Hi, everyone! I will be "away from my desk" for the next week or so. Posting and commenting will be a bit of a challenge so I may not keep up. I'll be following the team, of course, and rooting for the lads to do well. Let's use the comments section as an "open thread" to talk about things. (And perhaps the Mystic Zo will honor us with a post or two.) Meanwhile, chime in a lot and say what is on your mind! I'm looking forward to this 2023 season.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
The roster seems to be shaping up. It looks like Mitch Haniger will start the season on the IL. Austin Slater is also a question mark for Opening Day. That opens up a spot for switch-hitting 2017 6th-round pick Bryce Johnson who is known for his speed and his CF glove. Catcher/outfielder Blake Sabol will likely get the nod as well. Roberto Pérez will make the team as the backup backstop and Joey Bart will be the starting catcher. Sabol is a lefty hitter and I can't say if the Giants have plans for him at catcher but he's had a good spring and impressed the bosses. He's a Rule 5 pick so he has to stay on the ML-roster or he goes back to the Pirates.
If we assume LaMonte Wade, Jr. (1B), Thairo Estrada (2B), David Villar (3B), and Brandon Crawford (SS) make up the primary infield then adding Pérez and Bart makes six spots. Wilmer Flores and J.D. Davis bring the tally to eight. Wade and BCraw are left-handed batters.
The outfield will be anchored by two left-handed hitters, Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto, along with the aforementioned Johnson and Sabol. Add in lefty-hitting Joc Pederson and the roster hits lucky thirteen. Ideally Pederson will DH but with Haniger and Slater out he may have to wear a glove now and then. He's donned a mitt for first base as well but let's hope Davis and Flores can handle those chores behind Wade.
FNGs Sean Manaea (lefty) and Ross Stripling (righty) will be in the starting rotation along with Alex Wood (lefty) and of course Logan Webb (righty). The only question mark is righty Alex Cobb who took a liner off his knee and has been sidelined. They'll probably just push him back from his scheduled April 1st start (the #2 spot) in New York. Anthony DeSclafani (righty) appears to be the sixth man at this point or perhaps he and Jakob Junis (righty) can fight over it. That also brings up Sean Hjelle (righty) who will break camp with the big club. He's also impressed the bosses this spring. He's been a starter in the minors but was used as a reliever last year. Now we are up to twenty-one.
The final five are set: Camilo Doval (righty), The Rogers Brothers (righty Tyler & and lefty Taylor), John Brebbia (righty), and Scott Alexander (lefty).
Things can change of course.
Sergio Romo, who signed a minors deal, will take the mound for the last time on the 27th at home (exhibition) against the A's. He'll retire with the Giants. Great move—he's certainly a beloved player. Real baseball starts on the 30th when Logan Webb squares off against Gerrit Cole and the Yankees in NYC.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
p.s. I thought the World Baseball Classic was great. I didn't get to see much of it but I liked the stories and I thought the tournament was a fine showcase for the sport. I hope they keep it going as it looked like a lot of fun for both the players and the fans.
Apparently you have to "give voice" to PitchCom. The Giants used their director of video coaching Fernando Perez in that role last season. This spring bullpen and catching coach Craig Albernaz had to step in and add his voice to the mix. Albernaz is from Massachusetts (Fall River) and has a distinctive regional accent. It's a funny story, you should check it out. My parents are from Boston and I've been "Maahk" all my life so I understand. When asked if they will use his voice for the regular season Albernaz said:
“I think we’re going to have Fernando do it because he has a professional setup, so it makes sense,” Albernaz said. “We might keep some of them -- like slider and cutter -- for the boys.”
CUTTAH! CUTTAH!
Happy Saint Patrick's Day.
--M.C.
The only thing that really matters in Spring Training is player health. Injuries happen all the time in the game but the ones that happen in the pre-season are the most frustrating. Both Mitch Haniger and Brandon Crawford have been shut down recently and we all know those are key guys. So far there's no real replacement for BCraw. If his knee flares up again I suppose we'll see Thairo Estrada man the SS position and that will probably make a spot for Isan Díaz (who was optioned to AAA already). Haniger was expected to beef up a shaky outfield group and to be in the lineup most days. They are saying he'll be back in a week. Luis González will have back surgery and is out for at least the first half of the year. I did not expect him to make the team but his loss puts a dent in the depth chart. Fortunately Austin Slater is back (he had 4 RBI today in a 7-6 win over AZ) and appears to be on track for Opening Day.
Alex Cobb took a liner off his knee but it does not appear to be a serious injury. Kyle Harrison, the phenom, got knocked around a bit in his appearances and will open the season in AAA. One of the cool stories in camp was Ronald Guzmán, a former first baseman who wants to be a two-way player. He's been popping 97 mph but will now be out until May with an elbow strain. Otherwise the staff looks healthy and should be a strength of the club.
The Giants have twelve more play-dates before their first real game on the 30th. Let's hope they keep everyone in good shape until then.
--M.C.
Ideally the Giants will platoon in centerfield with Austin Slater and Mike Yastrzemski. Unfortunately Slater was shut down with "right elbow neuritis" and will not hit or throw for a week. Let's hope he's back to full health soon. Yaz was scratched on Tuesday with a sore knee but it's not seen as serious. Luis González is also out for 4-6 weeks with a back strain. The outfield situation looks a little more fluid than before but it is too soon to tell if the Giants will need to make a move. FNGs Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger are not projected to play center and Conforto is coming off shoulder surgery and has not seen time in the field yet. Opening Day is the 30th of this month, just a few weeks away!
Top prospect Kyle Harrison made his Spring debut and got hit around a little. "Welcome to the bigs, kid!" I'm very excited about his emergence this season. I hope we get to see him on the major league club real soon. Another minor league hurler, Cole Waites (he had a cup of coffee at the end of last season) is recovering from a lat strain but was cleared to pitch starting yesterday. He jumped from A+ to AAA last year and is clearly on the fast track. He should be ready by the start of the season but may not have a spot on the staff just yet. He's another one to keep an eye on.
Tristan Beck got a start in Arizona and logged two frames. He was a starter at Stanford and has 49 more starts in the minors. He was acquired for Mark Melancon in 2019. He'll likely stay at AAA since the Giants have both Jakob Junis (who also had a two-inning start in Arizona) and Anthony DeSclafani. "TonyD" has yet to see action but is projected to be in the bullpen at this point. Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, and Sean Manaea got the other Spring starts. FNG Ross Stripling will likely be in the rotation but Sean Hjelle is getting a look and might get a spot if DeSclafani goes back on the IL. Sam Long, a lefty, will probably make the team—he's thrown the most innings (3) so far.
I'm assuming Camilo Doval, the Rogers Brothers, and John Brebbia are locks. Scott Alexander seems like an easy call, too. And Junis. That leaves two spots for an eight-man 'pen. It's good to have depth and lots of guys fighting to make the cut.
The Giants are 2-3 after five games and have scored 33 runs. Joey Bart has made the most of his chances with two doubles and a homer in two games. FNG catcher-outfielder Blake Sabol has four hits in his three games. Young third baseman Casey Schmitt is 3-for-6. He's known for his glove but has shown pop in the minors. David Villar has been tagged as the "incumbent" at third base. Like Bart he is 26 and ought to be coming into his prime. Both guys have a chance to really make a mark with the team this year.
--M.C.
