Melvin Adon (R), amateur free agent (DR), 26 this June, no ML service.
Shaun Anderson (R), acquired via Eduardo Nunez trade with Red Sox, 27, 93 IP ML service.
Tyler Anderson (L), 1st-round pick (#20) in 2011 by COL, 30, waiver claim, 71 ML starts
Tyler Beede (R), Giants 1st-round pick (#14) in 2014, 27 this May, 24 ML starts
Sam Coonrod (R) Giants 5th-round pick in 2014, 27, 27-2/3 IP ML service.
Enderson Franco (R), international free agent (Ven), 27, "cuppa coffee" in 2019 (5-1/3 IP)
I skipped Johnny Cueto because you all know about him. He was brilliant in 2016 (5.5 bWAR), but limited by injuries since then. He underwent Tommy John surgery and he appeared to recover in record time. If he is healthy he will be a force. Not to mention entertaining as hell--the guy is a true performer!
Thoughts on the others: look out for The Andersons. Shaun displayed an abundance of moxie in both starting and relieving roles. Look for him to be an opener, starter, and/or closer. This guy is an FZ dream--young, talented, and flexible. Let's hope he does well. Tyler has some serious talent--the Giants claimed him, non-tendered him, then signed him. Whoa, I don't understand all that shit, but whatever. Clear candidate for a bounceback. Keep an eye on The Andersons.
Melvin Adon is a whiff artist. He could be a late-inning gas-tosser. Tyler Beede is obviously talented and he showed flashes of dominance last season. Can he harness The Beast Within Him? Who knows? Let's hope he finds it.
Sam Coonrod had a 118 ERA+ and Enderson Franco had a 132 ERA+ (in 2019). Accentuate the positive, right?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Friday, January 3, 2020
The 40-man roster: infielders
A team gets between 6,000 and 6,200 plate appearances in a 162-game season. That means from 2010 to 2019 the Giants came to the plate about 60,000 to 62,000 times. I'm going to settle on 61,000 PA for my estimate. Buster Posey got 5,136 of those, or about 8%. Adding Brandon Crawford (4,718) and Brandon Belt (4,221) together those 8,939 PA are almost 15% of the total. Three guys accounted for almost a quarter of all the trips to the plate from 2010-2019! That's remarkable.
Yes, Brandon Belt will be the first baseman and Brandon Crawford will be the shortstop in 2020. We know the stories: aging players, diminished production, high salaries, no-trade clauses, etc. Let's hope they are healthy and hit more like their younger selves in the upcoming season.
At second base we will see last year's surprise player Donovan Solano (.330/.360/.456 in 81 games). He will also see time at short. If a 32-year old can hit .330 again I'll be very happy. 25-year old Mauricio Dubon won over fans in his brief stint at second with his flashy style, athleticism, and youthful exuberance. He came over in the Drew Pomeranz trade. He will likely get a lot of time at both short and second. I'm excited to see what he can do.
Evan Longoria will man the hot corner again. His .762 OPS was his best mark since 2016. He's 34 and has started about 120 games in each of the last two seasons. Pablo Sandoval won't be around to back him up so we'll have to look at some of the new guys.
Abiatal Avelino will be 25 in February. He is primarily a 2B/SS but has played 3B in the minors. He came to the Giants from the Yankees in the Andrew McCutchen trade. The righty has been in pro ball since he was 17 and has played in over 900 games. Lefty hitter Kean Wong will be 25 in April. He was claimed by the Giants off waivers in November. He was a 4th-round pick by the Rays in 2014. He's listed as a second baseman but has played all over the diamond in the minors. He had an .839 OPS at AAA-Durham last season. His middle name is Keanu and he is Kolten Wong's brother. Veteran SS/3B Zack Cozart enters his 10th big league season. He's racked up 15+ bWAR since his debut in 2011. He had an outstanding 2017 for the Reds (when he was 31) but has been limited by injuries since then. He was a throw-in (salary relief) when the Giants traded for the Angels' 2019 1st round pick (#15) Will Wilson. Wilson is a 2B/SS from NC State. He'll probably be assigned to Salem-Keizer or Augusta (A-league). The Giants gave up LHP Garrett Williams in the deal.
Next up are the pitchers. There are 23 listed. It may take a few posts!
--M.C.
Yes, Brandon Belt will be the first baseman and Brandon Crawford will be the shortstop in 2020. We know the stories: aging players, diminished production, high salaries, no-trade clauses, etc. Let's hope they are healthy and hit more like their younger selves in the upcoming season.
At second base we will see last year's surprise player Donovan Solano (.330/.360/.456 in 81 games). He will also see time at short. If a 32-year old can hit .330 again I'll be very happy. 25-year old Mauricio Dubon won over fans in his brief stint at second with his flashy style, athleticism, and youthful exuberance. He came over in the Drew Pomeranz trade. He will likely get a lot of time at both short and second. I'm excited to see what he can do.
Evan Longoria will man the hot corner again. His .762 OPS was his best mark since 2016. He's 34 and has started about 120 games in each of the last two seasons. Pablo Sandoval won't be around to back him up so we'll have to look at some of the new guys.
Abiatal Avelino will be 25 in February. He is primarily a 2B/SS but has played 3B in the minors. He came to the Giants from the Yankees in the Andrew McCutchen trade. The righty has been in pro ball since he was 17 and has played in over 900 games. Lefty hitter Kean Wong will be 25 in April. He was claimed by the Giants off waivers in November. He was a 4th-round pick by the Rays in 2014. He's listed as a second baseman but has played all over the diamond in the minors. He had an .839 OPS at AAA-Durham last season. His middle name is Keanu and he is Kolten Wong's brother. Veteran SS/3B Zack Cozart enters his 10th big league season. He's racked up 15+ bWAR since his debut in 2011. He had an outstanding 2017 for the Reds (when he was 31) but has been limited by injuries since then. He was a throw-in (salary relief) when the Giants traded for the Angels' 2019 1st round pick (#15) Will Wilson. Wilson is a 2B/SS from NC State. He'll probably be assigned to Salem-Keizer or Augusta (A-league). The Giants gave up LHP Garrett Williams in the deal.
Next up are the pitchers. There are 23 listed. It may take a few posts!
--M.C.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
The 40-man roster: catchers
There are currently two: Buster Posey and Aramis Garcia. Buster was the catcher in 101 games last year. He was the starter in 96 and he finished 84 of those. His 846 innings at backstop were the most since 2016 (1,069). He played first base in only four games (24 innings). I expect more of the same, especially since the Giants have several guys who can use a mitt. Buster's value is behind the plate. If he can get close to his career hitting norms again (.826 OPS) he'll be an All-Star. That's far from certain, but I do expect a bounce back from his career low (.688) last season. If he can be a league-average hitter (~.750 OPS) that would be great.
It seems they are expecting a lot from Garcia. The 2014 2nd-round pick hit well in a limited role (.800 OPS in 65 PA) in 2018 and hit poorly in a similar role (.527 OPS in 46 PA) last season. In 253 MLB innings he's logged 139 at catcher and 114 at first base. He'll be 27 next week so this is his opportunity. He handled the bulk of the AAA duties last season for the champion River Cats. Francisco Pena handled most of the rest--he's the son of Tony Pena--but he's not on the 40-man. Neither is Ronnie Freeman, but I expect both will get an invite to Spring Training and there will be a host of other minor-leaguers, free agents, waiver claims, and various peripheral replacement players donning the tools of ignorance. You can never have enough catchers stashed in the system.
One has to wonder if the Giants will put super-prospect Joey Bart on the fast track to the bigs. He's only 23 but he had a .912 OPS at AA (22 G, 87 PA) last season. Posey is under contract through 2021. His 2022 season includes a team option for $22M and a buyout for $3M. I'll let you decide which is the most likely outcome there. Either way they need to get Bart ready for prime time and he could get a call-up this season.
From 2010 to 2019 the player with the most plate appearances (5,136) for the San Francisco Giants was Buster Posey. The next two were Brandon Crawford with 4,718 and Brandon Belt with 4,221. I'll look at infielders next.
--M.C.
It seems they are expecting a lot from Garcia. The 2014 2nd-round pick hit well in a limited role (.800 OPS in 65 PA) in 2018 and hit poorly in a similar role (.527 OPS in 46 PA) last season. In 253 MLB innings he's logged 139 at catcher and 114 at first base. He'll be 27 next week so this is his opportunity. He handled the bulk of the AAA duties last season for the champion River Cats. Francisco Pena handled most of the rest--he's the son of Tony Pena--but he's not on the 40-man. Neither is Ronnie Freeman, but I expect both will get an invite to Spring Training and there will be a host of other minor-leaguers, free agents, waiver claims, and various peripheral replacement players donning the tools of ignorance. You can never have enough catchers stashed in the system.
One has to wonder if the Giants will put super-prospect Joey Bart on the fast track to the bigs. He's only 23 but he had a .912 OPS at AA (22 G, 87 PA) last season. Posey is under contract through 2021. His 2022 season includes a team option for $22M and a buyout for $3M. I'll let you decide which is the most likely outcome there. Either way they need to get Bart ready for prime time and he could get a call-up this season.
From 2010 to 2019 the player with the most plate appearances (5,136) for the San Francisco Giants was Buster Posey. The next two were Brandon Crawford with 4,718 and Brandon Belt with 4,221. I'll look at infielders next.
--M.C.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
The 40-man roster: outfielders
Where to start with the 2020 San Francisco Giants? In the obvious place--the team webpage! Specifically, the 40-man roster. There are seven outfielders listed, in alphabetical order.
Jaylin Davis (R)
Alex Dickerson (L)
Steven Duggar (L)
Joe McCarthy (L)
Chris Shaw (L)
Austin Slater (R)
Mike Yastrzemski (L)
Davis was obtained in the Sam Dyson trade. He clobbered the ball in AA and AAA in 2019 and got a brief call-up (17 G, 47 PA, 101 innings mostly in RF). I suspect he will get a long look.
Dickerson is 29 and had a great run for the Giants in 2019 before getting hurt. He debuted with the Padres in 2015-16 but missed two years with both back surgery and Tommy John surgery. The Giants picked him up from the Padres in June for RHP Franklin Van Gurp. He can hit, but can he stay healthy enough to be a regular?
26-year old Steven Duggar had a promising debut in 2018 before an injury. He struggled at the plate in 2019 but is still a plus-defender. He was drafted by the Giants in the 6th round in 2015.
The unfortunately-named Joe McCarthy will be 26 in February. He has no major-league service time. He was a 2015 pick as well, by Tampa Bay in the 5th round. He was acquired at the trade deadline, the Rays getting LHP Jacob Lopez. McCarthy is a real unknown, injuries setting him back the last few seasons, but he has demonstrated excellent on-base skills in the minors.
Chris Shaw was the 31st pick (1st round) of the 2015 draft. The Giants also drafted Phil Bickford at #18, he was traded with Andrew Susac to the Brewers in 2016 for Will Smith. Smith's departure means the Giants get a compensation pick (approx #80) in the next draft. Shaw blasted his way out of the minor leagues but has yet to find it at the major-league level (38 G, 82 PA in 2018-19). He's 26.
Austin Slater has slashed .254/.335/.368 over three seasons with the Giants (176 G, 544 PA). His .750 OPS (99 OPS+) and over 300 innings in the OF (mostly RF) was good for 0.7 bWAR in 2019. He was an 8th-round pick from Stanford in 2014.
Mike Yastrzemski, he of the famous grandpa, was the most valuable position player by bWAR (2.8) last season. The Giants picked him up in a trade from the Orioles (RHP Tyler Herb) in March and he debuted two months later. By the end of July he was clearly the best hitter on the team. He finished with an .852 OPS (123 OPS+) in 107 games (411 PA). He's 29 and projects to be one of the starting corner OFs.
There you have it. Three of the seven are Sabes/Evans Era signings (Duggar-Shaw-Slater) while four of the seven are FZ Era pickups (Davis-Dickerson-McCarthy-Yaz).
I'll do a post for infielders and pitchers as well, although the pitchers may take two posts.
HAPPY 2020!!
--M.C.
Jaylin Davis (R)
Alex Dickerson (L)
Steven Duggar (L)
Joe McCarthy (L)
Chris Shaw (L)
Austin Slater (R)
Mike Yastrzemski (L)
Davis was obtained in the Sam Dyson trade. He clobbered the ball in AA and AAA in 2019 and got a brief call-up (17 G, 47 PA, 101 innings mostly in RF). I suspect he will get a long look.
Dickerson is 29 and had a great run for the Giants in 2019 before getting hurt. He debuted with the Padres in 2015-16 but missed two years with both back surgery and Tommy John surgery. The Giants picked him up from the Padres in June for RHP Franklin Van Gurp. He can hit, but can he stay healthy enough to be a regular?
26-year old Steven Duggar had a promising debut in 2018 before an injury. He struggled at the plate in 2019 but is still a plus-defender. He was drafted by the Giants in the 6th round in 2015.
The unfortunately-named Joe McCarthy will be 26 in February. He has no major-league service time. He was a 2015 pick as well, by Tampa Bay in the 5th round. He was acquired at the trade deadline, the Rays getting LHP Jacob Lopez. McCarthy is a real unknown, injuries setting him back the last few seasons, but he has demonstrated excellent on-base skills in the minors.
Chris Shaw was the 31st pick (1st round) of the 2015 draft. The Giants also drafted Phil Bickford at #18, he was traded with Andrew Susac to the Brewers in 2016 for Will Smith. Smith's departure means the Giants get a compensation pick (approx #80) in the next draft. Shaw blasted his way out of the minor leagues but has yet to find it at the major-league level (38 G, 82 PA in 2018-19). He's 26.
Austin Slater has slashed .254/.335/.368 over three seasons with the Giants (176 G, 544 PA). His .750 OPS (99 OPS+) and over 300 innings in the OF (mostly RF) was good for 0.7 bWAR in 2019. He was an 8th-round pick from Stanford in 2014.
Mike Yastrzemski, he of the famous grandpa, was the most valuable position player by bWAR (2.8) last season. The Giants picked him up in a trade from the Orioles (RHP Tyler Herb) in March and he debuted two months later. By the end of July he was clearly the best hitter on the team. He finished with an .852 OPS (123 OPS+) in 107 games (411 PA). He's 29 and projects to be one of the starting corner OFs.
There you have it. Three of the seven are Sabes/Evans Era signings (Duggar-Shaw-Slater) while four of the seven are FZ Era pickups (Davis-Dickerson-McCarthy-Yaz).
I'll do a post for infielders and pitchers as well, although the pitchers may take two posts.
HAPPY 2020!!
--M.C.
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