Spring Training Game Wrap 2/28/2020: Giants 9 Rockies 6

Giants win the nightcap of the split squad doubleheader in a high scoring game featuring a successful spring debut for Johnny Cueto and a HR bomb from Heliot Ramos.  Key Lines:

Joey Bart C- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .625.  I would imagine Johnny Cueto is not the easiest guy to catch and can probably demand the catcher he prefers to work with, so it seems significant that Bart got the starting assignment in a home game with Cueto on the mound.  Not that it means Bart is going to be on the Opening Day roster, but gotta think it's a sign of respect from the organization and from Cueto.  Oh, and he had another pretty good day at the plate too!

Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 2, 2B, HR(1), BB.  BA= .250.  Belt gets his first hits of the spring, both for XB's.  Comments from the beat writers that Belt has slimmed down and looks more mobile this spring.

Billy Hamilton CF- 2 for 3, 2B, 3B.  BA- .222.  Lots of first spring hits today and Billy Hamilton got his too.

Sean Roby 3B- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .714.  I probably should have included Roby in my Giants Top 50 Prospects.  He hit .338 for Salem-Keizer last summer but then face planted after an August promotion to Augusta.  He's come out smoking in spring training, SSS.

Heliot Ramos RF- 2 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .400.  Heliot hit an impressive HR to left-CF and a groundball single up the middle.  The future is getting brighter!

Johnny Cueto RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 5/0.  ERA= 0.00.  Cueto reportedly hit 93 MPH on the radar gun and gushed about how great his arm feels after his first spring start.

Tyler Rogers(R), Jarlin Garcia(L), Nick Vincent(R), Matt Carasiti(R)- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  The Giants will undoubtedly go with an 8-man bullpen, but there seem to be at least that many deserving candidates.  Rogers and Garcia would seem to be locks.  Nick Vincent is a veteran and will get extra consideration.  Carasiti gets the Save here and has been impressive in early spring appearances.  It's hard to see how there's room for him though.

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Drew Smyly makes his second spring start today facing the Angels in Scottsdale.

Spring Training Game Wrap 2/28/2020: Giants 3 Royals 1

The Giants split the squad to play 2 games and won both.  This one featured a big offensive game from Darren Ruf and more tremendous pitching.  Key Lines:

Buster Posey DH- 2 for 3.  BA= .222.  Buster gets his first two hits of the spring, both singles.

Darren Ruf 1B- 2 for 2, HR(1), BB. BA= .286.  Ruf gets his first hits of the spring and shows his power.  He could be a potent RH bat off the bench or a RH platoon bat.  With Pablo Sandoval likely to start the season on the DL, Ruf has a chance to make the Opening Day roster. Positional limitations are in issue though.

Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  DRod was impressive in his first start but gave up 2 unearned runs due to 3 errors behind him.   He throws 2 shutout innings here.

Andrew Suarez LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Another impressive appearance for Suarez!  After his ERA hit 10.66 on 8/1/2019 last season, Suarez went 2.57 in 21 IP through the end of the season pitching out of the bullpen.  He's picked up this spring where he left off.  He is stating a strong case for a long relief/swingman role out of the gate.

Carlos Navas(R), Trevor Oaks(R), Sean Hjelle(R), Jake Jewell(R), Trey McNutt(R)- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  Another shutout inning from Sean Hjelle.  McNutt gets the Save, but gives up the lone run of the game for Giants pitching with his ERA sitting at 11.57 in 3 appearances, 2.1 IP.

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It's still early but.....it's starting to look like the Giants have unexpected quality and depth on the pitching staff.  I am sure FZ will use options to maximize his depth, but it also opens up the possibility of trades to fill other gaps, acquire younger, higher ceiling prospects or packages to unload contracts.

Spring Training Game Wrap 2/27/2020: Giants 5 Mariners 4

Tyler Beede pitched a very impressive 2 innings and the Giants won a see-saw battle in Peoria.  Key Lines:

Cristhian Adames 2B- 2 for 2, 2B.  BA= .500.  Adames is buried in the depth chart and will likely start the season in Sacramento.  He subbed in for Wilmer Flores who started the game at 2B.

Hunter Bishop CF- 1 for 2, SB(1).  BA= .250.  When Bishop subbed in for YtY, he and his brother, Braden, were both in the game at the same time for opposing teams.  Hunter hit a slicing liner to LF for a single, stole 2B and took third without a throw from his brother when the ball went into CF. He then came home on Adames' double.

Joe McCarthy RF- 1 for 2, BB, SB(1), Assist.  BA= .333.  Nice line for a guy who is buried in the depth chart but who the Giants seem to see something in and will get a chance to develop it in Sacramento to start the season.

Rob Brantly C- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .333.  BA= .286.  Tyler Heineman started the game and went 1 for 2 to get his BA to .200.  Brantly then came in and doubled.  On paper, Brantly looks like the leader to win the backup C spot on the team and his early spring performance backs that up. Gotta say, if you look at the video of Braden Bishop stealing 2B, the throw from Brantly seemed mighty weak.  Heineman also gave up a SB.

Donovan Solano SS- 2 for 2.  BA= .500.  The acquistions of Wilmer Flores and Yolmer Sanchez appeared to doom Solano's chances of making the team, but he just keeps going.  Meanwhile, Yolmer Sanchez maintained a .000 BA with an 0 for 3 day while playing 3B.

Tyler Beede RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  In Tyler Beede's final start of 2019, he struck out 7 batters in 3.1 perfect innings before leaving the game with an oblique strain.  He picked right up where he left off in his first spring start with a FB that ran 96-98 MPH.  He got his first K on a curveball and his second on a changeup.

Logan Webb RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.50.  Webb gave up the first earned run of the spring for Giants SP candidates whose combined pitching line is now 0-0, 0.73, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 12 K.  Webb is working on adding a cutter and more sweep to his breaking ball.  It appears he will likely start the season in Sacramento, partly to control his innings and to polish up his pitches.

Sam Coonrod(R), Jerry Blevins(L), Dany Jimenez(R), Rodolfo Martinez(R)- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.   Rule 5 draft pick, Jimenez, pitched his second scoreless inning.  Rodolfo Martinez hit 100 MPH on a pitch.

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The Giants play split squad games tomorrow with Dereck Rodriguez getting his second spring start against the Royals in Surprise and Johnny Cueto getting his first against the Rockies in Scottsdale in the evening.  Pablo Sandoval is expected to DH in the evening game.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Kyle Nicolas

Kyle Nicolas RHP, College(Ball St).  6'4", 225 lbs.

2019:  2-2, 5.40, 51.2 IP, 47 BB, 78 K, 6 Saves.
2019 CCL:  1-2, 6.28, 24.1 IP, 21 BB, 31 K.
2020:  1-1, 2.45, 11 IP, 3 BB, 15 K's.

Early college season helium.  Fangraphs has a blue up arrow next to his name moving him up to #39 on their list.  Ideal size for a pitcher.  Tall, big boned and strong.  Long arms and legs.  Tremendous strength in his upper legs and loose, whippy arm action. Ball explodes out of his hand.  Despite an inflated ERA on the Cape, he broke out there with mid-90's velocity and hitting 99 backed by an above average slider and curveball(per Fangraphs).  Control seems to have taken a step forward in his first two starts of 2020.  If that continues he could vault into the top 15-20 to a team that.....believes in its development staff.  If not, he may profile as more of a reliever but the physicality is something to dream on. I highly recommend looking up his videos.  Hey!  Do you remember a QB for Penn State named Todd Blackledge?  He's Kyle's uncle.

Spring Training Game Wrap 2/26/2020: Giants 3 Brewers 3

The Giants built a 3-0 lead over 7 innings only to give it up in the top of the 9'th in a game that ended in a tie, since they can do that in spring training.  Key Lines:

Brandon Crawford SS- 2 for 2, HR(1).  BA= .500.  Crawford hit leadoff and roasted a solo HR to RF in his second AB.  Crawford has been the focus of fan frustration over lack of production from The Core.  Maybe this performance will take the heat off, at least for a few games.

Evan Longoria 3B- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .286.  Another member of The Core, Longoria, is 2 for 7 with 2 doubles in 3 games played.

Joey Bart C- 1 for 2, 2B.  BA= .667.  Bart really couldn't be more impressive than he has been in 3 games played so far:  4 for 4, 2B, HR, BB.  Gotta be excited about what the future holds for this young man.

The Core:  3 for 9, 2B, HR, BB.  Better today although Belt and Posey are still batting .000 on the spring.  Overall, 4 for 23, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB.

Jeff Samardzia RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Solid first spring start for Shark as it has been for all of the Giants starters so far, DRod, Suarez, Gausman, Smyly and Shark:  8.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 8 K's.  OK, the walk rate is not great, but it's still early.

Trevor Gott(R), Enderson Franco(R), Trevor Cahill(R), Wandy Peralta(L), Sam Wolff(R), Luis Madero(R)- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 IP.  One scoreless inning each.

Tyler Cyr RHP- 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 10.80.  Cyr got roughed up in his first spring appearance.  He came into this one with 1 out and 2 runners on base in the 9'th after the Brewers had tied it, and slammed the door with 2 K's.

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Tyler Beede makes his spring debut tomorrow against the Mariners in Peoria.  Logan Webb is also scheduled to make his spring debut coming into the game after Beede.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Burl Carraway

Burl Carraway LHP, College(Houston Baptist).  6'0", 173 lbs.

College lefty reliever with a big fastball,  94-96, touches 98.  Second pitch is a downward breaking curveball.  High 3/4/delivery allows CB to complement the FB well.  High effort delivery.  Scouts see him as strictly a reliever in the pros but likely to be a fast mover.  Some scouts think he will be the first member of the 2020 draft class to reach the majors.  Very athletic.  2-way CF/LHP in HS and even played football despite his relatively small size.  Obvious comp is Billy Wagner.

Spring Training Game Wrap 2/25/2020: White Sox 4 Giants 3

Kevin Gausman pitched 2 strong innings and the Giants offense mounted a 3-run rally in the 3'rd inning, but the White Sox scored 2 on the 9'th for the win.  Key Lines:

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 2 for 2, SB(1).  BA= .667.  YtY started in RF and led off.  2 hits and a SB?  That's what a leadoff hitter's supposed to do.

Wilmer Flores 1B- 1 for 2.  BA= .250.  Flores started at 1B.  His single in the 3'rd inning drove in a run and he later scored in the inning. Curiously, both of Flores' starts this spring have been at 1B.   Did the Giants give him a 2 year contract to be the short end of a 1B platoon?

Alex Dickerson LF- 1 for 2, 2B.  BA= .250.  The double was a classic Dickerson stroke sending the ball up the R-CF alley and driving in 2 runs.  The man can hit!

Kevin Gausman RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Gausman was facing the White Sox probably Opening Day lineup.  I'm quite bullish on Gausman and Drew Smyly.  Now all we need is for Shark to hold steady, a comeback by Johnny Cueto and a breakout by Tyler Beede, and the Giants have a very nice rotation.

Tyler Rogers, Carlos Navas, Andrew Triggs and Melvin Adon- 1 scoreless inning each.  Matt Carasiti allow an unearned run in 1 inning pitched.

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Giants spring record evened at 2-2.  Jeff Samardzija starts tomorrow in Scottsdale against the Brewers.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Nick Griffin

Nick Griffin LHP, HS.  6'4", 175 lbs.

Tall, lean lefty with long arms and legs.  Could have an additional inch or two of height in there.  Lots of room for physical projection.  FB has already hit 93 with a lot more gas in the tank.  Delivery is drop and drive and high 3/4.  Uses weight shift effectively to add velocity without extra effort.  Very high ceiling.  Committed to Arkansas in his home state.  If he's signable, and still on the board, would make a terrific second round pick for the Giants.

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Time to update DrB's 2020 Draft Board.  We've had a couple of early pitching casualties as LHP Garrett Crochet of Tennessee is out indefinitely with some sort of arm issue while JT Ginn is battling a sore arm that carried over from last season.  Both players could come back later in the season and regain draft status but right now, I would leave them off my board entirely.

1.  Austin Martin SS, College(Vanderbilt).
2.  Spencer Torkelson 1B, College(Arizona St).
3.  Cole Wilcox RHP, College(Georgia).
4.  Emerson Hancock RHP, College(Georgia).
5.  Asa Lacy LHP, College(Texas A&M).
6.  Reid Detmers LHP, College(Louisville).
7.  Jordan Walker 3B, HS.
8.  Zac Veen OF, HS.
9.  Austin Wells C, College(Arizona).
10.  Patrick Bailey C, College(North Carolina St).
11.  Nick Gonzalez 2B, College(New Mexico St).
12.  Robert Hassell OF, HS.
13.  Pete Crow-Armstrong OF, HS.
14.  Jared Kelley RHP, HS.
15.  Mick Abel RHP, HS.
16.  Austin Hendrick OF, HS.
17.  Cade Cavalli RHP, College(Oklahoma).
18.  Ed Howard SS, HS.
19.  Dylan Crews OF, HS.
20.  Robby Ashford OF, HS(2-sport star, depends on signabilty).

Spring Training Game Wrap: Giants 11 D'Backs 9

Giants outscored the D'Backs led by a big game for Jaylin Davis.  Key Lines:

Ryan Howard SS- 2 for 2, 2B, BB. BA= .600.  Ryan Howard is out of the gate like he means to turn over a new leaf this season and regain serious prospect status.  Judging by groundball rates, it appears he may have been learning a new swing path last year.   Maybe having an offseason to let it sink it, he's ready to put it to better use this year?

Joey Bart C- 2 for 3.  BA= .750.  Bart shows he can deliver basehits as well as HR's.

Jaylin Davis CF- 2 for 2, 2B, 3B.  BA= .400.  Now THAT is what we are looking for from Jaylin Davis!  Hopefully this is a breakthrough game for him and he off toward winning a starting job and a breakout season.

Drew Robinson 2B- 2 for 2.  BA= .750.  I would call Robinson a major sleeper, but he's buried so far down on the depth chart, I just don't see a path for him to make the team, at least not by Opening Day.

Steven Duggar RF= 0 for 0, 2 BB, SB(1).  BA= .000.  Hey! Drawing 2 walks and stealing a base is a nice day's work for any hitter.

The Core- 1 for 8, 2B.   OK, this is probably not fair, and the kids often jump ahead of the vets in early spring games, but The Core, which I define as Crawford, Longoria, Belt and Posey are a combined 1 for 14, 2B over the course of the first 3 spring games.  Hoped to see a little more urgency from them this spring.

Drew Smyly LHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Smyly looked pretty good in his spring debut and got 2 K's on nasty looking pitches(seen from a very distant camera.  Nice panoramic view of the field, though).  A return to peak performance, or anything close to that, for Smyly, who is now 1 full season removed from TJ recovery, would be a huge game changer for the Giants.

Conner Menez(L), Jarlin Garcia(L), Sam Selman(L), Dany Jimenez(R), Trevor Oaks(R)- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  Each of these pitchers threw a scoreless inning.  Garcia and Jimenez probably have the best chances of making the Opening Day roster.  Garcia for his experience and track record and Jimenez because he has to be offered back to the Blue Jays if he does not make it.

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Giants have a winning record in spring games 2-1.  Giants take a bus trip tomorrow to face the ChiSox with Kevin Gausman starting it off on the mound.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Harold Coll

Harold Coll SS, HS.  B-R, T-R.  5'11", 180 lbs.

Fangraphs Boys say potential 60 for SS D.  Has tools to be complete player with 97 MPH IF velocity and 95 MPH exit velocity.  Fangraphs has him swinging through 40 FB's but PG says power played in games.  Video comp for me is Jalen Miller.  Committed to North Carolina.

Spring Training Game Wrap: Giants 5 A's 3

Not that it means anything, but the Giants won their first spring training game today against their crossbar rivals, the A's.  BTW, the A's generally dominate the Giants in spring training.  Key Lines:

Joey Rickard PH/CF- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .667.  Rickard is competing for a RH platoon role in the OF, which he is actually quite good at and he can do it in CF in necessary.  Seems like Hunter Pence has the inside track for that role now, unless they carry two.

Bryce Johnson LF- 2 for 3.  BA- .667.  Johnson held his own in AA last year, but without any power to speak of.

Jamie Westbrook DH- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.  Intriguing versatile bat but the Giants have at least a dozen of those in camp.

Kean Wong 3B- 2 for 2.  BA= 1.000.  Left-handed IF bat.  Seem buried on depth chart at this point.

Abiatal Avelino SS:  1 for 2, HR(1).  BA= .500.  Avelino is probably the best defensive SS not named  Brandon in camp, and he might even a bit better than that.  Seems like nobody has faith in the bat at MLB level, though.

Andrew Suarez LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  I haven't seen a scouting report for his performance here, but the line looks like midseason form!

Sean Hjelle RHP-  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Beats are giving rave reviews of a mid-90's FB that pounded the zone.  Strong chance we see him pitching in Oracle Park in a regular season game sometime in 2020.

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Giants even their spring record at 1-1.  Drew Smyly gets the start tomorrow in Scottsdale against the D'Backs.

Spring Training Update: ....And Down In the Bullpen...

The Big Four are now ancient history.  Last year's Closer, Will Smith?  He's making big money with the Braves.  Bruce Bochy had a knack for building bullpens, bringing order to chaos, putting arms in situations where they could succeed.  Bullpen use was perceived to be Gabe Kapler's biggest weakness when he managed in Philadelphia.  Spring training 2020 is a casting call which brings in a stampede of arms who all have some promise, but inconsistent track records.  Again, Gabe Kapler's biggest challenge may be to put together a functional bullpen.  He's known to be not a big fan of designated Closers and has already said he may not have one when he opens the season.  Bullpen by committee or matchups seems like a great idea on paper, but where has it ever worked?  Let's break it down(I'm not going to try to list every current bullpen option):

Tony Watson(L):  The grizzled veteran of the bunch, but a wide margin.  Has Closer experience.  He's the obvious choice but after a strong start last year, he blew up to a 5.59 ERA in the second half and it's not clear he has Closer stuff at this point in his career.

Trevor Gott(R):  Solid innings eating reliever last year. Vultured 7 Wins in the process.  Has Closer quality stuff when fully healthy but hit the IL twice with forearm and elbow issues last year.  Had groin surgery in September.  Seems fully healthy from reports and the Giants seem high on him.  Also reportedly working on getting more sweep to his breaking ball.  Not sure how much the Giants want to count on a pitcher with that kind of injury history.

Tyler Rogers(R):  We wrote him up in the Top 50 Prospects list.  Was very effective last year with extremely unorthodox delivery.  Could be high leverage 7'th or 8'th inning guy or multi-inning role.  Could even be the Closer.  Reports of befuddled batters from live BP.

Jarlin Garcia(L):  Late pickup in the Hot Stove season.  Deceptively good stuff.  Potential multi-inning lefty reliever.  Strong bet to be on the Opening Day roster.

Jandel Gustave(R):  Electric stuff.  Inconsistent performances.  Could be Closer.  Could be...Churned.

Reyes Moronta(R):  Breakout season last year.  Reportedly making rapid progress in rehab from horrific shoulder injury and surgery.  Gotta think he starts the season on the IL, though.

Enderson Franco(R):  Didn't find much traction as a SP with Sacramento last year, but FB took a jump when he moved to bullpen.  Now high 90's.  Impressed late last season but in extremely small sample of 5.1 IP.

Dany Jimenez(R):  Rule 5 picks are always going to get long looks but seldom end up sticking.  Jimenez has electric stuff and was lights out in AA last year.  Big time opportunity here in a very unsettled bullpen situation.

Wandy Peralta(L):  Intriguing stuff, but probably more of a LOOGY type.  Has averaged quite a bit less than 1 inning per appearance.  New rules may be added challenge.

Sam Selman(L):  Strong 2019 season in AA/AAA.  Mixed MLB results in SSS.  Marginal stuff.

Nick Vincent(R):  Gets the most out of marginal stuff.  Actually pitched mostly well last year except for a handful of disaster appearances.  Pitched for Gabe Kapler in Philly late last season to a 1.93 ERA.

Jerry Blevins(L):  Veteran lefty.  Seems like more of a LOOGY type.  How does that translate in the 3-batter minimum era?

Trey McNutt(R):  Grade 70 name.  Hard throwing minor league journeyman.  Driveline graduate.  Sleeper.

Sam Moll(L):  Acquired in minor league phase of last year's Rule 5 draft.  Worked on his stuff with pitching coaches and pitched very well in AA/AAA.  Likely starts 2020 in AAA but with strong chance of MLB call up at some point.

Putting It All Together:

Giants, and most teams, will likely carry the maximum 13 pitchers with 8 bullpen jobs.  I've got Tony Watson, Trevor Gott, Jarlin Garcia and Tyler Rogers as the top 4.  1 or 2 of the SP candidates will likely fill long relief/swingman roles with Trevor Cahill being most likely.  That leaves 2-3 openings for everybody else to fight over, although even the top 4 are far from locks.

Spring Training Game Wrap: Dodgers 10 Giants 4

Home runs by Mauricio Dubon and Joey Bart brought some cheer to Giants fans in an otherwise ugly loss to the archrival Dodgers.  Key Lines:

Mauricio Dubon SS:  2 for 2, HR(1).  BA= 1.000.  It sure seems like FZ sees Mauricio Dubon as a big part of the Giants present and future, but it's more than a little unclear just how he is going to get there.  Today, he started at SS and although he committed a first inning error, he also homered in his first AB(first swing) of the spring and follow that up with an RBI single in his second AB.  The HR swing in particular looked almost effortless and although wind-aided, it went a long way.  Dubon is an exciting young player to watch and gives hope for a better future for Giants fans.

Joey Bart C:  1 for 1, HR(1), BB.  BA= 1.000.   Joey Bart replaced starter Buster Posey in the 5'th inning.  He didn't come to the plate until the 7'th inning but when he did, he didn't waste much time driving the ball the opposite way for a HR.  What Bart does in spring training games won't matter and shouldn't in terms of him making the team(he won't and shouldn't) but it's important for the morale of the fanbase to see that he's fully recovered from the hand fractures he suffered last season and to give them a glimpse  of a far better future.

Ryan Howard SS:  1 for 2, HR(1).  BA=- .500.  Ryan Howard had a terrible season last year and really needs to turn it around this year.  He got off to a good start with an opposite-field HR.

Dereck Rodriguez RHP:  0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's.   ERA= 0.00.  DRod had his FB up to 93 MPH which is where he needs to keep it to be successful(he only got that high a few times last season).  3 errors behind him extended the inning and he came out after throwing 28 pitches.

Rico Garcia, Matt Carasiti, Carlos Navas:  3 IP, 0 H, 0 R 0 BB, 8 K's.  Backend bullpen jobs are wide open and these 3 guys made strong impressions with Garcia allowing the only batter to put the ball in play out of a total of 9 batters faced.

Melvin Adon, Tyler Cyr and Raffi Vizcaino got roughed up, but it's still very early.

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Andrew Suarez gets the start tomorrow agains the A's in Hohokam Park.  The Giants starting lineup will be entirely different with no players from today's lineup.

Spring Training Update: Churning the Rotation

For the first time since 2010, the Giants start spring training without a pitcher who played on a Giants championship team on the roster.  Their projected rotation has a chance to be very good or a disaster. No modern MLB team can expect to get through a full season with 5 starting pitchers.  With that in mind, FZ concentrated on extending depth instead of retaining or adding an ace although it seems like he could have done both.  It's probably not a good idea to get too emotionally attached to this year's rotation no matter how good, as any or all could well be traded by the midseason deadline.  Let's break it down:

Jeff Samardzija:  Of the current SP's on the roster, Shark had the best season last year and deserves to be the Opening Day starter.  He's in the final year of a 4 year contract.  He's pitched well in 2 of the 3 years so far with an injury plagued lost year in season 2.  Early spring training reports are encouraging.  If he pitches well and the Giants don't do so well, he is a prime candidate for a midseason trade.

Johnny Cueto:  Johnny Cueto missed most of the last 2 seasons with a torn UCL and Tommy John surgery.  He came back at the end of last season but go pounded pretty bad.  He's documented his offseason fitness program on social media and might actually be in the Best Shape of His Life.  He may be the linchpin of the rotation.  As we all know, at his best, he is an ace, but we'd sure like to see him prove it on the field.

Kevin Gausman:  Kevin Gausman is like an older version of Tyler Beede.  A guy who has had elite tools since high school, but has never completely put it all together.  He was pounded mercilessly as a  SP with the Braves through the first 4 months of last season and was finally put on waivers.  The Reds picked him up and he was much better out of their bullpen.  Overall, his secondary stats were much better than is 5.72 ERA with a 10.03/2.81 K/BB, FIP 3.98, xFIP 4.05.  He's going to try to parlay a 1 year/$9 M contract with the Giants into a free agent payday next Hot Stove season.  The Giants are counting on him to bolster the rotation, although some analysts think he could be a dominating Closer.

Drew Smyly:  Giants fans may remember Drew Smyly from when he pitched out of the Tigers bullpen in the 2012 World Series.  He went on to have a couple of pretty good seasons as a SP for the Rays before missing the 2017 and 2018 seasons with a torn UCL and Tommy John Surgery.  He started 2019 with the Rangers and got pummeled for an ERA of over 8.  He then hooked on with the Phillies who were managed by Gabe Kapler and pitched much better down the stretch including a 10 K's in 6.1 IP performance in his final start.  Like Kevin Gausman, he'll try to parlay a 1 year deal into a FA payday come next Hot Stove season.

Tyler Beede:  After a disastrous 2018, Tyler Beede went back to the basics of 4-seam FB, curveball and changeup with a big jump in FB velocity and improved results.  More encouragingly, he got better as the season went along dropping his first half ERA of 5.64 to 4.73 after the All-Star break.  We'll have to wonder what might have been in his final start when he struck out 7 batters in 3.1 perfect innings before leaving with an oblique strain.  Beede has the tools to be an ace.  Maybe the Giants new development team can apply the finishing touches and get him there?

Logan Webb:  Logan Webb was all poised for a breakout season in 2019 and he had one, it just started 2 months later than expected due to a substance suspension.  Webb has steadfastly maintained he has no knowledge of taking any banned substance so hopefully that's in his rearview mirror now.  He pitched in Rookie, A level, AA, AAA and MLB last season.  Although his overall MLB ERA was 5.22, his secondary stats were better with an xFIP of 3.89 and a dominant GB/FB of 2.11.  Over his last 3 starts he pitched to an ERA of 3.18.  He was limited to 102 IP last season due to the suspension so don't look for him to pitch 200 innings this season.  He's reportedly reworking his breaking ball so we could even see him sent out to work on that in Sacramento to start the season. Otherwise, he's probably first in line for a rotation spot if one of the first 5 falter.

Trevor Cahill:  It sure seems like Trevor Cahill has been around forever.  He was a second round draft pick by the A's in 2006 but will be just 32 yo on March 1.  The Giants signed him late.  He struggled last year in the Angels rotation, but was solid for the A's in 2018.  His best recent season was 2016 when he pitched out of the bullpen to a 2.74 ERA.  I'm thinking he'll compete for a long relief/swingman role and try to move up as the season progresses.

Tyler Anderson:  Tyler Anderson was a solid member of the Rockies rotation until last season when he struggled to an ERA over 11 and missed most of the season with a meniscus tear in his knee.  He was signed to a MLB contract but was expected to start the season on the IL.  He's reportedly ahead of schedule and could pitch in games this spring.  He'll likely try to establish a long relief/swingman role and try to advance it from there.  He has 1 MiLB option and is not FA eligible until 2022.

Shaun Anderson:  Shaun Anderson impressed early last season pitching several Quality Starts in the first half.  He struggled in the rotation in the second half but then had a jump in velocity when moved to the bullpen and even saved a couple of games.  His last appearance was a disaster against the Dodgers giving up 4 runs in 0.1 IP.  So Anderson is at a crossroads in his career.  Is he a starter or reliever?  Even at higher velocities he seemed to lack a strikeout pitch.  Likely starts the season in Sacramento.

Andrew Suarez:  Andrew Suarez was a second round draft pick in 2015.  Worked his way up the minor league ladder.  Made his MLB debut in 2018 and started 29 games(Wow!  I didn't realize it was that many!) with a respectable ERA of 4.49(xFIP 3.77).  Found himself back in Sacramento through most of first half of 2019.  Came up in August and pitched out of the bullpen.  From August 2 through the end of the season, he logged a 2.70 ERA in 20 relief innings.  He's got a starter's repertoire but after his performance in relief the coaches may have him pegged as a lefty reliever who can face 3 or more batters.

Conner Menez:  Another lefty starter in the minors whose future may be in the bullpen.  Conner Menez' first 3 MLB appearances were starts that didn't go so well.  He came back up in September making 5 scoreless relief appearances with 8 K's in 4.1 IP.  He may be a left reliever now too.

Dereck Rodriguez:  DRod struggled in 2019 logging a 5.64 ERA over 99 IP.  Is secondary stats were not much better with a 5.14 xFIP.  Gotta say, his stuff has never been that impressive and it seemed like he was doing it with smoke and mirrors in 2018.  Without a significant jump in velocity or the addition/refinement of some other K pitch, it's really hard to see a role at the MLB level going forward.  Could get lost in The Churn.

Tyson Ross:  Longtime Giants nemesis who is now inside the tent.  Tyson Ross has been plagued by injuries in recent years with just 1 decent season out of the last 4.  He's become something of a 1-pitch(slider) pitcher, but when it's on, the slider is very good.  Longshot to make the active roster as either a starter or reliever.

Luis Maduro:  FZ picked Luis Maduro up in The Churn claiming him off waivers from the Angels then successfully passing him through waivers giving the Giants a year to see if they can turn him into something. Unimpressive stats, but the scouting reports are more promising as he sports mid-90's velocity with a 4 pitch mix to back it up.  The Fangraphs Boys describe his low 3/4 delivery as "aqueous."  Spring training invite, but he'll start season in Sacramento or Richmond.

Sean Hjelle:  Sean Hjelle is in camp for a prospect look-see.  He'll likely start the season in AA Richmond but the Giants seem to be high on him.  If/when he makes his first start in the majors, he'll be the tallest pitcher in history to do so.

Putting It All Together:

If everything goes according to plan, I project the 5 starters to be Shark, Cueto, Gausman, Smyly and Beede.   Logan Webb will be in either extended spring training or Sacramento to work on his breaking ball and limit is innings.  Trevor Cahill will be the long man out of the bullpen and available to start if needed.  Tyler Anderson likely starts the season on the DL but will try to work his way into a MLB swingman role.  Everybody else on this list starts the season in the minors or gets lost in The Churn.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Elijah Nunez

Elijah Nunez OF, HS.  B-L, T-L.  5'9", 165 lbs.

Elijah Nunez is like a small engine wound tight.  Small body, big power.  PG does not have a profile on him, but I found some data on another scouting report:  6.4 60 yd dash, 90 MPH throws, 93 MPH exit velocity.  Fangraphs Boys say "squatty center fielder has plus speed, sneaky strength and feel to hit."  Ceiling may be limited by size.  I could see him having a Gregor Blanco type career.  Committed to TCU.

Spring Training Update: Out of Left Field...

So, let's start with a list of who played LF for the Giants last year by number of games played at the position:

Mike Yastrzemski 61.
Alex Dickerson 44.
Tyler Austin 22.
Gerardo Parra 20
Joey Rickard 20
Brandon Belt 14
Mac Williamson 13
Yangervis Solarte 9
Stephen Vogt 7
Connor Joe 5
Mike Gerber 5
Austin Slater 2
Abiatal Avelino 1.

Now, that is quite a list, huh?  7 of those 13 players are not in the organization at this time.  I think we can also check off Avelino and Belt from being serious contenders for significant playing time at the position.  That leaves YtY, Dick, Rickard and Slater as holdovers from last year. The Giants went out and added Hunter Pence on a guaranteed contract and Chris Shaw played a lot of LF in AA and AAA last season.  You can add Jamie Westbrook as a non-roster invitee to the mix but with close to zero chance of making the Opening Day Roster.

Mike Yastrzemski:  We've already covered him in the CF and RF posts.  Can play any of the 3 OF positions and was the Giants best overall of last season.  The weird part of his situation is he may be the Giants second choice to start at all 3 OF positions which means he could play an OF utility role or even get sent to Sacramento on one of his 3 options!

Alex Dickerson:  I think just about everybody's dream is for Dickerson to be healthy for a full season and see if he can rake the whole time the way he did for 30 games in June and July of last season when it looked like his bat just might carry the Giants to the postseason.  That's the big if with Dick. Last season was the first he played since 2016 and he was only fully healthy for a little over 1 month. He also has fairly extreme L-R splits so needs a platoon partner if he's the starter in LF.

Hunter Pence:  Pence could be a high profile short end of a strict L-R platoon in LF, but I'm sure he has designs on being out there every day.  He'll likely perform better at his age with a healthy number of days off.

Joey Rickard:  Rickard looked like a promising platoon partner for Dick, but the acquisition of Hunter Pence probably buried him.  He could conceivably partner with YtY in CF if Billy Hamilton's bat proves to still be a wet noodle in spring games.

Austin Slater:  Unfortunately a lot of bad things would have to happen for Slater to make the team as an OF which is why he is slated to play a lot of IF in spring games. He appears to be pretty far down the depth chart at all positions.  Likely to get hit with his last option and sent out to Sacramento.

Chris Shaw:  Will start the season in Sacramento barring multiple disasters to other players.

Jamie Westbrook:  Will be lucky to survive The Churn and start the season in Sacramento or Richmond.

Putting It All Together:  Seems like the ideal situation is for Dickerson and Pence to form a platoon with Pence maybe getting more playing time than a strict R-L platoon would give him.  If Dickerson gets hurt again or does a faceplant in the spring, look for YtY to move back to where he played the most last season.  Joey Rickard is insurance for Pence's side of the platoon.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Yohandy Morales

Yohandy Morales SS/3B, HS.  B-R, T-R.  6'4", 200 lbs.

Based on physical projection alone, Yohandy Morales would easily be a top 15 draft pick or even top 10.  He's a HS SS with athletic actions and range to play SS at higher levels.  Other than his sheer size, the concern is with his arm which scouts OK but does not look good on radar guns which also raises concerns about his ability to play 3B.  he does have speed(6.76 60 yd dash) to play OF, but again, the arm may limit him to LF.  The other issue is a swing that I would describe as undisciplined.  There is a lot of bat waggle in the windup and a bit of arm-barring, a controversial action which may or may not doom a hitter.  Morales swing looks long on videos, though.

The physical projection is tough to ignore, though.  A team who believe in it and in their player development program could have him in the top 15 of their draft board. Otherwise, he's an intriguing lottery ticket for rounds 2 or 3.

Spring Training Update: Who's Right for Right Field?

Right Field was Hunter Pence territory from 2012 through 2017 when he was healthy.  Age and eroded his defensive skills and Pence is not pretty much limited to LF.  Last year's Opening Day starter in RF was the unforgettable Michael Reed which did not last long.  Kevin Pillar was put out there to keep Steven Duggar's superior D in CF, but Pillar was not comfortable with the position and eventually took over CF.  That left Mike Yastrzemski to get most of the innings in right with a cameo from Jaylin Davis at the end of the season.

Right Field in Oracle Park is unique due to the short wall and endless grass in Triple Alley.  Ideally you need a guy with enough speed and range to play CF in the position as the Giants have come to play Triples Alley like straightaway CF except for the RF to cover.  Remember Gregor Blanco's catch to save Matt Cain's perfect game?  How much that will change with the new field dimensions remains to be seen.

With that background, let's break down the RF candidates for 2020:

Mike Yastrzemski:  We already talked about YtY in the Centerfield post, but he's probably be more likely to play RF in 2020 than CF.  One problem is as the Giants add talent in the rebuild, YtY may find himself in a tweener state:  Not enough bat for a corner OF and not enough D to play CF.  It's just going to be hard for the Giants to not start him somewhere after what he did last season. How it plays out will be fascinating.  If Jaylin Davis blows everybody away with a monster spring, does that force YtY to CF?  But what if Billy Hamilton suddenly starts hitting line drives all over the field and drawing walks?  Isn't he the superior defensive CF?  Does YtY have enough juice in the bat to bump Dick to the bench in LF?  And anyway, I'm writing YtY way too often here!

Jaylin Davis:  Davis might be the closest the Giants have to a true 5-tool player in camp.  Well, Mauricio Dubon might have something to say about that, but Davis is the guy you can dream on having a huge breakout while taking over RF in Oracle park.

Austin Slater:  Slater is the forgotten man in The Churn.  The talk right now is he is going to be getting innings at all 4 IF positions so he can be a super-utility player, but wait, I thought that was Mauricio Dubon's role!  Or maybe Wilmer Flores!  Slater still has to overcome a horrendous GB tendency and believe it or not, he still has an option, so it would take some combination of several injuries and faceplates by other players for him to make the team.

Putting It Together:

That's really it right there.  I think it's going to be either Davis or YtY or a platoon of both starting in RF for the Giants in 2020.  Davis is the guy I think FZ wants to grab the position with a great spring and not let it go.  If he does that, Yastrzemski either moves over to CF or becomes 4'th OF moving among all 3 OF positions waiting for an opening.  If Davis has a weak spring, he'll get optioned to Sacramento to keep working on his swing path with Yaz The Younger taking RF with an occasional day off against LHP's. Austin Slater is depth and will most likely start the season in Sacramento barring injuries or faceplants to other players ahead of him on the depth charts.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Aaron Sabato

Aaron Sabato 1B, College(North Carolina).  B-S, T-R.  6'2", 230 lbs.

2019:  .343/.453/.696, 25 2B, 3B, 18 HR, 39 BB, 56 K, 230 AB.

Aaron Sabato has prodigious power.  He recorded an exit velocity of 103 MPH in high school.  Hits well enough to tap into the power.  Played SS in HS with a projection of 3B, but has been limited to 1B and DH in college.  Kind of hard to imagine him playing anywhere else despite his athleticism.  May be tough to sign as a draft eligible sophomore.  Could be attractive as a second round value to a team looking for a big bat that doesn't care where he plays.  Slow start to his sophomore season going 1 for 14 with a 2B in the first 4 games of the season.

Spring Training Update: Put Me In, Coach, I'm Ready To Play.....Centerfield!

Quick trivia question:  Who was the Giants Opening Day starting CF in 2019?  If you answered Steven Duggar, you are correct.  He was flanked by the unforgettable Conner Joe in LF and Michael Reed in RF.  That, of course, didn't last long.  FZ hit the button on a trade he had contemplated for awhile bringing in Kevin Pillar who proceeded to have one of the strongest seasons of his career capped with wining the Willie Mac Award.  Pillar was arbitration eligible which is kind of a pain in the neck, but it's not free agency and we all kind of assumed he would be back in CF on Opening Day 2020 even if he was midseason trade bait.

Then we started hearing stories about Mauricio Dubon taking reps in CF and other stories about how the Giants wanted to look at younger players and see what they could do.  That all turned out to be a lot more than just posturing and Pillar was not offered arbitration.  So who is going to be the Opening Day starting CF in 2020?  Let's break it down:

Mike Yastrzemski:  Penciling YtY in CF made a lot of sense, if you believed the Giants were going to bring in a slugging corner OF.  YtY didn't play out there much last year but played about 1/3 of his minor league games in CF.  The bat is marginal for a corner OF, but could be excellent as a CF.  FZ seemed to promote this idea early in the Hot Stove season, but those rumors have faded of late.

Mauricio Dubon:  Last year's heir apparent to Joe Panik at 2B, possibly for the next 5-6 seasons, has been pushed so far down the depth chart there, he's gone from taking an occasional inning in CF to being more of an OF than a multi-positional utility player.  Could Dubon actually be the starting CF on Opening Day?  Will he even be on the active 26-man roster?  BTW, anyone know the depth chart for the 26'th man on the roster?  I've counted no less than 4 players who it's been said might have a chance for a roster spot because of that 26'th spot.

Steven Duggar:  Duggar endured a difficult, injury plagued season last year but like most hitters in AAA, tore the cover off the ball in Sacramento.  Does FZ take a chance with him as the starting CF again in 2020?  He is an elite defender in CF if/when healthy.

Billy Hamilton:  Just to shake things up a bit, FZ brings the very unique Billy Hamilton in on a minor league deal with a spring training invitation.  All of a sudden there are stories about the Giants development gurus seeing something they can fix in his bat. Gotta admit, if Hamilton could figure out a way to get on base at just a .320 clip, he could be a major offensive force because of his game-changing speed on the basepaths.  He's also a gold-glove quality defender in CF.  Speaking of that 26'th man, there is also talk of Hamilton taking on some sort of super-pinch-runner role, which of course that extra roster spot would leave room for.

Jaylin Davis:  There has been talk of Jaylin Davis maybe having the tools to play CF, but he's put most time in RF which seems to be his natural position.


Putting It Together:  I think Billy Hamilton is the guy the Giants want to win the job, but they won't just hand it to him.  He'll have to show something at the plate during spring training to validate the work of the development team.  Just a thought:  Between the Hamilton and Yolmer Sanchez signings, you don't suppose FZ is thinking of making defense a major weapon for the Giants in 2020?  Duggar has 2 options and I really don't think FZ takes a chance on putting him out there on Opening Day. He's going to have to prove he's healthy in AAA and someone will have to stumble higher on the depth chart, which could very well happen!  I love the idea of Dubon taking on a super-utility role but don't the Giants have about 6 other guys who fit that description?  I also don't see them handing him the starting CF job.  He has an option.  Mike Yastrzemski still makes a lot of sense to me, but he seems to be more in the corner OF plans right now.  Oh!  And don't forget about Joey Rickard!  BTW, it's too late to bring back Kevin Pillar who finally signed with the Red Sox.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Carson Montgomery

Carson Montgomery RHP, HS.  6'2", 190 lbs.

Average sized RHP with a mid-90's FB, maxed out at 96 MPH.  Excellent breaking ball and promising changeup.  Athletic enough to be a 2-way player doubling as OF with a 6.81 60 yd dash time, but will be a pitcher in the pros.  Committed to Florida St.  Second or third round option if deemed signable.  Would be higher if the draft class wasn't so darn deep.

Spring Training Update: What's On Second?

This will be the first spring training since 2012 in which Joe Panik is not the presumptive starting second baseman.  Mauricio Dubon appeared to stake a claim to the role in a late season audition with many fans falling in love with him in the process.  The first signs of that not being the plan came early in the Hot Stove League season when we heard rumblings of Dubon learning to play CF because....well....because he played a few innings there in an Arizona Fall league a few years ago.  Apparently FZ was serious about it, though and we've seen some tweets from Dubon himself embracing the role.  So, where does that leave 2B for the Giants in 2020?  Glad you asked, because there are more options than you can shake a stick at!

Donovan Solano:  Solano is coming off possibly he best season of his career and is on the 40 man roster with a guaranteed contract which avoided arbitration.  It's not a big contract so he's probably financially expendable, but he could make a case that the job should be his to lose, at least if Dubon is moving on to other things.

Yolmer Sanchez:  FZ signed this defensive wizard late in the Hot Stove season to a minor league contract.  He's a deserving gold glove 2B, but has been extremely weak at the plate for the past two seasons playing home games in a much more hitter-friendly park than Oracle.  Still, Sanchez reportedly turned down guaranteed money from other organizations because the Giants offered him a chance to compete for a starting 2B job.  FZ did say he was looking for a lefthanded infield bat and Sanchez is a switch-hitter, so there's that....if you consider him "a bat."

Wilmer Flores:  Flores has, by far, the most consistent track record of all the candidates here, and is the only one with a multi-year contract.  That would seem to give him the inside track at 2B since that is the only starting IF position that appears to be open.  On the other hand, Flores has played all 4 infield positions approximately equally throughout his career and we all know how much FZ loves guys in multi-position roles(see Mauricio Dubon above).

Kean Wong:  Kean Wong was signed early in the Hot Stove season and is on the 40 man roster.  At this point, it seems like The Churn has made him an afterthought.  He does bat left-handed, though.

Abiatal Avelino:  Avelino is still on the 40 man roster and also give positional versatility. Specifically, he is probably the best defensive shortstop not named Brandon in camp.

In addition to the above 40-man roster players(except Yolmer Sanchez), Cristhian Adames and Drew Robinson are two non-roster invitees with experience at 2B.  It's just that they are buried so far down the depth chart it seems far-fetched to think either has a ghost of a chance of breaking camp with the team, let alone start at 2B.

Breaking It Down:  It appears the Giants see Mauricio Dubon as more of an OF now than 2B/IF, although he will likely see time at multiple positions if he makes the team at all(not a lock, IMO.  He does have an option).  I think the Giants see Wilmer Flores as a super-sub for all 4 IF positions, definitely at 1B against LHP's.  I think they see something in Sanchez' offense they think they can fix and hope he will win the starting 2B position, although he could start the season in Sacramento to work on whatever the development guys see that needs fixing.  Donovan Solano is strictly depth at this point in case of injury or Sanchez not showing enough in spring games.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Drew Bowser

Drew Bowser 3B, HS.  B-R, T-R.  6'3", 190 lbs.

Drew Bowser is a member of the endangered species knows as the right-handed power hitter.  There are a few of them in this draft class and he definitely holds his own in the power-potential department.  He's a big guy who, despite some athleticism profiles as a corner IF.  PG has him sticking at 3B while the Fangraphs Boys have him eventually moving to 1B, a very exclusive club to break into.  Still, for a guy who shows very little weight shift in his swing, he generates an eye-popping 100 MPH exit velocity.  The player development gurus must be salivating on that one!  He's committed to Stanford which is traditionally tough to sign a kid away from.  Not to diminish the value of a Stanford education, but that program is not exactly known for developing power hitters.  Just sayin'

Spring Training Update: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Churn

Spring Training the last few years of the Sabean/Evans/Bochy management regime became a predictable, mostly boring, interminable exercise.  Rosters were pretty much determined before camp even began.  Yes, there were some non-roster invitees who were surprisingly good, a pretty long list actually, but that wasn't always obvious during spring training.  You could usually predict which invitees would get bench roles based on their age and years of pro experience.  For fans, going to spring training wasn't really to scout new players, but to be part of the Giants community, basking in World Series trophies and warm fuzzy feelings.  When FZ unleashed The Churn last spring, it was a very disorienting experience with players coming and going, sometimes within a 24 hour period!  All that produced an Opening Day roster including Conner Joe as one corner OF and Someone Who I Can't Remember His Name as the other corner OF.  The unforgettable Erik Kratz was Buster Posey's backup catcher.

Since then, The Churn has produced a few better players than Conner Joe, The Forgotten One and Erik Kratz, but little more clarity for what the 2020 roster will look like.  Did I read right that there are 71 players in camp and Gabe Kapler is meeting with all of them?  That's close to 3 full Active Rosters right there!  Most fans, including me, are not likely to even know the names of much more than half those 71 players.  There are maybe 7 roster roles set, barring injury of course:  C Buster Posey, 1B Brandon Belt, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Brandon Crawford and SP's Jeff Samardzija, Johnny Cueto and Kevin Gausman.  Even with them, you get the feeling if the right trade opportunity came along, FZ would be jumping out of his shoes to make the deal. That all is not counting players hitting the waiver wire as the regular season approaches.  The upside of all this is we fans have the opportunity to see a roster built practically from the ground up right before our eyes.  That's actually kind of fun, so long as you don't get too emotionally attached to any one player or players.

With that background out of the way, let's dive into the myriads of position and role battles we are about to witness.  There is 2B, 3 OF's, 2 SP's, an entire bullpen and positional bench waiting to be filled and as many as 3-4 players trying to fill each of them.  It's all too overwhelming to tackle at once, so we'll take them one at a time in a series of posts that may extend into the exhibition season.  We'll start with the reserve catcher role.

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Barring a serious injury or unexpected trade, Buster Posey is the starting catcher.  Early reports have him moving much better than last season, his first back from major hip surgery.   I've also read rumors of monster homers into the trees beyond LF in Scottsdale Stadium during batting practices.  A healthier and stronger Buster Posey would be a huge upgrade to the Giants 2020 roster, to say the least.  The line behind Buster for the back up C role is one of the shorter ones on the roster after Aramis Garcia was lost for most of the season to hip surgery of his own.  The current contenders are Rob Brantly and Tyler Heineman.  Chadwick Tromp and Ricardo Genoves, the only other catchers in camp, are apparently ticketed for the minors.

Rob Brantly:  DOB:  7/14/1989.  B-L, T-R.  6'1", 195 lbs.

Brantly was drafted in 2010 Round 3 by the Tigers out of UC Riverside.  He advanced rapidly to AAA before a 2012 midseason trade to the Marlins.  He slashed .290/.372/.460 in his MLB debut that season but since then has bounced around the fringes of MLB getting mostly short-term backup gigs between longer stints in AAA.  His last stop, probably significantly, was with the Phillies last season where he got exactly 1 PA.  He also slashed a solid .314/.404/.462 in 272 AAA PA's.  If his ISO of .148 was .002 higher, he would meet all of the criteria to be a Max Muncy/Luke Voit breakout candidate.  He's in camp on a minor league contract with spring training invitation. He does not have milb options.

Tyler Heineman:  DOB:  6/19/1991.  B-S, T-R.  5'11", 205 lbs.

Drafted by the Astros in 2012 round 8 out of UCLA.  He advanced to AAA by 2015 putting up solid numbers along the way but then he stalled out in AAA.  He signed on with the D'Backs as a minor league FA in 2019 and slashed .325/.407/.525 for the AAA Reno Aces.  He was traded to the Marlins for cash midseason where he slashed an even better .341/.397/.622 in AAA.  He got a late season callup to the Marlins and made the most of 12 PA's with 3 hits including a 2B and HR.  The Giants signed him as a minor league FA with an invitation to spring training.  He still has 3 milb options.

Chadwick Tromp:  DOB:  3/21/1995.  B-R, T-R.  5'9", 205 lbs.

International FA out of Aruba signed by the Reds in 2012.  Has spent his entire pro career in the Reds organization with AAA experience in 2018 and 2019.  Slashed .286/.389/.610 in 90 PA's in AAA last year with peripherals that also meet criteria to be a Max Muncy/Luke Voit breakout candidate, but in a SSS.  Signed by the Giants as a minor league FA with spring training invitation.

We recently profiled Joey Bart and Ricardo Genoves in DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects.

Breaking It Down:  Between his experience, recent performance, left-handed bat and lack of options, Rob Brantly appears to be the choice to start the season as back up catcher.  Tyler Heineman switch-hits and has similar impressive recent performance, but has options which puts him at a disadvantage.   He and Chadwick Tromp will likely go to Sacramento as depth.  The only way Joey Bart makes the team out of spring training is with a huge performance coupled with a major injury to Buster Posey.  Otherwise, he is likely ticketed for AA for more salt.  Ricardo Genoves will probably start the season in San Jose.  Of course, Russell Martin and Jonathan Lucroy are still on the FA market.  Personally I'd rather see what comes of the Brantly/Heineman/Tromp troika than go for the veteran savvy.  In the FZ era, it's always a fluid situation and we need to keep a close eye on the waiver wire as the season approaches.

RIP Tony Fernandez

The 1980's were a bit of a baseball blackout for me as life got in the way of being a baseball fan.  I was busy starting a career and a family and we did not have satellite TV or the internets that make it so much easier to watch games and track statistics and boxscores.  So, I can't say Tony Fernandez made a huge impression on me.  What baseball I did follow tended to focus on the Giants and the National League.  Fernandez spent most of his career and most productive years with the Blue Jays, a team I still don't really know enough about.

Tony Fernandez maybe wasn't quite a great player and may not make the Hall of Fame, but he definitely should be in the Hall of Stars.  He was a defensive wizard at SS.  Most of his career fWAR value was accumulated on defense,  but he was also a significant offensive contributor.  His peak run was from 1985-1990 during which he averaged 4.4 fWAR per season.   It's a bit difficult to pick out one peak offensive season but maybe it was 1987 when he slashed .322/.379/.426, 29 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 32 SB.  He had two seasons in which he hit 41 doubles, 1988 and remarkably 1999 at the age of 37.  He is still the Blue Jays all time leader in Games, Hits, Singles triples and bWAR.  He won 4 consecutive Gold Gloves at SS from 1986-1989.  He was traded several times in his career and played for 7 teams, but kept finding his way back to the Blue Jays for whom he played 4 separate times.

Tony Fernandez died last night at the too-young age of 57 in the Dominican Republic of complications of kidney failure and a massive stroke suffered approximately 2 weeks ago.  RIP Tony Fernandez, a very good baseball player.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: Honorable Mention(Part 5)

Bryce Tucker LHP.  DOB:  12/10/1996.  6'3", 205 lbs.

Short Season:  1-0, 1.35, 13.1 IP, 14.85 K/9, 4.05 BB/9, 4 Saves.
Low A:  0-1, 1.17, 7.2 IP, 12.91 K/9, 2.35 BB/9, 1 Save.
Arizona Fall League:  1-1, 3.00, 9 IP, 6 BB, 14 K.

Later round draft pick in 2018.  Pro debut in 2019.  Pitched very well in small samples at low levels with a nice run in the AFL.  Should move up to at least San Jose in 2020.  If he pitches well there in a larger sample, he could be on his way to the majors.  AFL assignment shows he's on the Giants radar.

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Heath Quinn OF.  DOB:  6/7/1995.  B-R, T-R.  6'3", 220 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .280/.419/.640, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9.7 BB%, 16.1 K%, 31 PA.
A+:  .289/.367/.463, 14 2B, 2 2B, 5 HR, 10.2 BB%, 27.4 K%, 215 PA.
AA:  .206/.301/.330, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 12.4 BB%, 31.0 K%, 113 PA.

Good hitter with power and plate discipline whose progress has been slowed by a series of injuries.  K's are also a concern as well as defensive limitations.  Has to stay healthy and hit well at AA in 2020.

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Abiatal Avelino IF.  DOB:  2/14/1995.  B-R, T-R.  5'11", 195 lbs.

AAA:  .283/.315/.444, 24 2B, 8 3B, 12 HR, 17 SB, 4.6 BB%, 16.7 K%, 502 PA.
MLB:  .286/.375/.286, 121.5 BB%, 37.5 K%, 8 PA.

It's probably a good thing for Avelino that Bruce Bochy retired after landing deep in Boch's doghouse when he blew through a stop sign at 3B and got thrown out at home plate by a mile.  He was shipped back to Sacramento that night, never to return.  Avelino does a lot of things well, but does he do anything well enough?  Could get lost in The Churn.

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Simon Whiteman IF.  DOB:  1/28/1997.  B-R, T-R.  5'10", 165 lbs.

Short Season:  .279/.401/.349, 7 2B, 3B, 15 SB, 15.8 BB%, 14.6 K%, 158 PA.
Low A:  .269/.371/.277, 2B, 16 SB, 13.2 BB%, 23.7 K%, 152 PA.

College senior out of the Ivy League.  Drafted in round 9, most likely to save bonus pool money.  Intriguing combination of plate discipline and speed but you are reading the Augusta line right.  Just one XBH out of 35 hits.  That total lack of power will not play at higher levels.  Still, an interesting story to follow.

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JJ Santa Cruz LHP.  DOB:  1/15/1996.  6'7", 220 lbs.

Low A:  6-1, 2.74, 49.1 IP, 12.59 K/9, 2.55 BB/9, 51.7 GB%, 2 Saves.
A+:  0-1, 3.32, 19 IP, 6.63 K/9, 3.79 BB/9, 49.1 GB%.
AAA:  2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

Older international signee from 2018.  Terrific size.  Elite GB rates at lower levels.  Don't have any other scouting report.

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Solomon Bates RHP.  DOB:  3/16/1997.  6'2", 210 lbs.

Low A:  4-3, 3.81, 26 IP, 14.19 K/9, 1.04 BB/9.
A+:  1-0, 4.41, 16.1 IP, 9.37 K/9, 3.86 BB/9.

Physical pitcher drafted in Round 8 out of USC in 2018.  Pitching is not exactly crowded in the Giants organization so he should get opportunities for more innings in 2020.

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OK team.  That wraps up DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects list.  We added a few names at the end here by popular demand.  I apologize if I missed anyone deserving but have to cut it off somewhere.  I hope this exercise gives readers a better feel for the current state of the Giants minor league system and the player's we'll be following in their quest to reach the major leagues.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Alerick Soularie

Alerick Soularie OF, College(Tennessee).  B-R, T-R.  6'0", 175 lbs.

2019:  .357/.466/.602, 13 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 8 SB, 37 BB, 39 K, 196 AB.
2019(CCL):  .207, 2B, HR, SB, 4 BB, 5 K, 29 AB.

Alerick Soularie has 5 above average tools and looks a bit bigger than listed in videos.  Profiles as more of a corner OF than CF, but has the hit and power tools to play a corner position.  The Fangraphs Boys comp him to Khris Davis and he looks the part in videos.  Power plays to all fields and has shown ability to hit for both average and power.  Seems like he should be ranked higher than the 40's on draft boards which may be due to his weak showing in the Cape Cod League in a SSS.  A strong junior season at Tennessee may give him helium as the draft approaches.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: Honorable Mention(Part 4)

Javeyon Williams OF.  DOB:  6/27/1997.  B-L, T-L.  5'9", 160 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .286/.369/.333, 7 2B, 18 SB, 8.8 BB%, 21.2 K%

Nice pro start for the speedster.  Gotta prove it at higher levels as a college draftee.   Again, Giants have an OF logjam in the lower minors.

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Najee Gaskins OF.  DOB:  9/7/1997.  B-R, T-R.  6'0", 185 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .340/.474/.453, 8 2B, 2 3B, 19 SB, 14.9 BB%, 14.2 K%, 134 PA.

Another speedster with nice peripherals(except power) but at a low level for a college draftee.

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Sam Selman LHP.  DOB:  11/14/1990.  6'3", 190 lbs.

AA:  0-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 16.71 K/9, 1.29 BB/9.
AAA:  3-2, 2.06, 48 IP, 8.71 K/9, 3.00 BB/9.
MLB:  0-0, 4.35, 10.1 IP, 8.71 K/9, 5.23 BB/9.

Finally made his MLB debut after years of toiling in the minors with mixed result.  Borderline stuff, but it plays approximately equally against RH and LH batters.

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Enderson Franco RHP.  DOB:  12/29/1992.  6'2", 180lbs.

AAA:  6-5, 5.97, 113 IP, 7.81 K/9, 2.87 BB/9.
MLB:  0-0, 3.38, 5.1 IP, 6.75 K/9, 1.69 BB/9.

Labored as a SP in an extremely challenging environment for pitchers.  FB picked up a few ticks when he was moved to bullpen which earned him a callup. Held his own with impressive stuff at MLB level.

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Joe McCarthy OF.  DOB:  2/23/1994.  B-L, T-L.  6'3", 220 lbs.

AAA(Rays):  .196/.335/.385, 6 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, SB, 15.9 BB%, 29.7 K%, 182 PA.
AAA(Giants):  .165/.247/.241, 3 2B, HR, 9.0 BB%, 33.7 K%, 89 PA.

Giants seem to see something in McCarthy despite abysmal numbers in an extremely hitter-friendly environment.  Remains to be seen how long he'll last in The Churn.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: College Corner

One of the great traditions in college baseball is the Friday Starter.  I first became aware of the phenomenon back in 2006 when Tim Lincecum, Brandon Morrow, Ian Kennedy and David Huff all pitched in the Pac-10 and used to go toe-to-toe on Friday nights in front of armies of scouts.  College baseball generally schedules 3-game series over weekends with just 1 or 2 midweek games.  They put their top SP out there on Friday nights and he usually pitches in that spot every week, with 6 days rest in between. It makes for great matchups and makes it easy to follow the progress of the top college draft prospects, at least on the pitching side.

Last night was college baseball's Opening Day and the Friday Starters were out en masse.  As I've commented, this year's college pitcher draft class is unusually deep after an unusually thin year in 2019.  Most of them were on display last night.  Here are some of the pitching lines with a few of my comments thrown in.

Nick Swiney LHP, NC State:  7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K.  We haven't profiled him yet, but he's got MLB size at 6'3", 187 lbs. and struck out 95 batters in 56.2 IP, as a sophomore last season.

Ian Bedell RHP, Missouri:  6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB,  11 K.  Another college junior we have not profiled.

Carmen Mlodzinski RHP, South Carolinia.  7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.

Asa Lacy LHP, Texas A&M:  6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K's.

Adam Seminaris LHP, Long Beach St:  6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K.  We have not profiled him yet.  6'0", 175 lbs.

Tanner Burns RHP, Auburn:  5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.

Tommy Mace RHP, Florida:  6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.

Emerson Hancock RHP, Georgia:  4 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  Disappointing debut for the consensus top pitching prospect in this draft.

Ryan Webb LHP, Georgia:  5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K.  Versatile lefty who has started and closed for Georgia.  Slammed the door shut after Hancock's rough start.  Potential sleeper draft prospect.

Jordan Jackson RHP, Georgia Southern:  5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K's.  JC transfer.  Classic pitchers's build at 6'6" 208 lbs.  Another sleeper?

Brian Van Belle RHP, Miami:  6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K's.  Redshirt Sr.  6'2", 187 lbs.  We have not profiled him yet.

Reid Detmers LHP, Louisville:  5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K's.

Tanner Bibee RHP, CS Fullerton:  6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  We have not profiled him yet.

Jack Sheehan RHP, Notre Dame:  7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K's.  Senior.  6'3", 195 lbs.  We have not profiled him yet.

Cole Henry RHP, LSU:  4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K's.  Control has been an issue for him.  Not here.

CJ Van Eyk RHP, Florida St:  5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K's.

Cam Cowan RHP, Campbell:  8.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 15 K.  JC Transfer.  6'5", 245 lbs.  We have not profiled him.

Ryan Cusick RHP, Wake Forest:  5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 6 BB, 10 K's.  Sophomore.  I don't think draft eligible.

JT Ginn RHP, Mississippi St:  3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  Slow start for a pitcher some analysts think the Giants may have interest in.  Draft eligible sophomore.

Kade Mechels RHP, Grand Canyon:  5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K's.  Senior.  5'11", 185 lbs.

Cade Cavalli RHP, Oklahoma:  4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

Parker Brahms RHP, Sacramento St:  5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  We have not profiled him yet.  Caught my eye as a sophomore last year.

Taylor Dollard RHP, Cal Poly:  7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K's.  Redshirt Jr.  Converted from Closer to Friday Starter.  6'3", 195 lbs.

Jackson Wolf LHP, West Virginia:  7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K's.  Tremendous size at 6'7', 205 lbs.  Limited by wildness in past.  Not a problem in this game.  We have not profiled him yet.

Max Meyer RHP, Minnesota:  5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K's.

Griff McGarry RHP, Virginia:  5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  We have not profiled him yet.  Reportedly a hard thrower.  6'2", 185 lbs.

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Offensive performances of note:

Spencer Torkelson 1B,  Arizona St:  1 for 2, HR, 2 BB.

Heston Kjerstad OF, Arkansas:  3 for 4, HR.

Austin Wells C, Arizona:  3 for 4, 2 2B, HR, BB.  IMO, Wells should be ranked much higher than he is on most draft rankings.  Looking for him to catch serious helium as the college season progresses.  Should stick at C but if not, no worries.  The bat should play anywhere.

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RHP Cole Wilcox should go for Georgia today as they have the luxury of two Friday quality SP's.

LHP Garret Crochet of Tennessee, projected first rounder, is held back due to arm soreness.  Never a good thing.

SS Freddy Zamora, Miami, another projected first rounder is out for the season with an ACL tear of the knee.

Thoughts on Playoff Expansion

We've had 2 requests for thoughts on the proposed MLB playoff expansion.  I actually don't have strong feelings about it one way or another.  Postseason baseball is exciting to watch.  I know a lot of people who don't give a $%&# about regular season baseball who get interested in the postseason.  Expanding a part of the game that appeals to people who otherwise pay attention is a good thing.  Yes, the part about the top seed choosing their opponent is kind of hokey, but it possibly sets up some extra drama about teams feeling disrespected and all that, so it's probably not a death blow to the sport.

I do think the postseason currently goes too deep into the fall.  Baseball is a warm weather sport and is best played and watched in warm weather, or at least not cold weather.  The problem in my opinion is not with the length of the postseason, but with the length of the regular season.  I am strongly in favor of going back to a 154 game regular season schedule so the postseason can end by mid-October.

Here's a thought:  Use a shortened regular season for seeding and include all 30 teams in a postseason tournament.  Give the teams with the best regular season record in each league a separate trophy and a bye in the first round.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Max Meyer

Max Meyer RHP, College(Minnesota).  6'0", 185 lbs.

2018:  2-3, 2.06, 43.2 IP, 54 K, 13 BB, 16 Saves.
2019:  5-3, 2.11, 76.2 IP, 87 K, 20 BB, 2 Saves.

Max Meyer is classic limited ceiling/high floor college pitcher.  His ceiling is limited by his relatively small size and high effort delivery.  His floor is high because he is probably already close to being ready to pitch in the major leagues, at least as a reliever.  Meyer commands a 4 seam FB that goes 94-96 MPH, but his best pitch is a slider that one scouting report called a "wipeout" pitch.  He also throws a changeup and has added a two-seam FB since moving into a SP role after closing out games for Minnesota his freshman season.  This is a strong and deep class of college pitchers so it's hard to know where Meyer might be drafted.  College pitchers tend to rise on draft boards late in the cycle.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: Honorable Mention(Part 3)

Ghordy Santos SS/2B.  DOB:  9/2/1999.  B-S, T-R.  6'1", 177 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .314/.396/.430, 5 2B, 3B, HR, 10 SB, 12.2 BB%, 24.5 K%, 96 PA.

Things that catch my eye for Ghordy Santos:  1.  Size for MI.  2.  High walk rates and K/BB.  3.  Speed to steal bases.  Well proportioned athlete.  Spent two seasons in the DSL where he took a full 2 months to get his bat going but caught fire in August both seasons.  Got off to fast start in AZL.  Season ended early on 7/23 with apparent injury.

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Richgelon Juliana OF.  DOB:  5/30/2000.  B-R, T-R.  6'0", 170 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .217/.365/.272, 3 2B, 3B, 3 SB, 19.1 BB%, 30.4 K%, 115 PA.

13.9 BB% in 2018 in the DSL, so I guess you could say he walked off the island.  Not a whole lot else going on here, but interesting walk rate.

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George Bell OF.  DOB:  5/8/1998.  B-R, T-R.  6'4", 215 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .234/.333/.394, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 2 SB, 10.2 BB%, 17.6 K%, 108 PA.
Short Season:  .149/.200/.213, 3 2B, SB, 6.0 BB%, 26.0 K%, 50 PA.

Classic size and premium bloodlines are not going to help if he doesn't find some traction at the plate, and soon.

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Jesus Gomez LHP.  DOB:  4/1/2001.  6'2", 180 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  4-1, 3.83, 54 IP, 10.50 K/9, 3.67 BB/9.  51.1 GB%.

Nice numbers and age is on his side.  Should move up to Augusta for age 19 season.

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Juan Sanchez LHP.  DOB:  11/12/2000.  6'2", 165 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  7-1, 3.77, 57.1 IP, 8.32 K/9, 4.24 BB/9, 41.7 GB%.

Had the best 2018 numbers of the Three DSL Lefties.  Peripherals least impressive of the 3 in 2019 in AZL.  I read one scouting report that had his FB velocity in mid-80's.  If true, that won't play at higher levels. Found one video where he looks like your average soft-tossing lefty pitching to contact.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Chase Davis

Chase Davis OF, HS.  B-L, T-L.  6'1", 210 lbs.

Chase Davis has 5 tools.  Well proportioned athlete with plus strength across the shoulders and chest. Decent speed at 6.91 60 yd dash and 4.3 home to 1B, but profiles more as a corner OF.  Arm plays in RF with 99 MPH on OF throws.  Ball jumps off bat with 97 MPH exit velocity.  Swing is long with a bat wrap a the beginning which might need to be ironed out.  Interesting prospect for Giants to consider in round 2 if he's still on the board.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: Honorable Mention(Part 2)

Carter Aldrete IF.  DOB:  10/12/1997.  B-R, T-R.  6'2", 205 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .258/.378/.348, 3 2B, HR, SB, 15.9 BB%, 17.1 K%, 82 PA.
Short Season:  .257/.347/.416, 5 2B, 3B, 3 HR, SB, 11.9 BB%, 24.6 K%, 118 PA.

Son of former Giant Mike Aldrete.  College 2B.  Played all 4 IF position in his pro debut.  I don't have much of a scouting report, but my impression is he is probably limited to corner IF in future, maybe even only 1B, but has some pop in his bat and already shows patience at the plate.

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Yorlis Rodriguez 3B/2B.  DOB:  7/20/1999.  B-R, T-R.  6'0", 187 lbs.

Short Season:  .256/.305/.333, 10 2B, 3B, HR, SB, 4.3 BB%, 16.1 K%, 211 PA.

Hit .323 in his 2018 pro debut for the AZL Giants.  BA and peripherals disappointing after moving up to Salem-Keizer in 2019.  Was 3B in AZL.  Played mostly 2B in S-K.  Will have to show something besides a hit tool to find traction in 2020.

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Armani Smith OF.  DOB:  7/19/1998.  B-R, T-R.  6'4", 215 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .211/.318/.316, 3B, SB, 13.6 BB%, 31.8 K%, 22 PA.
Short Season:  .307/.372/.454, 6 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 9.8 BB%, 30.1 K%, 183 PA.

Classic power hitter's body and athletic enough to play corner OF.  Very nice pro debut in Salem-Keizer, but the K rate is a concern.

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Kwan Adkins OF:  DOB:  10/2/1996.  B-L, T-L.  6'2", 195 lbs.

Short Season:  .269/.346/.413, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 10 SB, 9.3 BB%, 27.9 K%, 183 PA.

Built like a block of granite.  Nice combination of pop and speed.  Could get lost in the OF logjam in the lower minors.

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Sonny Vargas LHP.  DOB:  11/8/2000.  6'2", 180 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  2-4, 5.03, 53.2 IP, 9.56 K/9, 3.35 BB9, 51.9% GB, 1 Save.

Strong peripheral numbers in an extreme hitter-friendly environment.  xFIP= 4.03.  Should move up to Augusta in 2020 where he could break out.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Alex Santos

Alex Santos RHP, HS.  6'3", 187 lbs.

Alex Santos is a young looking HS righty with long, whippy arm action.  Brings a FB that sits 93 and touches 95 with a low 3/4 delivery that can vary from pitch to pitch.  Also sports a "hammer" breaking ball and can throw a changeup.  From videos, I'm not as sold on projectability as some scouting reports as the frame is thin and may not carry much more weight that well.  Could be an interesting option if he's still available in round 2.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: Honorable Mention(Part 1)

HM's are in no particular order.  We'll do 5 at a time until we're done.  I might add one or two in the process.

Ismael Munguia OF.  DOB:  10/19/1998.  B-L, T-L.  5'10", 160 lbs.

Low A:  .286/.343/.376, 22 2B, 5 3B, HR, 13 SB, 5.6 BB%, 9.6 K%, 427 PA.

High energy, high contact, some speed, low power.  May get trampled by the thundering herd of OF prospects in the organization.

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Kervin Castro RHP.  DOB:  2/7/1999.  6'0", 185 lbs.

Short Season:  5-3, 2.66, 67.2 IP, 8.11 K/9, 1.73 BB/9, GB/FB= 1.66.

Per Fangraphs, sports a 95 MPH FB with a plus changeup.  "Built like a catcher."

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Garrett Cave RHP.  DOB:  7/18/1996.  6'4", 200 lbs.

A+:  0-5, 4.95, 40.0 IP, 10.58 K/9, 10.80 BB/9.

Tremendous physical tools but extreme wildness an existential threat to his career.

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Conner Nurse RHP.  DOB:  7/31/1999.  6'6", 210 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  3-0, 1.26, 28.2 IP, 8.48 K/9, 3.14 BB/9, 50% GB.
Short Season:  2-4, 5.26, 39.1 IP, 7.32 K/9, 3.66 BB/9, 40.2% GB.

Late round HS draftee in 2017.  Giants have brought him along slowly.  Maybe ready for full season ball in Augusta?

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Bryce Fehmel RHP.  DOB:  12/16/1996.  6'2", 205 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  0-1, 1.29, 14 IP, 8.36 K/9, 0.00 BB/9, 55% GB.
Short Season:  2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Workhorse college senior draftee in 21'st round.  We'll see if stuff plays at higher levels.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Daniel Cabrera

Daniel Cabrera OF, College(LSU).  B-L, T-L.  6'1", 195 lbs.

2018:  .315/.405/.525, 18 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 34 BB, 36 K, 219 AB.
2019:  .284/.359/.516, 12 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 24 BB, 54 K, 225 AB.
2019 CCL:  .287, 5 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 14 BB, 24 K, 115 AB.

Daniel Cabrera played LF the past 2 seasons for LSU.  The LSU bio says he has a strong throwing arm and the plan is for him to play RF in 2020.  Strong lefty hitter with some swing and miss in his game.  If he takes a step forward his junior season, he could move in to the late first round.  If he continues to plateau or regress, he could slip to 3'rd or 4'th rounds.

Spring Training Update: Giants Sign Trevor Cahill

The Giants today signed RHP Trevor Cahill to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.  Cahill has been around the block a few times, so it's hard to believe he is still just 32 years old.  He's had his ups and downs both as a SP and RP and is coming off a particularly difficult year with the Angels with whom he posted a 5.98 ERA.  But in 2018, he had a strong season for the A's with an ERA of 3.76 so a bounceback is definitely possible.  The main culprit in his 2019 performance seems to be a sharp drop in his groundball rate which led to a whopping 25 HR allowed in just 102.1 IP.  If he can correct that, Cahill can be a valuable back-end SP or multi-inning RP.  Nice low risk/high reward signing here.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #50 Jesus Tona

Jesus Tona RHP.  DOB:  3/30/1996.  5'10", 170 lbs.

Low A:  2-2, 1.50, 42 IP, 12.86 K/9, 3.64 BB/9, 16 Saves.
A+:  1-1, 5.71, 17.1 IP, 7.27 K/9, 7.27 BB/9.

Converted catching prospect on the short side for a pitcher.  Fangraphs scouting report has him throwing a low-90's FB with tailing action and a changeup with movement.  Dominated the SAL last season but face planted in a SSS after a promotion to San Jose.  Got a late start on pitching so is already Rule 5 eligible.  Another marginal prospect entering a pivotal season.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #49 Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard SS.  DOB:  7/25/1995.  B-R, T-R.  6'2", 195 lbs.

AA:  .223/.275/.298, 10 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 5 SB, 6.5 BB%, 14.2 K%, GB/FB= 0.99, 338 PA.

AAA:  .235/.283/.353, 6 2B, 4 HR, 2 SB, 6.6 BB%, 21.6 K%, GB/FB= 1.22, 167 PA.

Ryan Howard has been an overachieving marginal prospect from the beginning.  He's stayed mainly at SS longer than most analysts predicted and he hit better....until 2019.  Most of his season was a repeat of AA with a huge regression.  One clue as to way may be in the groundball ratios.  They were easily the lowest of he pro career and may be the result of trying to implement swing changes advocated by statistically oriented coaches.  Maybe his numbers rebound after a winter of reflection and practice or maybe he reverts to an old swing.  2020 is likely a make or break season for him.

Hot Stove Update: Giants Claim Jarlin Garcia

The Hot Stove League officially closes tonight as pitchers and catchers report day is tomorrow to mark the official opening of Spring Training.  As we have come to know, though, the Hot Stove fires never  completely flicker out in Farhan Zaidi's world and he certainly could not let the final official day go by without making a move.  It was actually a pretty significant move and one that could pay big dividends down the road.  The Giants claimed LHP Jarlin Garcia off waivers from the Florida Marlins. They also designated RHP Burch Smith for assignment to make room on the 40 man roster.

While it may seem odd try to upgrade by claiming castoffs from the Marlins, Garcia is actually a pretty darn good pitcher and an even more interesting one for several reasons.  First off all, he had a nice little breakout season last year with a line of 4-2, 3.02, 50.2 IP, 6.93 K/9, 2.84 BB/9.  That line came with 0 Saves but 6 Holds and just 1 Blown Save.  Keeping the new 3 batter minimum rule in mind, Garcia also was slightly better against RH batters despite his left-handedness.

What's really interesting about Jarlin Garcia is his stuff. I am going to summarize an Fangraphs article from 9/11/2019 which I encourage you to read for yourself.  The FB averages 93 which is kind of average for a reliever, but last year it had the highest horizontal movement of among lefthanded pitchers in all of MLB.  The FB moves to the arm side.  What Garcia did that may have caused his breakout last year was dramatically increase both the usage(22.4% to 41.7%) and glove side movement(3.6 inches to 6.6 inches) of his slider.  The resulting movement differential between his FB and slider trailed only Chris Sale for LHP's.

It will be fascinating to see how this plays out, but for now this looks like a major steal for Farhan Zaidi.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Robby Ashford

Robby Ashford OF/1B.  B-R, T-R.  6'4", 210 lbs.

Robby Ashford is a two-sport HS star from Alabama.  There is very little information on him from the baseball side, but it appears he is a sought after QB recruit for elite college programs.  Originally committed to Ole Miss but now with Oregon.  He is obviously an elite athlete with tremendous natural size and strength.  5-tools on the baseball side.  He has stayed away from the showcase circuit so PG does not have a book on him.  I found one short baseball video but the natural talent is eye-popping.  The big question for this draft if whether he can be signed away from a college commitment.

On the surface it seems like football is his first sport, but he's dropped hints that maybe he likes baseball better.  He's reportedly been in contact with Bubba Thompson, a 2-sport start who signed for pro baseball who apparently told him he feels great about that decision.  There's another quote from Ashford hinting that if he is drafted high enough and the bonus is sweet enough, he could be persuaded to give up a shot at big time college football.

This draft is packed with HS OF's with first round potential, but just looking at that video I don't think it's out of the question that some team(cough....like one that really, really believes in player development...cough) could roll the dice on him in the top 15.  Definitely a story to follow as the draft approaches.

DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #48 Jalen Miller

Jalen Miller 2B.  DOB:  12/19/1996.  B-R, T-R.  6'0", 190 lbs.

AA:  .216/.287/.332, 18 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 27 SB, 8.9 BB%, 19.3 K%, GB/FB= 1.01, 550 PA.

I like to save a spot or two at the bottom of my Top 50 list each year for a prospect(s) who seems to have fallen off the map but I am not quite ready to give up on yet.  A long time ago, I ranked Pablo Sandoval #50 after his awful season in Augusta.   Jalen Miller started off strong in Richmond in 2019 hitting .270 in April, but like with so many position prospects, the league just ground him down over time.  He hit rock bottom with a .176 for the month of July before bouncing back a bit with a .232 in August.  Miller's SB's took a big step forward and he showed occasional power with a solid K/BB.  Being exclusively a 2B does not help his case, but I am not ready to give up on him just yet.  He's listed on the Sacramento roster, but with multiple AAA/AAAA second base options for depth, I'm assuming Miller is going to be back in Richmond for another try.  Hopefully he can build on his rough 2019 and regain prospect status.

Scouting the 2020 Draft: Tommy Mace

Tommy Mace RHP, College(Florida).  6'6", 200 lbs.

2018:  5-0, 4.16, 62.2 IP, 12 BB, 45 K.
2019:  8-5, 5.32, 89.2 IP, 38 BB, 74 K.

Classic pitcher's build with long arms and legs.  Loose, easy arm action.  High 3/4 release allows him to use height to get downward plane.  Main criticism is lack of a put away pitch.  Maybe that can be taught?  Stock could rise with a strong junior season.  Otherwise a team that believes in his projection may take a chance in round 2.

Hot Stove Update: Aramis Garcia Out for Season....or Most of It

Well, there you have it.  You can never have too much depth, especially at catcher.  Aramis Garcia who seemed to be in line for the Giants backup catcher role, which given the state of Buster Posey's age and career is one of the more important backup roles in MLB, is out for 6-8 months after undergoing hip labrum surgery this last Monday.  Garcia reportedly suffered the injury in December while playing winter ball in the DR.  So, 6 months from now is August.  8 months is October, so yeah, pretty much out for the season.

Now, I actually have thought all along that Tyler Heineman actually had the inside track for the backup C job due to his superior contact skills and ability to switch-hit, which means he can hit from the left side of the plate.  I'm obsessed with lefty-hitting catchers and I'm pretty sure Farhan is too.  Heineman would not appear to be the clear frontrunner for that role, unless Farhan blocks him with another late signing of, say, Russell Martin.  Then again, you can never have too much depth!

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The longer the Dodgers mega-deal for Mookie Betts drags on without resolution, the more likely it's DOA.  Red Sox are making everybody mad by balking at Brusdar Graterol's medical report.  Hey!  They knew the guy has had his injuries.  What did they think was in the report?  There's a side deal with the Angels to send Joc Pederson, Ross Stripling and a pretty good prospect their way, except it's not happening until/unless the Mookie trade is finalized.  Arte Moreno is reportedly livid, which is completely understandable since that deal seems like he's stealing the Dodgers blind.  BTW, it's a hoot to imagine Arte Moreno livid.

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The Padres made another deal from their surplus of OF's sending Manuel Margot to the Rays for RP Emilio Pagan.  Hard to see this deal from the Rays perspective as they give up a very talented reliever and Margot joins an already very loaded OF.  Meanwhile the Padres bullpen is looking quite formidable and Pagan will likely set up Closer Kirby Yates.  Rays also get C/OF prospect Logan Driscoll who has some promise in his bat.