Sam Hentges: If you are like me, his name was only vaguely familiar and you had to look him up. Anyway, the Giants signed someone named Sam Hentges to a $1.4 M major league contract which filled up their 40-man roster, which means the next player they sign to a major league deal will bump someone off the 40-man roster and it will almost certainly not be Hentges. So, who is Sam Hentges?
Sam Hentges LHP. DOB:7/18/1996. 6' 6", 245 lbs. No options, free agent 2028.
2024(Guardians): 0-0, 3.04, 23.2 IP, 10.27 K/9, 1.90 BB/9, 1.35 GB/FB.
Big lefty reliever who put up elite numbers with the Guardians for 4 seasons. A shoulder injury in 2024 led to surgery and he missed all of the 2025 season. He also underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee in Sept. 2025. He is expected to be healthy enough to start spring training on time and compete for a bullpen spot for the regular season. Still, it's a bit unsettling that he has yet to prove he's healthy. There is tremendous upside if he is, especially with team control of his contract for 2 additional seasons. Interesting the Giants elected to non-tender Joey Lucchesi with a MLBTR predicted salary of $2 M but are willing to pay Hentges $1.4 M with no guarantee he'll be healthy enough to pitch.
On TheAthletic Steve Berman writes "Tatsuya Imai says he’d rather pave his own way than follow Japanese stars to Dodgers"
ReplyDeleteImai said:
“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki, ... But winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I’d rather take them down.”
So, the question is, if not the Rich F-ers down south, who?
Will proximity and ease of travel to Japan play a part?
Imai's wanting to "take down the Dodgers" might play into SF's and SD's hand with so many games with "Them" but the Padres are looking at an Ownership change and might not make such a commitment -- does this leave the Giants is the prime position?
Does Imai check all the boxes for Buster?
Is he -- Imai -- worth it?
Generalization: Japanese pitchers who jump to MLB are very effective but suffer a higher injury rate than average.
DeleteDoc, do you think the parting with Sean Hjelle is permanent?
ReplyDeleteHow hard will Buster try to sign Tyler Rogers or would he sign after being traded away?
How big an effort, if any, should SF make to sign 27-year old, 5'11" Tatsuya Imai?
I don't expect to see either Sean Hjelle or Tyler Rogers back in a Giants uniform anytime soon. Imai is an interesting pitcher who I would be happy to see the Giants sign.
DeleteHmm, we will miss Rogers, well, I will...
DeleteSo, signing Sam Hentges, we know Buster is not risk adverse!
DeleteApparently a "bird in the hand" (Lucchesi) wasn't worth even one "in the bush"!
Does filling the 40-man (with 10 outfielders) suggest he wants to sell off some of them?
It's sad, after watching Luciano & Matos for so long, since 2018, to see them go, is there any chance for either with the Giants?
Does either have any trade value?
I have read there are teams interested in Luis Matos. I doubt Luciano has any trade value.
DeleteLucchesi was nice as a middle innings guy but those are fairly plentiful. I think they are going for LHs who can bring the heat high and inside to take out Ohtani, Freeman and ofhers in late-inning pressure spots. A la Miller, whose health is also in question. So maybe obtain a couple more and play the odds.
ReplyDeleteI understand your comment about Hjelle. But why Rogers?
I don't think Buster wants to spend the kind of money on the bullpen it's going to take to re-sign Rogers. I also understand Vitello is very velocity oriented. I think the Giants will scour the waiver wires and minor league free agent lists looking for cheap hundos and let them compete for bullpen spots.
DeleteWon't the Giats even "kick the tires" on Rogers?
DeleteI guess I don't get the obsession with re-signing Tyler Rogers from a sizable contingent of the Giants fanbase. I don't think Giants management is interested in paying Tyler Rogers what he will likely get offered in free agency.
DeleteBullpen arms can be found in many places. Helsley just signed for 2 years 28 million so that’s one less option on the FA market. I can’t imagine the Giants want to spend that kind of money on the equivalent of a roll of the dice with any of the free agent bullpen options that are left. I think they can find guys internally at least going into spring and spend whatever offseason money there is on a very good SP or 2. If we are being honest with ourselves I think we need to accept that they won’t have enough money to sign any of the top bats available and will likely need to rely on a lesser option like Cedric Mullins or Bader.
ReplyDeleteMost likely offseason sees the Giants pull off a trade for a starter or just sign Scherzer, sign another lesser SP FA, and take a chance on a guy like Mullins or Bader. If Eldridge and/or Ramos don’t get traded they could have something like this:
Mullins/Bader RF
Devers 1B
Adames SS
Ramos LF
Chapman 3B
Eldridge DH
Schmidt 2B
Bailey C
Lee CF
Starters:
Webb
Ray
Scherzer
Kelly
Roupp
Bullpen
Walker
Bivens
Beck
Butto
Miller
Hentges
Paguero?
Wisenhunt?
Birdsong?
Bench
Koss
Encarnacion
McCray
Gilbert
???
???
Would we be ok with that to start the year? There is room for a backup catcher and probably need to sign a utility infielder like Dylan Moore or Kiner Falafa. Maybe not the most exciting offseason but not a bad team to start the year…
IMO, Merrill Kelly would be an excellent value signing. Less certain about Scherzer unless you factor in the "elder statesman" role as Manager Tony Vitello transitions from college to professional managing.
DeleteThere is a lot of pitching on the market. Buster may be wait and let the market come to him.
DeleteIt is interesting to compare Hentges and Lucchesi (via B-R): Hentges is younger and has far less mileage (IP), but each has some "better" numbers than the other, ERA+ is almost identical. Hentges is a bit "cheaper" but whether he can pitch is not certain.
ReplyDelete