September call ups - 2019

[LHG]

I always look forward to September, when rosters expand. So it is with sadness to think that this is the final year teams will be able to expand up to 40 players. Personally, I think its a dumb rule change. Adding 2 guys in September is anti-climatic. For most teams, will be guys coming off the 10 day IL.
Anyway, I like to ponder who may fill out the remaining roster spots come Sept. 1. The Giants typically only activate 6 to 9 players but FZ showed a penchant for activating 10 to 15 guys. Considering his plethora of roster moves, I wouldn't be surprised to see 38 to 40 guys this year, unless he tries to stay lower (30 to 35) just to get used to the new rule. However, there are a lot of worthy call ups, so let's review.
Injured list - Johnny Cueto, Pablo Sandoval, Steven Duggar
Barring some setback, Cueto should get activate soon after September 1st. It sounds like there may be a possibility Sandoval gets activated for at least one more pinch hitting appearance before he has TJ surgery. Duggar is done for the season. Cueto needs to be added to the 40 man roster but there is one spot available. Active roster will go up by 1 to 2 players from this list.
Minor leaguers on 40 man roster - Melvin Adon, Williams Jerez, Conner Menez, Sam Selman, Burch Smith, Andrew Suarez, Aramis Garcia, Mauricio Dubon, Zach Green, Mike Gerber, Joe McCarthy, Joey Rickard, Chris Shaw. All of these guys are in AAA and all but Green are active. I don't know if Green will be able to play again this season. What FZ has typically done with injured guys is, if he wants to keep them around, call them up and place them on the 60 day IL (departing from Sabean's model of just leaving them down and not accrue service time) or just let them go. Either way, I suspect that Green's spot on the 40 man will be given to someone else. I'd rank the other guys in this order (most likely to least likely to get called up): Selman, Jerez, Dubon (most likely); Adon, Garcia, Menez (likely) McCarthy, Gerber, Shaw, Rickard, Smith, Suarez (least likely, dfa candidates). I lumped most of the outfielders in the last category because I doubt too many of them get called up. Each are a candidate for a dfa. Shaw is an old guard draft pick who has worts. Gerber and Rickard got brief stints earlier (Rickard with more success but less upside). McCarthy is the shiny new prospect but who's numbers are awful. Active roster will go up from 3 to 8 players from this list, with another 2 or 3 most likely to get dfa'd.
Non-40 man players worth considering (AAA): Dan Winkler, Sam Wolff, Jaylin Davis, Cristhian Adames, Francisco Pena. Winkler, unless he breaks down, is going to push hard for a 40 man spot. Wolff is more of an outside candidate but is having late season success in AAA after a recent promotion. Davis makes some of those outfielders I mentioned more expendable. He takes one of their spots. Adames and Pena both are having nice seasons since being picked up by the Giants but probably only one, if any, get picked up. Adames has infield versatility while Pena has had a better season than Garcia in AAA. Active roster goes up from 1 to 3 players from this list.
Non-40 man players worth considering (AA): Tyler Cyr, Sam Moll. There is a reason Richmond's record currently sits at 48-83. Cyr is 26 year old reliever who's had a nice season and was once a prospect on our radar before injuries derailed his career. Moll started out at AAA, and pitched well, before inexplicably getting demoted to AA after about 5 games. Maybe the active roster goes up by 1 players from this list . . . maybe.

Sadly, Tyler Rogers shouldn't be under consideration this year. He's had, by far, the worst full season at AAA in his career. Maybe the Giants reward him for two years he got passed over when he deserved a promotion, but I won't be holding my breath.

 

[stanford the manford]

What's the point in bringing Sandoval back prior to TJ? We know who he is, we aren't going anywhere, give some youngblood a taste

 

[SFGRTB]

I keep thinking Davis will get a look, but they have so many outfielders that they may lend them the month.

 

[LHG]

I keep thinking Davis will get a look, but they have so many outfielders that they may lend them the month.

They'll need to purchase his contract in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, why not give him a look?

 

[LHG]

What's the point in bringing Sandoval back prior to TJ? We know who he is, we aren't going anywhere, give some youngblood a taste

I based my information off a quotation from Bochy. He seemed a bit sentimental in hoping that Sandoval's last AB with the Giants wasn't the last one he had in August. He hinted that Sandoval may be back for one more at bat. It seems a bit ridiculous, but this is the same player who dashed our hopes in 2017 for the top pick in the 2018 draft. He may go out with a bang on the last day of the season . . . for Bochy, for the fans and for himself.

 

[stanford the manford]

I based my information off a quotation from Bochy. He seemed a bit sentimental in hoping that Sandoval's last AB with the Giants wasn't the last one he had in August. He hinted that Sandoval may be back for one more at bat. It seems a bit ridiculous, but this is the same player who dashed our hopes in 2017 for the top pick in the 2018 draft. He may go out with a bang on the last day of the season . . . for Bochy, for the fans and for himself.

ok... i could understand a last game at the cove, and that would be cool. but it's theatre and not baseball

 

[LHG]

ok... i could understand a last game at the cove, and that would be cool. but it's theatre and not baseball

I don't disagree. Normally, it would be something I'd say is dumb, but I'm okay with some allowances for Bochy's final month at the helm. It would be really cool for Sandoval to come as a ph in the last game of the season and hit a walk off to give Bochy sole possession of 10th place on the all time list. However, if he whiffs to end the last game in a lose, putting Bochy one game behind Durocher permanently, that would really stink for Sandoval. He may take it hard since he sees Bochy as a father figure.

 

[LHG]

Another name to add to this list is Pat Venditte. I just found out that he is back in the org and making some rehab appearances in San Jose. If he looks good, I could see the Giants possibly purchasing his contract again in September.

 

[LHG]

This article indicates that Sandoval will have TJ surgery next week. I think we can count him out this year.
Pablo Sandoval To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

 

[LHG]

A Friday update since there were some moves (one very surprising to me) since my initial post:

Injured list - Johnny Cueto, Pablo Sandoval, Steven Duggar
As Cueto gets ready to make his final rehab start in his recover from TJ surgery, Sandoval prepares for his surgery. It looks like only Cueto will be coming back next month from this list. Active roster will go up by 1 player from this list. Active roster increased to 26.
Minor leaguers on 40 man roster - Melvin Adon, Williams Jerez, Conner Menez, Sam Selman, Burch Smith, Andrew Suarez, Aramis Garcia, Abiatal Avelino, Zach Green, Mike Gerber, Joe McCarthy, Chris Shaw. Green is still on the AAA IL, so I won't be surprised that he only comes up to make the team's 60 day IL, or gets dfa'd. Either way, I think he is cleared to make room for someone on the next list. My ranking for the rest of the guys don't really change (except a couple of names have been removed (most likely to least likely to get called up): Selman, Jerez (most likely); Adon, Garcia, Menez (likely) McCarthy, Gerber, Shaw, Smith, Suarez (least likely, dfa candidates). I think Rickard could still get dfa'd as well but it is not as likely as I thought earlier in the week. Active roster will go up from 2 to 7 players from this list, with another 2 or 3 most likely to get dfa'd. Active roster increased to 28 to 31.
Non-40 man players worth considering (AAA): Dan Winkler, Sam Wolff, Jaylin Davis, Cristhian Adames, Francisco Pena. My idea on this group doesn't really change. We'll probably see at least 2 of them purchased. Active roster goes up from 2 to 4 players from this list. Active roster increased to 30 to 35.
Non-40 man players worth considering (AA): Tyler Cyr, Sam Moll. Probably not anyone coming up from this group. Maybe the active roster goes up by 1 players from this list . . . maybe. Active roster probably stays 30 to 35.

 

[LHG]

Okay, appararently Sandoval will be activated on Sunday: