Just to show how much of a train wreck the Giants second base depth chart is, there are no less than 5 players on the 40-man MOB roster who have played the position if you don't count Wilmer Flores, who really can't anymore, and the guy who most of us probably think of as the incumbent starter at the position, Thairo Estrada, is not on the MLB roster and is a minor league free agent. So let's try to unpile the wrecked train cars:
Brett Wisely: .218/.263/.320, 4 HR, 272 PA.
Casey Schmitt: .252/.283/.477, 6 HR, 113 PA.
Donovan Walton: .136/.240/.273, HR, 25 PA.
Marco Luciano: .211/.259/.303, 81 PA.
I am assuming Tyler Fitzgerald is the starting shortstop until proven otherwise, but it's a high probability the Giants will sign a veteran free agent to play short which would likely bump Fitz to where he would be the frontrunner to be the starter. Brett Wisely hit well over his last 7 games and there's really no reason to choose Walton over him. Casey Schmitt also hit well over his last 15 games and he accumulated 3 of his 4 walks on the season over that span in which he showed dramatically improved plate discipline. He may well be the best option for at least a weak side of a platoon with the lefthanded hitting Wisely. It was really a lost season for Marco Luciano who seemed to take his defensive struggles with him to the plate and is probably being moved to the outfield.
AAA:
Brett Auerbach: .281/.357/.444, 4 SB, 223 PA.
Auerbach could be on the depth chart for several positions but he played the most innings at 2B.
AA:
Nate Furman: A+: .338/.417/.500, 7 HR, 8 SB, 176 PA. AA: .125/.300/.200, 2 SB, 51 PA.
Jimmy Glowenke: .199/.300/.309, 7 HR, 5 SB, 392 PA.
Andrew Kachel: .228/.343/.386, 2 HR, 67 PA.
Furman was acquired in an August trade with the Guardians. He did not play for any Giants affiliate and is listed on the 60-day IL. Glowenke and Kachel are more utility types but both played more 2B than other positions. I am counting Diego Velasquez as a SS.
A+:
Quinn McDaniel: .236/.345/.390, 13 HR, 40 SB, 511 PA.
Thomas Gavello: .193/.322/.307, 7 HR, 9 SB, 304 PA.
McDaniel has a nice combination of on-base skills and speed with a little pop. Can he hit for enough average to maintain the OBP? Gavello played multiple positions and needs to hit more.
A:
Jean Carlos Sio: .240/.378/.360, 4 HR, 11 SB, 308 PA.
Ryan Reckley: ACL: .283/.450/.489, 4 HR, 4 SB, 120 PA. A: .243/.308/.343, HR, 78 PA.
Sio and Reckley have some athleticism and are still young enough to break out.
ACL:
Jose Ramos: .283/.426/.384, HR, 13 SB.
Sent back to ACL after playing most of 2023 in A San Jose.
DSL:
Anthony Marquez: .279/.405/.369, HR, 10 SB, 149 PA.
Dennys Riera: .244/.383/.349, HR, 107 PA.
Franco Willias: .260/.359/.420, 3 HR, 8 SB, 154 PA.
Yoxander Benitez: .232/.338/.319, 4 SB, 80 PA.
Marquez and Benitez were 17 yo. Riera and Willias 19.
Free Agent Market:
Gleyber Torres
Kevin Newman
Adam Frazier
Thairo Estrada
Outlook:
As you can see, second base is a mess at the MLB level and there is no significant help in the upper minors. Buster Posey could bring in a free agent but the second base free agent class is less than compelling. Everybody seems to assume he will sign a SS and move Fitz to 2B but there is really only one SS on available, Willy Adames, and how likely is it for the Giants to sign him? Ha Seong Kim? He just had surgery on his shoulder and won't be ready to start the season. Best option might be a platoon of Schmitt and Wisely or even bring back Estrada!
IF the Giants could sign either Soto or Snell, which would be a zillion dollars best spent assuming they don't have 2 zillion for both?
ReplyDeleteIf you have an approximately even choice between a superstar position player and pitcher, you have to take the position player.
DeleteYour positional reviews so far, at least in my eyes, show just how bad of a job FZ did in putting together a major league roster. Looking at the mess at 2B, the dreck at 1B, the iffy C position with no depth, and the questions with every OF spot (including Ramos) as you will show :), well, the new regime has so much work to do to make the Giants competitiv and get out of this Farhan-sized hole......WIll they go for quick fixes, including trading kids (including the ones that fell out of favor--Maybe they can get a ball bag for Luciano the way he was developed?), or take the longer more painful road of future focused with several years of losing.....POSEY replacing FZ was key, but this new GM is probably more important than any player.
ReplyDeleteSteveVA
I don't disagree with any of that. FZ seemed to have a short attention span and for all of his supposed analytical skills, seemed to be almost pathologically influenced by small sample sizes. The result was an increasingly chaotic roster. I just hope Buster has the freedom to take the long view and not try to fix the entire roster in one offseason because I don't think it's possible.
DeleteMove Luciano to second base. Make him spend the off-season learning the position. It's a no brainer.
ReplyDeleteIf Luciano could play league average D at 2B he probably has the highest ceiling of any available option.
DeleteEstrada played hurt almost the whole season … he at least deserves a shot!
ReplyDeleteI would like to see Buster reach out to Estrada and bring him back.
DeleteAnother vote for Luciano, he has the pedigree and upside. The Giants need to get something out of a previous top-20 prospect.
ReplyDeleteMy case for buy low on Andrew Vaughn:
ReplyDelete1992-1996 JT Snow with Angels - 2003 PA, 258-331-409, OPS 92, 21 HR/162
2021-2024 Andrew Vaughn - 2258 PA, 253-310-415, 101 OPS, 21 HR/162
1997-2000 JT Snow with Giants - 2432 PA, 273-366-462, 116 OPS, 23 HR/162. Plus 4 gold gloves
I am pretty sure Buster is going to concentrate on acquiring proven high-end talent but at some point what separates great POBO's from good ones is the ability to buy low on upside that the merely good ones don't see. FZ's problem was he was only shopping in the buy-low aisle and you have to do both.
DeleteAlong a similar vein, I am intrigued by what a change of scenery might do for Yoan Moncada.
DeleteId like to see Estrada brought back too if he's fully recovered from his injuries. After reading some of Baggs recent mailbag answers, it was time to move on from FZ. He mentioned systematic failures within the organization going on starting with no direction from top, employees within the Baseball ops didn't know what each of them were doing. FZ was even overruling Melvin on daily lineups. Morale was getting low. I like that Posey said he wants his GM to be a servant leader, my understanding is it means someone who will empower the people he/she works with. Sounds level headed. Posey will try to build a roster to make the playoffs. Owners don't want a rebuild which makes it a tough job, right or wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think the quickest way to upgrade the roster is allocate Soto money on Alonso and Adames to upgrade two positions, then use the Snell money on two second tier pitchers but ones who have track records of going deep into games. Then let the kids fill the other positions.
DeleteI like your thinking, Doc. I would actually like to see the Giants sign Walker and Adames and then sign Kim at a discount. This would very possibly give the Giants the best infield defense in baseball and bolster their groundball inducing pitching staff.
ReplyDelete