Walk-off win snaps skid

SF 3  SD 2

Things were looking a bit bleak for the home side in their Home Opener but Thairo Estrada's one-out double in the 9th saved the day. Matt Chapman, who'd been hit by a pitch, scored the winning run from first base to send the crowd home happy. It was a close play and a thrilling moment. Estrada's hit was only the fifth for the team and three of those were from Michael Conforto. Jung Hoo Lee and LaMonte Wade, Jr. were both hitless in the one-two spots but two walks led to two runs (RBIs from Conforto and Chapman). Otherwise the star of the day was FNG Jordan Hicks. The free agent reliever-turned-starter stymied the Padres once again to lead the Giants back to the win column. The righty threw 90 pitches to 25 batters over seven frames yielding five hits and two runs with no walks and five whiffs. His own error led to one of the runs. It was an impressive showing in his home debut with the club. Tyler Rogers threw a scoreless 8th and Camilo Doval was awarded the win with a scoreless 9th.

Keaton Winn gets the start tomorrow night (6:05 Pacific). He lasted five against the Dodgers and allowed three runs but he got burned by Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman. The Padres are good but they don't have those three guys. I'm looking forward to a better outcome for him. But the lineup really needs to get things going and back up the starters. It was good to see a struggling Estrada get a clutch knock.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Three in a row

The Giants opened the season with three good starts and they won two of those games. They then followed that with three lousy starts including last night's stinker from ace Logan Webb. Naturally they lost all three games.

I think the lineup is a big improvement even if it is not yet firing on all cylinders. The fielding was terrible in 2023 and it ought to be quite a bit better in 2024. The bullpen—who knows? But the strength of the team I think will be the starting pitching. There is a lot of depth and talent there. The rotation will make or break this season so I hope it gets in a groove real soon.

The Joey Bart era is over. He was traded to the Pirates for a minor-league righty named Austin Strickland. It's too bad things didn't work out for him in San Francisco. I think there's still a good chance he'll be a quality major-leaguer.

Kyle Harrison gets the start in LA tonight (7:10 Pacific).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

The lineup

I like the addition of Jung Hoo Lee at the top of the lineup for 2024. He should be a solid everyday player with good defense in centerfield. Lee is signed for six years (through 2029) but has an opt-out after four. The only other player with a commitment from the team that long is Logan Webb who is signed through 2028. Jorge Soler will be the everyday DH. He's on a three-year deal. He should bring The Big Stick the Giants have been lacking. LaMonte Wade, Jr. will man first base and likely hit third against righties with Wilmer Flores spelling him against lefties. Matt Chapman is also on a three-year deal but can opt-out next year. He brings a solid bat and superb defense at third base. Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski will handle the outfield corners with Austin Slater getting starts against southpaws and coming in for defense. Thairo Estrada will man second base. Offensively it is an above-average group.

At the bottom of the lineup will be catcher Patrick Bailey who was the best fielder in baseball last year. Backup Tom Murphy supplies some offense at the position. It remains to be seen how the young switch-hitting Bailey will fare with the bat this season. Nick Ahmed supplies the glove at shortstop but is not a hitter (.234/.288/.376 career line). Marco Luciano did not make the cut this spring but remains an option.

Tyler Fitzgerald, a 2019 4th-rounder from Louisville, looks like the guy for the final bench spot. He's listed as a third baseman and a centerfielder. He flashed some pop at AA and AAA. I'm eager to see what he can do.

The 2024 Giants should be better than the 2022 and 2023 Giants. The only problem is that there are three other tough clubs in the NL West (LA, AZ, SD) and all of them have made big moves in the off-season. It's going to be a battle for a playoff spot but I think the Giants have a good group and a real shot to make the post-season.

They open tomorrow in San Diego. Logan Webb will face Yu Darvish at 1:10 PT. Unfortunately I will be "away from my desk" for the next several days and I'm not sure if I will get to post in a timely manner. Regardless, be sure to chime in on the comments.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

The bullpen

Camilo Doval slots in as the closer and he is among the game's best. Get this: in 2022 Doval threw 67-2/3 IP in 68 appearances and allowed 54 hits and 27 runs while whiffing 80 and walking 30. In 2024 he also threw 67-2/3 innings (in 69 games) while allowing 51 hits and 32 runs to go along with 87 whiffs and 26 walks. Let's just say he is easy to project! He had 27 saves in 2023 and led the league with 39 last year. That takes care of the 9th inning.

The Brothers Rogers remain as the set-up men. Righty submariner Tyler will see a lot of work and is still a hard guy to square up. I love watching him pitch! Tyler has been a valuable guy in the late innings and I expect that to continue. His hard-throwing southpaw brother Taylor is very tough on lefties but has struggled with walks lately and is increasingly vulnerable to right-handed hitters. He's the only lefty in the 'pen right now. He's also signed through next year. Taylor is an important veteran arm so let's hope he has a strong season.

Luke Jackson and Ryan Walker round out the top relief spots. The 2024 Giants will be without Jakob Junis and John Brebbia, both solid guys, but some potential replacements are emerging. Non-roster invitees Juan Sanchez, Nick Avila, and Daulton Jeffries seem poised to pick up the final spots (assuming 13 pitchers, 8 in the 'pen). Sanchez is a young (23) lefty from Venezuela, signed as an amateur free agent. Avila is 2019 pick (26th rd.) from Long Beach State. Jeffries is a former Cal star and 1st rounder (2016 #37 overall, Oakland) who has 56 IP of big-league ball under his belt.

We'll see who sticks after this weekend.

--M.C.

Young arms

The Giants have gathered together an intriguing group of young starting pitchers. Three of them were drafted in 2018: Sean Hjelle (rd. 2, no. 45), Keaton Winn (5/130), and Ryan Walker (31/916). They've each had a taste of the majors. All of them are on the 40-man and are competing for the fifth starter spot. (Winn seems to have the inside track.) Tristan Beck, before his injury, was also in the mix. Beck came via the Mark Melancon trade and was also a 2018 draft pick (Braves, 4/112). Another youngster, Mason Black, was picked up in the third round (#85) in 2021. He was a non-roster invitee this spring but is definitely part of the team's plans going forward.

The star pupil of the group is of course 22-year old southpaw phenom Kyle Harrison. He was selected in the 3rd round (#85 overall) of the 2020 draft. Harrison had seven starts last season. They plugged him in to the second slot in the rotation behind Logan Webb in the off-season and only the acquisition of 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell bumped him down a notch or two.

The Giants picked up a young (turns 28 in September) flamethrower in free agency named Jordan Hicks. They are converting him to a starter. He is intriguing because of his raw talent (tops 100 mph regularly) and his "fresh" arm (only 243-1/3 IP in five seasons). He was a third-round pick in the 2015 draft (Cardinals, 105). Another 27-year old (he'll be 28 in November) anchors the staff. Ace Logan Webb is a fully established star.

That's an enviable group for any ballclub to have all together at one time. Now mix in the aforementioned Snell and two capable veterans returning from injury and you have the potential for a great pitching staff. Rotation stalwart Alex Cobb has pitched his best baseball since donning the orange-and-black in 2022. The 36-year old is currently ahead of his rehab schedule and may join the team in May. Lefty Robbie Ray, like Snell a Cy Young Awardee (AL, 2021), is signed through 2026. He is recovering from TJS and likely won't be ready until late in the season.

I'll take a look at the bullpen next.

--M.C.

Giants Sign Blake Snell

Like Matt Chapman, the Giants have been linked to Blake Snell for the entire off-season. Like Matt Chapman, it wasn't just talk. Today it became official. Snell signs a two-year, $62M deal that pays him $15M for 2024 and a $17M bonus down the road if he takes $30M for 2025. It's a crazy Zaidian thing, I know, but it's just fine by me. The Giants needed to beef up the rotation and they signed the best player they could get. Snell is a wild card: when he's good he's the very best; when he's not, he's ordinary. But the reigning NL Cy Young Awardee joins second-place finisher Logan Webb to make a dandy tandem at the top of the rotation. Does this make us contenders?

It's all about Snell's health, of course. If he can pitch he's a dominant presence. Like a lot of today's aces (Jacob deGrom comes to mind) he is often unavailable. That's the risk you take. But it's a worthwhile risk in my mind.

This is the craziest off-season ever, I think. It's a heapin' pile of FNGs!!

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Hullo, Chap!

Matt Chapman has reportedly signed a three-year deal with the Giants. It's $54M with opt-outs. They've been linked to him for the entire off-season but it took until March to get the deal done. He's the first of the 'Boras Four' to break the ice. According to MLBTR the Giants are "still interested" in Blake Snell.

This is exciting news. Chapman immediately improves the team. It's getting crowded on the infield bench, though. They'll have to move someone--I wonder who? Roster Resource is a great place to ponder such questions. Here's the link.

Snell or not, the Giants need another starter.

--M.C.