Their are a few new faces for Giants fans this season. The biggest signing of the off-season is 29-year old lefty starter Carlos Rodón. He was the 3rd overall pick in the 2014 draft which included Tyler Beede at #14. Rodón has always had big strikeout stuff but has struggled with command. He put it all together last season for 24 starts (132-2/3 IP). He struck out 185 of the 534 batters he faced against only 36 walks, allowing just 91 hits (13 HR). It was good for a 183 ERA+ and 5.0 bWAR. One of his starts was a no-hitter against Cleveland. When he's healthy he's an ace. He's often not healthy (only 121 appearances in seven seasons) and the White Sox cut him loose despite his outstanding work. They have four other starters (Lucas Gliotto, Lance Lynn, Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease) and weren't willing to extend a Qualifying Offer. The Giants, in what is surely an organizational pattern, gave him big money ($44M) for a short term (2 years with an opt-out). It's a high-risk move but potentially high-reward as well as Rodón has serious talent. He will wear no. 16 after wearing no. 55 in Chicago.
Another 29-year old free agent pitcher, righty Jakob Junis, also signed with the Giants and will be under team control next season. He also has a minor-league option remaining. He's a swing man who will likely start and relieve as well as serve as an opener. He's logged over 500 IP in the bigs since his 2017 debut with the Royals.
An intriguing 30-year old right-handed starter (and former closer!) Carlos Martinez signed a minors deal with the Giants but is expected to make the big-league roster. He spent his career with the Cardinals (274 games, 967 IP) and was a top starter from 2015-2017. He notched 24 saves out of the 'pen in 2019 but has struggled to stay healthy since then.
Alex Cobb came on board before the lockout. The 34-year old righty has 174 starts (1010-1/3 IP) in his ten seasons with the Rays, Orioles, and Angels. He boasts strong ground ball numbers and good walk rates. His 3.87 ERA is just about the same as his 3.94 FIP which is a tick above league average. He has a two-year deal with an option ($20M total).
The rest of the staff returns from last season. Logan Webb is emerging as a front-line beast and does not start his arb-clock until next year. Anthony DeSclafani had a superb season and was rewarded with a three-year deal ($36M total). Solid lefty Alex Wood is back for two years ($25M total)
The relief corps is the same with Jake McGee, Tyler Rogers, Dominic Leone, Jarlin Garcia, Zack Littell, and Jose Alvarez all still in the mix. Youngsters Camilo Doval and Kervin Castro will be part of the team, too. John Brebbia has recovered from TJS and should be able to compete for a spot. And the above-mentioned Tyler Beede will be at AAA with Sean Hjelle, Gregory Santos, and lefty Sammy Long. It's an FZ team so expect a lot of movement.
I should note that the new CBA has a re-defined "option." It used to be if a player had an option he could be sent back-and-forth to the minors as many times as the team needed in one season. Now that movement is limited to five trips. The Giants used the option 69 times (Jason Vosler and Thairo Estrada each had 7, Sammy Long and Chadwick Tromp each had 5) in 2021. The PoBO's job got just a wee bit harder, perhaps.
Spring Training games start on Friday. Camp is going to be a busy place! Opening Day is April 7th.
--M.C.
12 comments:
Looks like Seiya Suzuki will go to the Cubs. $85M for five years plus the posting fee makes it a $100M move. Doesn't seem like a lot. Giants could have done that easily, as could the Padres or Dodgers or Mariners or etc. Maybe the Giants didn't think he was that good, or more likely they could get similar production from low-cost players.
Why the Cubs? Seems like that organization is dumping talent and starting over.
Cubs owners (the Ricketts family) want to buy Chelsea FC. Global branding, global branding, global branding. Now I get the pursuit of NPB star Suzuki.
Suzuki denied he's made a decision on his instagram account.
Fool.
Kris Bryant is apparently a Roxie with a seven year, $182 million deal. Well, can't blame him for taking that. We all knew he wasn't going to be a Giant. Still, 7 yrs?
Craziness. I'm glad the Giants didn't do that.
I heard the giants were talking as far out as 5 years. 7 years 182 million, good for the Rockies. But, do they have a chance to be competitive? If not, why would Bryant want to go there?
Just heard the Giants signed Joc Pederson. One year, $6M. He seems like an Alex Dickerson replacement. He's actually a Bay Area kid--Paly High.
Not very exciting but very Zaidian.
I got this on MLBTR but no confirmation.
Jon will have re-craft his 'your name is underwear' taunt, now that (WS Champion) Joc is one of the good guys now.
And, Freddie Freeman ... what a dick. Does FZ try to get Muncy now that he's surplus to requirements in LA? He plays multiple Positions, & we need a DH, too.
They say it was adding a 6th year that got Freeman to LA. He'll be 38 by then. They are paying for the first two or three seasons and then writing off the rest.
The Giants go out and get another starting pitcher, 31-year old southpaw Matthew Boyd (1 yr, $5M w/ incentives).
The big bats are all off the board. The Giants are going to build the team around pitching--they've committed over $60M to arms just for 2022.
Max Muncy makes half ($13M) of what they will pay Freeman ($27M)! And I believe he's a FA next year. Anyway, they are once again over-loaded with talent.
I thought the Giants would focus on right-handed hitters. Ruf, Flores, Slater, Longoria, and the catchers (Bart/Casali). Thairo Estrada was intriguing last year and BCraw is going to need a backup at SS. Mauricio Dubon seemed to go the other way and might have hit his ceiling. There's still Jaylin Davis. Maybe Wil Wilson could get promoted?
Heliot Ramos is supposed to open the season at AAA and some are projecting him to be in the majors this year. The rest of the prospects are probably still too young. Seems like the Giants could use a proven ML RH bat.
FZ has his ways. It's easy to see that Billy Beane was his mentor. That's not a bad thing, it just relies on a lot of moving parts. The Dodgers just buy extra thunder to cover any bad breaks. The Giants don't want to do that, it seems. Maybe in the future when they've beefed up the farm system enough that they can trade their upper prospects. Right now they don't have the luxury to do that.
Giants are trying to get the most bang for the buck. They have not been cheap but they also have not been Super spenders. Seems as if Pederson, is a couple of years younger than Dickerson and Pederson is a much better fielder. I am not sure however, if he is a better hitter, but it is close. Also Dickerson seems to be very fragile when it comes of injury. Pederson did grow up a giants fan. We do have Heliot Ramos and maybe it is time for him to leave his mark. I was, and still am hoping for a very solid acquisitions of a strong hitting, slick fielding right hand hitting outfielder.
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