Willy the Kid

He's 29 so I don't think it fits but I couldn't resist. He did reach the majors as a 22-year old. And Baseball-Reference lists 'The Kid' as his nickname. Regardless, as Zo said in the comments on the previous post, this is something the Giants needed to do. It's a whopper of a deal by SFG standards--seven years and $182M--but it's not so much on the breakdown. Major league shortstops cost this much. At $10M per WAR he would have to be an 18-WAR player over the life of the contract. That seems reasonable. He's a 20+ WAR player over his first seven seasons. His reputation is that of an all-rounder. He's not great at anything in particular, just good at everything. He's a ballplayer. A Buster kind of guy.

Adames makes the left side of the Giants infield really strong. He and Matt Chapman will put on a show and create a lot of outs. This moves Tyler Fitzgerald to second base where he will be a better fit.

The Giants have been linked to Corbin Burnes and that would be a good move, too.

--M.C.

Happy Thanksgiving!

When Blake Snell opted out of his last start I think we all knew he wasn't coming back. Oh, I had visions of them throwing money at him, but after Posey was PoBOed reality set in. Of course the Dodgers have a spare $182M for a guy like Snell and the Giants aren't going to play that game. They don't have LA's financial muscle or its star appeal. Whatever. The Giants will have to improve in other ways. There won't be a Christmas Miracle like Juan Soto.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We all have much to be thankful for. Perhaps the Posey Effect will kick in this winter and San Francisco will field a really good, really cool team next spring. Or perhaps not. Either way, life/baseball goes on!

I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.

--M.C.

 

p.s. The Giants have been linked to Tomoyuki Sugano, a veteran NPB ace.

1948

Of the last four teams standing in the post-season, three of them have MLB's highest payrolls. Cot's Contracts has two payroll lists, one called Year End 40-man and the other called CB Tax 40-man. In the first list it goes Mets ($341.5M), Yankees ($303.8M), and Dodgers ($288.3M). Figuring in the Competitive Balance Tax keeps the Mets ($356.2M) in the top spot with the Dodgers ($351.7M) and Yankees ($314.8M) switching places.

The three highest-spending teams in the two biggest baseball markets are in the League Championship Series. That's the semi-finals. The winners go to the World Series. The networks are guaranteed one LA-NY matchup (that starts tonight on Fox) and may get two.

The Cleveland Guardians are 21st ($106.1M) and 23rd ($139.7M) on the two payroll lists. They have not won the World Series since 1948, back when they were the Indians and had guys like Bob Feller and Larry Doby. Any discerning baseball fan who isn't rooting for the Guardians is doing the game a disservice. I'll exempt lifelong fans of the other clubs. After all, somebody must like them.

--M.C.

p.s. The moneyline (Fanduel) on winning the whole thing stands at Dodgers (+150), Yankees (+170), Mets (+410), and finally the Guardians (+550). If you bet 100 bucks on the Bums you'll clear 50 bucks if they win. They are 3-to-2 favorites. The longshot G's will make you a profit of 450 bucks if they pull off two upsets. Their odds come in at 11-to-2.

PoBO Posey

When I first heard the news I only caught the part about Farhan Zaidi being let go. I wasn't happy. I wasn't surprised, but I felt that continuity was important. And the FZ & Co. draft picks were finally coming of age and that, it seemed to me, would be a better criterion for judgment. But this is pro sports and results are what matters. And other than the 2021 NL West title this club has not produced the results during FZ's tenure.

Then I found out that they were naming franchise legend (and part owner) BUSTER POSEY to be the new President of Baseball Operations.

Now THAT is operating on an entirely new level! What's next, Brandon Crawford gets BoMel's job? Just kidding. Seriously, this is a big deal. All that talk about Buster wanting to spend more time with his family, yadda-yadda-yadda, and it turns out his competitive fires are still burning. He will get to spend more time with his family, sure. But he will be under enormous scrutiny. This is a high-profile gig, man. And the expectations will be off-the-charts. It's Buster Fucking Posey! Phenom. RoY. MVP. World Series Champion. It's quite a resume and it is all in orange-and-black.

Slick move by ownership. A+ rating for energizing the fanbase.

What say you, Giants fans?

--M.C.

p.s. this was so important I had to post even though I'm still "away from my desk"

80

SF 6  STL 5

Until this afternoon's victory the Giants were 0-4 against the Cardinals. They blew a 5-2 lead but recovered to win with the help of a throwing error by St. Louis reliever Matthew Liberatore. Two straight losses before today pushed their total to 81 so the best they can do is .500 with a win tomorrow. It's a disappointing season, that's for sure. I really felt like they had a more competitive roster this year. I do agree with Farhan Zaidi that the Giants have an excellent group of youngsters for 2025.

Matt Chapman got the obviously well-deserved Willie Mac Award. Blake Snell bailed out of today's start in favor of rookie Tristan Beck but he said lots of nice things about the Giants. I think they should sign him--it's just money, after all. What else is there to spend it on?

I'm going to be "away from my desk" for a week or so. Then we can start talking about next year. Tomorrow's finale is 12:05 and Hayden Birdsong gets the call.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants power-stomp Snakes

SF 11  ARI 0

Not only did the Giants claw their way back to .500 (79-79) with last night's thumping win they also pushed their run difference into positive territory (+7). Five home runs from the lineup and six scoreless frames from Logan Webb were too much for the Diamondbacks. Arizona might be watching its Wild Card chances slip away. This game was over in the 3rd inning. Tristan Beck threw a scoreless 7th and Austin Warren got the last six outs.

The Giants have won five straight scoring thirty runs and allowing only four. Mason Black gets the start tonight.

Let's get a sweep!

--M.C.

Spoiler Alert

SF 6  ARI 3

The Giants messed things up for the Kansas City Royals and they put the same hurt on the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight in Phoenix. Who are these guys? Why didn't they play like this last month? Anyway, the Giants played another good game and backed up Hayden Birdsong (5 IP, 2 R, 6 K) and annoyed the Arizona fan base. The New York Mets are now 1/2 game ahead for the final Wild Card spot in the NL. Matt Chapman drove in half the the runs with an inside-the-park homer (he really is fast!) and a triple. The bullpen did another stellar job to nail down the victory.

Logan Webb goes tomorrow. In his last five starts he's gone a mere (by his standards) 26 innings and allowed a whopping (by his standards) 19 runs. Mason Black is listed for Wednesday. There's an off-day on Thursday and I expect Blake Snell will get a start on the weekend series against the Cardinals. It looks like they may not bring back Webb at all and finish out with another start from Birdsong and perhaps Landon Roupp. Webb needs 1-1/3 IP to reach 200 for the second season in a row.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Road Warriors

The Giants are playing their best baseball of the season on this final road trip. It started with an emphatic 10-0 win in Baltimore on Tuesday. Blake Snell threw six shutout innings allowing one hit and whiffing twelve. Hayden Birdsong and the bullpen toughed out a 5-3 win the next day behind homers from Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto. Logan Webb started the finale but the Orioles edged out a win and the Giants had to be content with a series victory.

In Kansas City the Giants small-balled past the Royals in a nail-biting 2-1 win on Friday. Mason Black got his first "W" with five scoreless frames. Heliot Ramos had a single, a double, and a triple. He scored one of the runs and drove in the other. Camilo Doval got a pulse-pounding save. On Saturday the Giants put on a show much like the one in Baltimore, thumping the Royals 9-0. Both Matt Chapman and LaMonte Wade, Jr. hit two homers. Landen Roupp threw five scoreless and Spencer Bivens and Tristan Beck added two scoreless innings apiece.

In the finale today the Giants got their sweep behind Blake Snell's six scoreless (two hits, nine strikeouts). Sean Hjelle, Tyler Rogers, and Ryan Walker were unscored upon in the final three innings and the Giants had a tidy 2-0 victory. That Snell guy is pretty good and I think the Giants should give him a bazillion dollars.

It's too bad we didn't see this version of the team a few months ago. Nonetheless there is something to play for--a .500 finish. They are 77-79 with six games left. There are three in Arizona the next three nights (6:40 PT start times). Thursday is the last off-day and then there is the weekend series at home against the Cardinals. They have to go 4-2 and that seems very doable.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

17-hit attack subdues Brewers

SF 13  MIL 2

The tally included seven doubles and three homers. The Giants had an 8-0 lead after two innings. The most runs they've scored this season was 14, that was in a 14-4 win over the Rockies in May. Last night's margin of victory--11 runs--was the year's biggest. They did lose 17-1 to the Diamondbacks (a Snell start) in April, and 14-3 to the Phillies in May.

Jerar Encarnacion hit an opposite-field home to RF. That's pretty rare for a right-hander in San Francisco. Everyone in the linuep had a hit except Heliot Ramos, but he did walk and score. Austin Warren was recalled from the minors and pitched in relief.

Hayden Birdsong tonight (6:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

8th inning: 8-10

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 8-10

5th inning: 9-9

6th inning: 9-9 

7th inning: 10-8 

8th inning: 8-10

That puts them at 71-73 (.493) over 144 games or 8/9 of the season.

The homer-happy Giants pounded out a big 7-1 lead over the Padres this afternoon but almost let it get away before hanging on to win 7-6. Taylor Rogers and Camilo Doval were the late-inning relievers who gave up five runs but they got some help. Rookie infielders Tyler Fitzgerald and Marco Luciano collided on a routine pop-up to keep a rally going. That's what happens with rookies. Luciano is new to second base as well. Those two need to learn to communicate!

Matt Chapman, Jerar Encarnacion, Luis Matos, and Curt Casali all homered for the Giants.They got seven straight hits in the 4th off Joe Musgrove and scored six runs. Giants starter Spencer Bivens wasn't scored upon until the 5th, he left with one out and one run in. That was a big effort in an emergency-start situation.

Tomorrow is an off-day. They are then home for six games: three against the Brewers and three more against the Padres. The website hasn't listed a starter for Tuesday night (6:45 Pacific) but it lines up to be Hayden Birdsong.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

McCray leads the way

SF 6  SD 3

Rookie Grant McCray had a big night: two homers and five runs batted in to power the Giants past the Padres. Logan Webb had to really work as San Diego's potent lineup tagged him for ten hits in his six frames but he held the line and managed a quality start. Sterling relief work from Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, and Ryan Walker nailed it down.

It didn't look good in the 1st when the Padres jumped on Webb for a quick two but the Giants responded with three of their own from the bottom of the lineup. A hit by Patrick Bailey, another by Brett Wisely, and then McCray got his first crack at glory and launched a two-out three-run bomb to take the lead. He got another chance with the bases loaded in the 4th but could only manage a no-RBI double-play grounder that upped the lead to 4-2.

San Diego dinged Webb for another in the 5th but he put up a zero in the 6th. It was a tight contest until the 9th when McCray, again with two outs, hit a homer, this time driving in Bailey who had walked. It was a sweet moment for the 23-year-old and for the ballclub. This is just the kind of thing the Giants need to see--the young players in the system "serving notice" for 2025!

Grant McCray is the son of Rodney McCray who had a "cuppa coffee" in the early 90s. He was a 3rd-round pick in 2019. The 4th-round pick was Tyler Fitzgerald.

Spencer Bivens is listed on the website as tomorrow's starter (1:10 PT). Kyle Harrison went on the 15-day IL. His season is likely over.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Walk-off win snaps skid

SF 3  ARI 2

The Giants got their first September win in grand walk-off style. Tyler Fitzgerald led off the bottom of the 9th with a single, stole second, and was doubled home by Patrick Bailey. Youth movement, baby. Speaking of youth, how about Landen Roupp? That was a game-saving long-relief performance (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 W, 5 K) from the 25-year-old rookie. Blake Snell left after an ugly 42-pitch 1st inning and Roupp gave the Giants a chance to come back. And they did thanks to a two-run single from Bailey in the 4th. Erik Miller and Tyler Rogers handled the 6th and 7th but Camilo Doval had to be bailed out in the 8th by Ryan Walker, who also took care of the 9th.

Wins will be just as tough to come by this weekend as the Giants go to San Diego. The website has not listed the starters but it looks like Black-Webb-Harrison. Monday is an off-day.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Chapman extension

From MLBTR:

The Giants made a major splash overnight, announcing that they’ve extended the contract of third baseman Matt Chapman. The deal guarantees Chapman $151MM over six years and runs from 2025 to 2030, with a $25MM annual salary and a $1MM signing bonus paid out in 2025. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Chapman’s deal contains a no-trade clause.

No surprise here. I could see this one coming. Chapman has 150 more PAs than anyone else on the team! He's been a rock--clearly the club MVP. FanGraphs credits him with 4.5 WAR, Baseball-Reference says 6.0 WAR.

It's a risk signing a ballplayer to an extension at his age (he's 32 next year). But the Giants need some building blocks. Logan Webb and Jung Hoo Lee are the only other players with long-term deals (through 2028). Robbie Ray and Jordan Hicks are both signed through 2026. Now we have to find out if any of the youngsters are going to stick!

It's Blake Snell today at 12:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

VSC

SF 3  FLA 1

It was The Veteran Savvy Clutchness Show last night in San Francisco. Starter Blake Snell threw a great game and team MVP Matt Chapman delivered the winning hit. Snell was unscored upon through six frames but came out for the 7th and gave up a run. The home squad didn't get anything going against Marlins righty Adam Oiler but managed to load the bases against reliever Mike Baumann in the 8th. Chapman knocked in all three with a double to left-center. Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker got the last six outs.

The website says 24-year-old Mason Black is the starter tonight (6:05 Pacific). He hasn't pitched in the bigs since his debut in May when he had three starts and a relief appearance. He's a 2021 third-round pick from Lehigh and has been pitching for the River Cats in the meantime.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

"Waiving" the flag

The Giants waived three players yesterday: Thairo Estrada, Taylor Rogers, and Tyler Matzek. Matzek came in the Soler trade has been on the IL. Seems like they are waving the white flag on 2024.

Here's MLBTR:

Estrada, Rogers and Matzek were not designated for assignment. They can continue to play for the Giants pending resolution of the waiver process. If they go unclaimed, San Francisco can (and quite likely will) simply keep them on the roster for the rest of the season. However, waivers are irrevocable. If another team places a claim on anyone, the Giants do not have the ability to rescind the placement.

There's more to come, I expect. Take a look at Cot's Contracts. Veterans still in the arb-process like Yaz ($7.9M this year) and Wade ($3.5M this year) might be looking over their shoulders at the large crop of youngsters behind them.

This is that cruel time where teams like the Giants have to think about next season. Who will stay and who will go? There are 28 games left and the odds of being a Wild Card team are increasingly long. Nothing a ten-game winning streak wouldn't cure of course, but this team has not managed even a five-game winning streak this year!

Today's game is 11:10 Pacific. Birdsong gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Yaz' late homer lifts Giants

SF 5  MIL 4

This was a big win on the road against a tough club. The Giants are clinging to the edges of the race--ESPN gives them a less than 3% chance to make the playoffs. Just this week Randy Rodriguez, Jordan Hicks, and Robbie Ray have all landed on the injured list!

Tonight it was homers that made the difference. Logan Webb uncharacteristically gave up two homers, plus three walks, and couldn't get out of the 6th inning. The lineup bailed him out with the big blasts. Mike Yastrzemski's came in the 7th and that finished the scoring. The bullpen delivered four scoreless innings: Camilo Doval (1), Landen Roupp (2/3), Tyler Rogers (1-1/3), and Ryan Walker (1) for the save.

Tomorrow night (5:10 PT) Kyle Harrison gets the start. Balls were flying out of the yard tonight so let's hope he can keep a lid on the home runs and have his strikeout stuff working.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Giants picked up local boy (Granite Bay) and former Cal star Andrew Knapp to play catcher. He had a short stint with the team in 2022.

A win!

SF 4  SEA 3

It was another close one--the Giants almost blew a lead late in the game, but this time they held on for the win. Just-recalled Camilo Doval was very effective in his 1-1/3 IP spanning the 7th and the 8th, and Ryan Walker kept his new closer job with a scoreless 9th. Starter Blake Snell walked six guys in three frames and had to be bailed out by Spencer Bivens. The lineup tagged George Kirby for nine hits and three runs over the first five. Mike Yastrzemski's solo shot in the 7th provided the winning margin. The Mariners had only four hits but still scored three runs.

Tomorrow is another day game (1:10 Pacific). Wouldn't it be great to have an entirely West Coast schedule? It's so civilized to play a ballgame at one in the afternoon! There are certainly enough teams: SF, SEA, OAK, SD, LAA, and LAD. And Arizona is on MST all summer which is the same as PDT. To hell with traveling and to hell with the East Coast. Ah well, a guy can dream.

Robbie Ray is listed for tomorrow. Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb gets Cained

CHW 6  SF 2

The Giants lost to the worst team in baseball despite another great start (8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 W, 6 K) from Logan Webb. He was efficient, too: 93 pitches to 27 batters. Once he was pulled from the game the two guys in the 9th (Erik Miller and Spencer Bivens) combined to give up four runs. The Giants had their chances, of course. And they squandered them, of course. It's hard to believe a team can hit this badly in run-scoring opportunities!

It's an off-day tomorrow, thank goodness. I need a break! This team is maddening.

After that it's a weekend series in Seattle. The rotation has not been posted on the website but it looks like Birdsong-Snell-Harrison.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Three in a row

SF 4  CHW 1

A strong start from Robbie Ray and two RBIs from Heliot Ramos pushed the Giants past the White Sox and kept the dream alive for another night. At 65-63 the Giants are a game behind the Mets and 3-1/2 behind the Braves for the third and final Wild Card spot. They still have a legit shot to make the post-season--they just have to keep winning! Right now the Padres (72-55) and the Diamondbacks (71-56) have a grip on the first two spots and are actually threatening the Dodgers for the division title.

Tomorrow Logan Webb starts the getaway game at 12:45 Pacific. Then it is a weekend series in Seattle starting Friday night.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants hang in there

 SF 5  CHW 3

It went from a comfy 5-1 lead to a nail-biting 5-3 edge but they got the job done and won a game they needed to win. At this point they need to win every damn game. Kyle Harrison got through six with minimal damage and was well supported by the lineup's four-run outburst in the 5th. Things got a little shaky with the relief corps but they held on. Jordan Hicks was tossed into the closer role after Ryan Walker's two-inning effort yesterday and he delivered despite two hits and a blown double play.

Robbie Ray gets the start tomorrow night (6:45 PT). 

Go Giants!

--M.C.