connor Joe and Reed are just flotsam annd jetsum AAAA players (and even Solarte is not an OF!! ) and if they are part of your four OFs (along with Parra as a starter instead of a 4th OF) you really aren't giving this team a chance to really compete this year...But maybe that's the plan?.And not having a reliable backup at SS ensures a long and draining season on Crawford, not very smart there either.....This can all change in the upcoming days..and needs to!!! As it stands, the only "kid" to really watch for development now is Steve Duggar and the "excitement" will likely have to be had from hoping for big time years by the Vet IF in Bochhy's last year...
ReplyDeleteKinda disappointer with how the Mac Williamson thing has playerd..Personally, I think Farhan is or will be making a mistake in not giving him a chance to get his power untracked early in the season but, OTOH, Mac did nothing to earn a job in spring treaining and he is not a Farhan player...But,, to lose him (now or after conveniet DL stubt) for Connor Joe and Michael Reed???
Get an OF of substance Farhan!
SteveVA
I'm not sure how much credit I give Farhan for the pitching. I really like Travis Bergen as a Rule 5 Draft pick, but beyond that, his additions are Pomeranz, Vincent and Gott. Giants have been bringing in those types and finding success, like, forever.
DeleteThe Williamson thing is bizarre. Maybe it's a moot issue now with the hand injury last night, but essentially replacing Mac and Hanson with Conner Joe and Michael Reed looks like two downgrades from here. Hope I am wrong.
Agree that Farhan better have some more moves up his sleeve.
Yes.. the moves on Vincent, Gott,Pomerntz and even re-signing HOLLAND do harken back to the old regime, and maybe that's why I like it..:)...The one move that irks me a little, but I do understand becasue of the no optiions, is trading STratton..I might have kept him around a little longer as a long reliever until SHARK shows that he's healthy (and that can stand for Pomerantz too)..but perhaps they feel that ANderson is just about ready..and then there is Suarez too (but that would make 4 lefties if he rplaced SHrk)..Oh well...just need five-six innings from these guys beause the bullpen does look really strong...FOR NOW (becasue any trade for an OF would have to come from Smith, Watson,Dyson and more)
DeleteSteveVA
Not thrilled about losing Stratton either, but at least they got a serious arm in return.
DeleteAt "What Cost" does Z get an OF?
DeleteDo you over pay because the Team is desperate?
The Giants can afford to overpay.
DeleteTop Prospects for mediocre OF? All of MLB knows SF is desperate for an OF.
DeleteBut in trade you have to overpay with MiL talent, so NO they cannot overpay - both because they can't afford to, and also because the last regime left the farm system BARREN.
DeleteThere are OF out there who could help who would not require top prospects. For one thing, the Giants have a small but significant surplus of pitching at the MLB level. .Secondly, Seattle gave up practically nothing for Domingo Santana!
DeleteSee comments re. Jose Bautista and Evan Gattis below.
DeleteFarhan could have gotten, and maybe still can get, a good OF bat for no assets and just a FA contract or a smart trade instead of the marginal talent he picked up from the trash heap dating back to Drew Fergurson…....And nobody is suggesting to package good prospects for a OF bat..Where the Giants have surplus to deal is in good relievers that right now are totally healthy...That might not be true come the deadline if Smith and/or Watson or others break down..OTOH, maybe teams are unwilling to make a deal for a strong nullpen arm right now and are waiting to see where they stand this summer..In that case, there may not be any deal to be had...But, Still...Connor Joe, Miachael Reed and corner IF Salrte as your 3rd/4th OF and backup SS leaves a lot to be desired
DeleteSteveVA
Teams are built with Pitching and Defense, this Team is deeper with Pitching and defense than Hitting. If this Team is going to be competitive it will be with Pitching and D.
ReplyDeleteHave you followed the Bay Bridge Series? This team is not competitive right now. The pitching and defense are actually not that great and there is no offense. Zero! Nada!
DeleteLiterally no xbh ability on this team. Its incredible, but it's the core that's the problem, NOT Farhan's issues with pickups!!!
DeleteThe Core is adequate if you put a thumper in LF and truth be told, they need more offense than they'll get from Parra in RF too. So yeah, it is Farhan's issues with pickups.
DeleteI mean Jose Bautista is still out there as is Evan Gattis. Either of them would be an upgrade for LF even with their bad to terrible D.
DeleteWith all due respect, IMO Jose Bautista and Evan Gattis are not enough of an upgrade over keeping a guy (2) around that might be good some day.
DeleteA WAR of 1 in LF isn't going to help the Giants get out of last place.
Rolling the dice on Mac is better than that pair put together, but I'll take Joe and Reed and keep an open mind..
Does anybody else see Mac becoming the next Adam Duvall, after he leaves? It looks as if Jarrett parker is also on that same path, with the angels, this season. I might be sick if all three blossom after they leave SF. Ditto Stratton, whom K and K said, last night, is slated to be in the Angels rotation. Such is life, I guess.
ReplyDeleteNot that Duvall is all that, but yes, I do think Mac will hit 30 dingers for some team someday.
DeleteAt what point do you "Cut Bait", Mac has been given ample chances to prove he is a Starting OF ..........like Sandoval I believe most see this as an emotional decision.
DeleteI'm fine with cutting bait on Mac, just not for Michael Reed and Conner Joe who are still a whole lot less likely to bust out with 30 dingers.
DeleteI did not know Parker signed with the Angels. I googled JP and found this article that he is "locked in" this Spring, was 6 - 11 with two HR's. https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-jarrett-parker-continues-impressive-start/
DeleteI want to vomit.
Parker / Stratton / perhaps MAC
I hope Jarret Parker kills it in Anaheim - and I hope Giant fans get to see some home grown talent develop properly and stay with the team.
Duvall was a bandbox wonder, Parker had a slightly better Spring than Mac but he's not on the Angels' 40-man roster (as of 8:30 PM EDT) and is going to the minors, and why would anyone pick up the waivers on Williamson?
DeleteI love Mac but he's at his peak year and has not delivered despite every chance a club can give. Victim of bad luck, well, his new swing didn't help! If he clears, he can try again in Sacramento.
Parker's 2019 ST line:
DeletePA 36 AB 29 H 7 HR 2 W 7 K 9 .241/.389/.517, not aad power in SSS but @ 30 yo, he's on the wrong side of the age curve.
If he had done that for the Giants AND batted RH, he might have had a job.
Latest (B-Ref): Parker is tending to an oblique injury, and it is unknown if it will keep him idle for the season opener.
He also needs a spot on the 40-man roster.
We keep placing the blame for the weak hitting OF on Z but isn't this really a product of the previous Regime? Isn't Z really trying to fix Sabean's Team?
ReplyDeleteZaidi has had all offseason with plenty of options to address the OF. The “Core” belongs to Sabes/Evans. Zaidi owns the OF.
DeleteZaidi is going with Joe and Reed over Mac since he's looking for the next Max Muncy and Chris Taylor. Whether it's a good thing is debatable. It means it's ok with him to have a fluid roster if it doesn't work out. Not sure if Zaidi had all offseason, since he was hired late in November from the outside and was hiring staff in December. I do wonder why it was reported that several high profile GMs were not interested in the job before they hired Zaidi though
DeleteWhat are your thoughts on Aaron Altherr? Stick him in LF.
ReplyDeleteI like Altherr, but he's a lot like Mac. Seems like a decent bet to break out IF he stays healthy for a full season.
DeleteIf the 'CORE' is supposedly going to hit, when are they going to start doing that? Do they need a 20 HR left fielder to tell them that they can start raking the ball? How can Duggar-Panik-Posey-Belt-Longoria-Crawford be talked about as not the problem - THEY DON'T SCORE RUNS - have you not been watching? They are boring - Z is right to go find OBP players even if they aren't big contract players. Maybe they'll start a rally sometime that doesn't end in Ks with 3LOB.
ReplyDeleteThe California Dreaming scenario has the "Core" approximating their career average if they stay healthy. If that happens AND you add in a 20 HR LF plus an optimistic projection for Duggar and average projection for Parra, THEN you have a serious contender.
Deletewilliamson likely goes on the injured list then reports to extended spring training
ReplyDeleteif connor joe struggles, it could be back to slater in left at some point.
ReplyDelete