To protect or not to protect?

[LHG]

Regarding your last two posts, I think Biagini, Forjet and maybe Bandilla are the only ones who are even semi-prospects. Biagini is clearly the class of the group.

Thanks cal, these are my own write ups.

 

[LHG]

As Best said, Vander Tuig underwent his second TJ this year. I saw a quote from him (i forget where, so I cant provide a link) that made me feel that he was dejected and is likely done.

That's too bad. He was doing well in San Jose before he went down. I hope (if you assumed is accurate about his mindset) he changes his mind and tries to come back.

 

[calsnowskier]

That's too bad. He was doing well in San Jose before he went down. I hope (if you assumed is accurate about his mindset) he changes his mind and tries to come back.

A second TJ is almost certain death for a pitcher. The baseball recovery rate is next to nothing.

For this to happen to a kid before he has earned the MLB cache pretty much seals the deal.

He was a Friday night starter for UCLA in '14. Bickford was the Friday night starter in '15. Whomever is the Friday night starter this coming season is already the odds-on favorite to be picked by the Giants somewhere in the first 3 rounds.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Then maybe I am still unfamiliar with all the rules. I assumed that the clock starts from the time that they sign, so, for example, a player signed in the 2012 draft out of college has the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons counted. Then the player becomes eligible for the draft. By your response, 2012 would not count?

No, I don't think that it is calculated like that. Once a player has 4 years, he is eligible. The clock starts when a player signs the contract. Say he signs Aug 1st of 2012. One year anniversary would occur on Aug 1st 2013, two years 2014, 3 years 2015, and 4 years in Aug 2016.

In other words, I think that it is calendar years (each 365 days), not seasons, that count.

I could be wrong - we'll see who gets grabbed (across all teams) and if any were drafted in 2012.

 

[LHG]

No, I don't think that it is calculated like that. Once a player has 4 years, he is eligible. The clock starts when a player signs the contract. Say he signs Aug 1st of 2012. One year anniversary would occur on Aug 1st 2013, two years 2014, 3 years 2015, and 4 years in Aug 2016.

In other words, I think that it is calendar years (each 365 days), not seasons, that count.

I could be wrong - we'll see who gets grabbed (across all teams) and if any were drafted in 2012.

Marco, I think I'm interpreting the rules correctly. I looked at last year's Rule 5 draft and noticed that J.R. Graham, picked at number 5, was drafted in 2011 by the Braves. Taylor Featherston, drafted number 7, was also a 2011 pick by the Rockies. Breaking Down The 2014 Rule 5 Draft - BaseballAmerica.com

 

[LHG]

I didn't realize that 10 of the 14 players picked in the Rule 5 draft last year stuck with the selecting team (or the team that traded for them after the draft) throughout the whole season. Of the 4 that didn't, two of them still made the big leagues with another team that claimed them off waivers.

That seems like a low amount of players selected but also the highest amount of players sticking with the drafting team.

 

[LHG]

Out of the 37 players I've think are going to be eligible for the Rule 5 draft, 26 of them are pitchers. Let's look at 5 pitchers signed from the international market:

Carlos Diaz, rp (22, signed out of Colombia in 2011)
Diaz spent the first two years of his Giants' career in the Dominican Summer League (DSL), where he started a combined 20 of 25 appearances. He dropped his WHIP from 1.245 to 1.046, his BB/9 from 3.6 to 2.2 and his K/9 went up from 5.3 to 7.6. He then appeared in the AZL in 2013, where he struggled to a 4.99 ERA, 1.613 WHIP and a 4.8 BB/9 (but did post a 11.6 K/9). Despite his struggles, he was moved aggressively to Augusta, where he did better (4.16, 1.397, 3.3 BB/9, 6.7 K/9). Interestingly, the Giants did not move him up in 2015, opting to have him return to Augusta. Still a year under the league average, he posted some of the best numbers of his young career (2.77, 1.048, 2.8, 12.2 K/9), now as a relief pitcher. He even made one appearance in Richmond (1 run in 2.3 innings with 3 hits and 2 walks). He's young and looks good as a relief pitcher.

Adalberto Mejia, sp (22, Dominican Republic, 2011)
Mejia also started his career in the DSL, posting ridiculous numbers in 13 starts (1.42 ERA, 0.868 WHIP, 0.9 BB/9, 8.4 K/9). He jumped all the way to Augusta in 2012, where he held his own as a 19 year old (2.6 years under league average), posting a 3.97 ERA, 1.341 WHIP, 1.8 BB/9 and 6.7 K/9. That was enough to have the front office move him up to San Jose in 2013, where he did even better (3.31, 1.126, 2.4, 9.2) before getting an end of season start in Fresno, going 5 innings and allowing two runs with 5 hits and 2 walks. His first season to hit some adversity was in Richmond in 2014 as a 21 year old (4.67, 1.389, 2.6, 6.8). It didn't help when he got suspended for illegal substance use and then an injury shortened his 2015 season at Richmond. He made only 12 appearances but his numbers were solid (2.45, 1.091, 3.2, 6.7). His risk is high (injuries, poor supplement choices, walk rate steadily going up) but his reward level looks high too (does well as each level for his age). Does the Giants deem him worth a 40 man spot? If not, he is probably gone.

Reyes Moronta, rp (23, Dominican Republic, 2011)
Another pitcher who repeated the DSL for two seasons, he showed some regression in his second year (ERA up from 2.13 to 3.06, WHIP up from 1.016 to 1.415, BB/9 up from 2.8 to 4.6 but K/9 also up from 7.7 to 9.2). In spite of his regression, Moronta was moved up to the S-K in 2013, where he struggled through 6 starts (only starts of his professional career), posting a 4.98 ERA, 1.477 WHIP but got his BB/9 down to 3.3 while his K/9 stayed about the same (9.1). He got moved down to the AZL in 2014 as a relief pitcher but while his K/9 skyrocketed to 14.0, his ERA and WHIP were about the same while his BB/9 went up too (5.1). He was promoted to Augusta in 2015, where he looked awful. His ERA (5.73) and WHIP (1.623) were career worsts.

Randy Ortiz, rp (22, Dominican Republic, 2011)
Ortiz is an interesting case, as the Giants originally signed him as an outfielder. He played outfielder from 2011 to the first half of 2015, peaking in the DSL in 2011 (.292/.396/.363). The closest he got to those numbers stateside was in 2014, where he played in the AZL, S-K and Augusta (.295/.359/.361). After an awful start in Augusta in 2015 (.179/.236/.242 in 31 games), the Giants moved him to the pitcher's mound and down to the AZL. In 19 relief appearances, there was little promising. His ERA was 6.16, his WHIP 1.579, his BB/9 was 4.7 and his K/9 was 6.6. It will be interesting to see if they continue the pitcher experiment in 2016.

Eury Sanchez, rp (23, Dominican Republic, 2012)
Which pitcher is he? His ERA has been low at most levels (from 1.09 in a combined 23 appearances in the AZL in 2013 and 2015 to 3.48 in S-K in 2014) but the difference from runs to earned runs is 52 to 27. Most of those unearned runs were given up in the DSL in 2012, with only 4 of 20 being counted against his ERA (1.23). On the flip side, his BB/9 has been a bit high (career average of 3.7). Yet his K/9 was been outstanding (12.4 career with a career low of 10.4 in 11 appearances in Augusta at the end of 2015). If he can control his pitches better, he could start climbing rapidly through the farm system.

 

[calsnowskier]

Mejia. He is within a year or so of being MLB ready, and may actually perform as a decent #5 on a bad team right now. If he is not protected, than there is definitely something going on in the background that we are not aware of.

 

[LHG]

The Giants has re-signed one of their minor league free agents (Braulio Lara) so the amount of players eligible for the Rule 5 draft are now 38. Here's another 5 pitchers:

Braulio Lara, rp (27, Dominican Republic, 2008 - Rays)
Lara was primarily a starting pitcher in the Rays' system from 2008 to 2012, with poor results. After a disastrous year in high A Charlotte in 2012 (5.71, 1.616, 1.41 K/BB), he was converted to a relief pitcher to promoted to double A Montgomery for 2013, where his numbers weren't much better (4.38, 1.542, 1.23 K/BB). After struggling again in double A (5.21, 1.457, 2.42 K/BB), and a brief stint in triple A, in 2014, the Rays let him walk as a free agent. Signed by the Giants, Lara started out in Sacramento, as a starting pitcher, where he was awful. Demoted to Richmond, and moved to the bullpen, he wasn't much better, posting a 4.03 ERA, 1.343 WHIP, 4 BB/9 and 6.9 K/9. Moved back up to Sacramento, he continued his poor performance, ending the season with a 7.71 ERA, 1.964 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9 and a decent 9.3 K/9. Not sure why he was brought back, but he's back.

E.J. Encinosa, rp (24, 7th, 2012)
A staple at Salem-Keizer, Encinosa has been unable to move up the organization. Drafted out of Miami, the righthander has spent the bulk of all but one season in S-K. He started out in the AZL for 2012, where he posted some good numbers (2.19, 1.135, 2.9 BB/9, 10.2 K/9). He then moved up to S-K in 2013, where his ERA (3.12) and BB/9 (5.2) went up but his WHIP (1.038) and his K/9 went up (10.9). He went back to S-K for 2014 and posted a better ERA (2.39) and BB/9 (3.4) but his WHIP went up (1.139) and K rate went down (7.5). He began 2015 in Augusta and got lit up (7.54, 1.588, 4.4, 7.1) in 13 relief appearances and was moved back to S-K for the remainder of the season. He didn't fare much better there (6.91, 1.779, 4.4, 9.7) in 23 appearances. Who knows if he'll even be back in 2016.

Ian Gardeck, rp (25, 16th, 2012)
Drafted out of Alabama, Gardeck has fared a little better than his draftmate in moving up the organization. He began his career in S-K but didn't look too good (4.20, 1.533, 7.2, 13.5). Maybe his K rate was so good the Giants decided to move him up because he started 2013 in Augusta. He was able to lower his ERA (3.21) and BB/9 (6.4) but his WHIP stayed high (1.518) and his K rate dropped (10.6). He moved up to San Jose to start 2015 but got rocked in 17 relief appearances (9.38, 2.125, 10.5, 7.1) and was moved back down to S-K (2.70, 1.350, 7.4, 16.2). Confident that he worked out his problems from high A, the Giants moved him back to San Jose for 2015. He posted his best WHIP of his career (1.158) and really dropped his walk rate (2.5) while maintaining an average ERA (3.54) and kept his K rate above 9 (10.8). Maybe a dark horse to pitch in Richmond's bullpen in 2016.

Jarret Leverett, rp (26, 15th, 2012 - Twins)
A pick up from the independent leagues, Leverett never actually pitched in the Twins' organization. After a full season of independent ball in 2014, he pitched one inning in Wichita before the Giants signed him in 2015 and was assigned to Salem-Keizer. He struggled to a 4.08 ERA, 1.640 WHIP, 3.5 BB/9 and 6.0 K/9. Yet the Giants promoted him to San Jose for 3 games (and 1 start), where he pitched 4.2 innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks with 2 strikeouts.

Jeff Soptic, rp (24, 3rd, 2011 - White Sox)
Acquired from the White Sox after a largely disappointing first season with them at low A ball, Soptic has not been able to move up from high A San Jose. He started his Giants' career in 2013 at San Jose, where he put up some poor numbers (6.26, 1.824, 7.8, 9.9). He went down to S-K, where he pitched 4 innings of 1 run with 2 hits, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. He returned to San Jose in 2014, where his numbers got much better, but still mediocre (4.60, 1.867, 8.9, 9.2). Back to San Jose in 2015, Soptic still didn't look that good, but improved from his previous two years (3.23, 1.437, 6.1, 8.1). Maybe if he goes to San Jose in 2016, he can get his walk rate below 5 and his WHIP in the low 1.30s.

 

[LHG]

Moving out of the pitchers' list, here's the last 4 position players eligible for the Rule 5 draft.

Miguel Gomez, c (23, Dominican Republic, 2012)
Here's a guy who played three years in the DSL before getting an opportunity in the U.S. Gomez' numbers as a 19 year old his first year in the DSL weren't very good: .231/.316/.339. However, he posted much better numbers in 2013: .315/.374/.495. For whatever reason, the Giants didn't feel he was ready to move up to the U.S., so he repeated the DSL one more time, hitting .318/.367/.453. He was then skipped past the AZL to Salem-Keizer, where he hit a decent .319/.331/.442. Both his on base and slugging have dropped each of the past two seasons but he has kept his batting average about the same. I assume he'll be the starting catcher in Augusta in 2016.

Rando Moreno, ss (23, Dominican Republic, 2011)
Moreno has been moved up the farm a lot more aggressively than Gomez. He spent his first two seasons in the DSL, improving from .222/.355/.265 in 2011 to .267/.381/.300 in 2012. He started 2013 in the AZL, posting a .856 OPS, before getting a late season promotion to Augusta. There, he played in 13 games with a .353/.371/.500 slash. Moreno got to start 2014 in San Jose and struggled mightily, batting only .218/.274/.218 in 87 at bats before being demoted back down to Augusta. He hit even worse there, posting a .197/.260/.227 in 93 games. Yet, he got promoted past San Jose to the hitters' graveyard of Richmond for 2015 posted much better numbers - .275/.320/.364. Its hard to know how the Giants will handle him moving forward. His past suggests he'll be in Sacramento in 2016 but if the Giants see him as just an organizational guy, he could even start 2016 in San Jose.

Travious Relaford, ss-2b (23, 44th, 2011)
A late round pick from a community college in Mississippi, Relaford has been able to hang around a long time considering his numbers. He got off to a good start in 2012, batting .331/.412/.492 in the AZL, before getting a late season promotion to Augusta, going 1 for 7. The Giants then started using him as a role player in 2013, bouncing him from Augusta to San Jose to Richmond, posting an aggregate slash of .201/.298/.257 (with his best numbers as Augusta, posting a .603 OPS). He then fell all the way back to Salem-Keizer, where he played the whole 2014 season. He did much better there, batting .283, with a .380 on base and a .372 slugging percentage. This past year, he played back in Augusta, where his numbers were almost identical to what he hit in 2013 (.604 OPS). The Giants have plenty of light hitting middle infielders to move around the organization.

Julio Pena, of (23, Dominican Republic, 2011)
Pena has yet to make it out of the short season leagues, and, considering his numbers, he may never make it out. Playing his first two years in the DSL, he hit .207/.288/.327 in 2011 and then improved slightly to .213/.295/.366 in 2012. Promoted to the AZL in 2013, he spent another two seasons there, batting .238/.283/.395 his first year and .205/.260/.359 his second year. This last season saw another promotion for Pena, this time to Salem-Keizer. His numbers weren't any better, batting .234, with an on base of .274 and a slugging of .416. It was his best season, so they may yet be potential, but with so many outfielders in the farm system, he cannot be very high on the depth charts.

 

[LHG]

Since I missed a day, here's three more pitchers to consider. Now we are getting into the cream of the crop.

Martin Agosta, sp (24, 2nd, 2012)
Drafted from Saint Mary's College, Agosta has been a bit of a disappointment so far. He began his career in the AZL, where he posted mediocre numbers in 5 starts (4.22, 1.594, 7.6 BB/9 but a nice 16 K/9). He was bounced up to Augusta for 2013 and really started to look good. In 18 starts, he posted a 2.06 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, got his walks down to 4.2 per 9 and still struck out an average of 10.7 per 9. However, injuries marred his season. He got promoted to San Jose for 2014 and got absolutely rocked in 11 starts (9.23, 2.179, 7.8, 5.8). What was most concerning is that his walk rate skyrocketed while his strikeout rate plummeted. In between stints in San Jose, he spent a month in the AZL. He was able to get his walk rate to 1.3 and his strikeout rate up to 12.2 but his WHIP was a bit high for his level, at 1.286. Sent back to San Jose in 2015, Agosta again struggled with being healthy. When he did pitch, he made 16 starts and 10 relief appearances, posting a 4.25 ERA, 1.292 WHIP, 2.2 BB/9 and 10.6 K/9. While he looked much better than he did in 2014, these are still not the kinds of numbers you expect from a 2nd round pick 4 years into his career.

Ty Blach, sp (25, 5th, 2012)
Unlike his draftmate from 2012, Blach has been able to move up the organization quickly. Taken out of Creighton, Blach sat out 2012 before making his pro debut in San Jose in 2013. He did not disappoint. In 20 starts (and 2 relief appearances), he went 12-4, with a 2.90 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 1.2 BB/9 and 8.1 K/9. Moved up to Richmond in 2014, he showed some regression. This time, in 25 starts, he went 8-8, 3.18, 1.284, 2.5 BB/9, 8.1 K/9. Despite his walk rate and WHIP going up and his K rate going down, Blach was moved up again in 2015 to Sacramento. Pitching in a notorious hitters' league, he managed to go 11-12, 4.46, 1.331, 1.7, 5.1. He got his walks down, but his WHIP continued to climb and his K rate continued to drop. He will most likely be back in Sacramento to start 2016.

Chris Stratton, sp (25, 1st, 2012)
Falling somewhere between Blach and Agosta in success, Stratton has been moved aggressively through the farm, sometimes despite his numbers. A Mississippi State product, Stratton began his career in Salem-Keizer in 2012. He posted okay numbers there (2.76 ERA but a 1.469 WHIP and 5.5 B/9). He pitched all of 2013 in Augusta, where he did better, reducing his WHIP (1.326) and BB/9 (3.2) while his K/9 saw only a slight digression (8.8 to 8.4). He was moved up again in 2014, to San Jose, where he really struggled (5.09, 1.404) in 18 starts, but was still moved up midseason to Richmond, where his BB/9 went up (3.3 to 4.7), K/9 went down (9.3 to 7.0) and WHIP went up (1.404 to 1.783) but somehow managed a 3.52 ERA. He began 2015 back at Richmond and was able to keep his BB/9 at 4.0 and his K/9 at 7.0 and saw a tremendous reduction in his WHIP from 2014 (down to 1.240, best of his career thus far). The Giants liked what they saw to move him up to Sacramento. He finished 2015 with 17 starts there, posting a 3.86, 1.306, 3.7, 6.6. His K rate continues to dip and his walk rate stayed rather flat, but he seems to keep more hitters from getting on base via the hit and held his own pretty well at triple A, considering what he did at double A. He should rejoing Blach in the Sacramento rotation for 2016.

 

[Stokes1931]

Since I missed a day, here's three more pitchers to consider. Now we are getting into the cream of the crop.

Martin Agosta, sp (24, 2nd, 2012)
Drafted from Saint Mary's College, Agosta has been a bit of a disappointment so far. He began his career in the AZL, where he posted mediocre numbers in 5 starts (4.22, 1.594, 7.6 BB/9 but a nice 16 K/9). He was bounced up to Augusta for 2013 and really started to look good. In 18 starts, he posted a 2.06 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, got his walks down to 4.2 per 9 and still struck out an average of 10.7 per 9. However, injuries marred his season. He got promoted to San Jose for 2014 and got absolutely rocked in 11 starts (9.23, 2.179, 7.8, 5.8). What was most concerning is that his walk rate skyrocketed while his strikeout rate plummeted. In between stints in San Jose, he spent a month in the AZL. He was able to get his walk rate to 1.3 and his strikeout rate up to 12.2 but his WHIP was a bit high for his level, at 1.286. Sent back to San Jose in 2015, Agosta again struggled with being healthy. When he did pitch, he made 16 starts and 10 relief appearances, posting a 4.25 ERA, 1.292 WHIP, 2.2 BB/9 and 10.6 K/9. While he looked much better than he did in 2014, these are still not the kinds of numbers you expect from a 2nd round pick 4 years into his career.

Ty Blach, sp (25, 5th, 2012)
Unlike his draftmate from 2012, Blach has been able to move up the organization quickly. Taken out of Creighton, Blach sat out 2012 before making his pro debut in San Jose in 2013. He did not disappoint. In 20 starts (and 2 relief appearances), he went 12-4, with a 2.90 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 1.2 BB/9 and 8.1 K/9. Moved up to Richmond in 2014, he showed some regression. This time, in 25 starts, he went 8-8, 3.18, 1.284, 2.5 BB/9, 8.1 K/9. Despite his walk rate and WHIP going up and his K rate going down, Blach was moved up again in 2015 to Sacramento. Pitching in a notorious hitters' league, he managed to go 11-12, 4.46, 1.331, 1.7, 5.1. He got his walks down, but his WHIP continued to climb and his K rate continued to drop. He will most likely be back in Sacramento to start 2016.

Chris Stratton, sp (25, 1st, 2012)
Falling somewhere between Blach and Agosta in success, Stratton has been moved aggressively through the farm, sometimes despite his numbers. A Mississippi State product, Stratton began his career in Salem-Keizer in 2012. He posted okay numbers there (2.76 ERA but a 1.469 WHIP and 5.5 B/9). He pitched all of 2013 in Augusta, where he did better, reducing his WHIP (1.326) and BB/9 (3.2) while his K/9 saw only a slight digression (8.8 to 8.4). He was moved up again in 2014, to San Jose, where he really struggled (5.09, 1.404) in 18 starts, but was still moved up midseason to Richmond, where his BB/9 went up (3.3 to 4.7), K/9 went down (9.3 to 7.0) and WHIP went up (1.404 to 1.783) but somehow managed a 3.52 ERA. He began 2015 back at Richmond and was able to keep his BB/9 at 4.0 and his K/9 at 7.0 and saw a tremendous reduction in his WHIP from 2014 (down to 1.240, best of his career thus far). The Giants liked what they saw to move him up to Sacramento. He finished 2015 with 17 starts there, posting a 3.86, 1.306, 3.7, 6.6. His K rate continues to dip and his walk rate stayed rather flat, but he seems to keep more hitters from getting on base via the hit and held his own pretty well at triple A, considering what he did at double A. He should rejoing Blach in the Sacramento rotation for 2016.

Nice work, LHG. I think highly of Stratton and Blach. I think both have MLB stuff, but back end of the rotation. I could see Blach being a reliever, but Stratton is a starter. Both give up a lot of hits, but I am not sure how AAA numbers translate to the majors.

 

[LHG]

Nice work, LHG. I think highly of Stratton and Blach. I think both have MLB stuff, but back end of the rotation. I could see Blach being a reliever, but Stratton is a starter. Both give up a lot of hits, but I am not sure how AAA numbers translate to the majors.

Thanks Stokes! Just trying to be like you.

I like Blach better but Stratton did put up better numbers at triple A and I don't know which has the better stuff. And Stratton does seem to be trending better as he moves further up while Blach has been doing the opposite. Both may make their debuts in 2016 for all we know and will get to see how they do.

 

[Stokes1931]

Thanks Stokes! Just trying to be like you.

I like Blach better but Stratton did put up better numbers at triple A and I don't know which has the better stuff. And Stratton does seem to be trending better as he moves further up while Blach has been doing the opposite. Both may make their debuts in 2016 for all we know and will get to see how they do.

You need to have higher aspirations, my friend.

 

[LHG]

Here's the last three of the 38 players the Giants' front office have to consider whether or not to add to the 40 man roster.

Clayton Blackburn, sp (23, 16th, 2011)
One of the rare high schoolers drafted by the Giants, Blackburn has pitched well throughout his 5 years in the farm system. He started in the AZL in 2011 and looked good, posting a 1.08 ERA and a 0.570 WHIP in 33.3 innings. Additionally, his walk rate was 0.8! He moved straight to Augusta for 2012. While he did not repeat his phenomenal walk rate in the AZL, he still posted a good 1.2 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.020 WHIP. He also increased his K rate from 8.1 to 9.8. He moved up again to San Jose in 2013 and saw some regression. His walk rate went up to 2.4, his WHIP up to 1.098 and his K rate dropped slightly to 9.3. Most noticeably, his ERA jumped a full run to 3.65. However, he moved up again to Richmond for 2014 and did well, posting 3.29, 1.226 with a 1.9 walk rate and a 8.2 K rate. He missed a portion of the season to injury and made two rehab starts where he struck out 9 batters in 5 innings without a walk! This past year, 2015, he pitched in Sacramento, and looked a little wobbly before an incredible finish that saw him post 2.85, 1.293, 2.3, 7.2 in the PCL as a 22 year old! He will probably be the first or second guy up from Sacramento in 2016.

Kyle Crick, sp-rp (23, 1st, 2011)
Another high school product, Crick has not made the same impression that his 16th round draftmate has made. As a teammate of Blackburn in the AZL in 2011, Crick got blasted, posting a 6.43 ERA, 2.429 WHIP, 10.3 walk rate and 10.3 K rate! Nevertheless, he was also moved up to Augusta for 2012 and pitched better, with a 2.51 ERA and 10.3 K rate. Even better, his walk rate was halved to 5.3 (still high though) and his WHIP became decent, at 1.275. He was sent with Blackburn to San Jose in 2013 and lowered his ERA even further to a phenomenal 1.57, his WHIP went down further to 1.267, his walk rate to 5.1 and his K rate was up to 12.5. Moved up further to Richmond, the wheels started to fall off in 2014. His ERA jumped to 3.80, which isn't bad but his WHIP balloned to 1.544 and his walk rate went up to 6.1 while his K rate, which still high, dropped to 11.1. The numbers were concerning enough that the front office felt he needed to repeat Richmond in 2015. He started in the rotation but was eventually switched to the bullpen. In 11 starts and 25 relief appearances, Crick's numbers continued to trend the wrong way. His walk rate was an abysmal 9.4. His K rate went down again, this time to 10.4. His WHIP went up to 1.794. However, he managed a 3.29 ERA. Where will he end up in 2016? Back in Richmond's rotation? Back to their bullpen? Does he get moved to Sacramento's bullpen?

Steven Okert, rp (24, 4th, 2012)
Drafted out of Oklahoma, Okert, unlike the other two on this list, has been a relief pitcher from day one. He began his career, like most players, in the AZL, making two relief appearances there. In two innings, he gave up 2 hits and a walk but recorded all six outs with a strikeout. Moved up to Salem-Keizer, he pitched in 15 more games, with good to okay numbers (2.34, 1.388, 3.7, 7.4). He pitched all of 2013 at Augusta, while seeing his ERA jump (2.97), he kept his walk rate at 3.6 but lowered his WHIP (1.302) and increased his K rate (8.8). He then pitched incredibly at San Jose in 2014, posting good enough numbers (1.53, 1.245, 2.8, 13.1) to get a late season promotion to Richmond, where he still looked good (2.73, 1.061, 3.0, 10.4). As a result, he got to pitch the 2015 season at Sacramento. Here, he had his first real adverse season. His ERA (3.82), WHIP (1.484) and walk rate (4.3) were career worsts. He at least posted a good 10.1 K/9.

 

[MarcoPolo]

I believe that Nov 20th is the deadline to add your own minor league players to the 40-man - after that date only new acquisitions can be added. So we are getting close to the date and ill soon know! (Not sure if this is the best thread for this or not - there were 3 where 'the 40-man' took up a lot of posts.)

 

[LHG]

I believe that Nov 20th is the deadline to add your own minor league players to the 40-man - after that date only new acquisitions can be added. So we are getting close to the date and ill soon know! (Not sure if this is the best thread for this or not - there were 3 where 'the 40-man' took up a lot of posts.)

Thanks for the info Marco. I assume that, with the free agents being declared in the next few days, that the Giants will have plenty of time to add the guys that they want added by the 20th.

 

[MarcoPolo]

There's plenty of time (and spots) that will become available over the next few weeks. My take :

Already dropped from 40-man : Nick Noonan, Jackson Williams, Brett Bochy, Frandsen

To be dropped from 40-man?? (w/ Sanchez and Perez the most likely, IMO)
Hector Sanchez (leaving Posey, Susac, Brown as the 1, 2, 3 catchers)
Juan Perez
Cody Hall
Michael Broadway
Cory Gearrin?

FAs:
Vogelsong
Tim Hudson
Scutaro
Marlon Byrd
Affeldt
De Aza
Lincecum?
Leake?

They *might* keep Cory Gearrin (if he is willing to sign a cheap contract - he is arb eligible). $600-800K for a decent RHRP is fine, and he can be easily dumped if he stinks up the place.

Derek Law may not stay on the 40-man this Nov : he pitched like crap (for the first time), he is primarily a reliever, he was in A-ball (so nowhere near the majors) and probably would not last an entire year on even a crappy team's active MLB roster. The question is how likely is it that a team would snag him off of waivers if he is dropped from our 40-man? I figure that the Giants leave him on the 40-man to see if he pitches like crap next year, and if so will drop him the first time they need a 40-man spot. (Or, they place him on revocable waivers NOW to see if there is interest and pull him back if there is a claim. If no claim, put him on the AAA reserve list.)

 

[LHG]

There's plenty of time (and spots) that will become available over the next few weeks. My take :

Already dropped from 40-man : Nick Noonan, Jackson Williams, Brett Bochy, Frandsen

To be dropped from 40-man?? (w/ Sanchez and Perez the most likely, IMO)
Hector Sanchez (leaving Posey, Susac, Brown as the 1, 2, 3 catchers)
Juan Perez
Cody Hall
Michael Broadway
Cory Gearrin?

FAs:
Vogelsong
Tim Hudson
Scutaro
Marlon Byrd
Affeldt
De Aza
Lincecum?
Leake?

They *might* keep Cory Gearrin (if he is willing to sign a cheap contract - he is arb eligible). $600-800K for a decent RHRP is fine, and he can be easily dumped if he stinks up the place.

Derek Law may not stay on the 40-man this Nov : he pitched like crap (for the first time), he is primarily a reliever, he was in A-ball (so nowhere near the majors) and probably would not last an entire year on even a crappy team's active MLB roster. The question is how likely is it that a team would snag him off of waivers if he is dropped from our 40-man? I figure that the Giants leave him on the 40-man to see if he pitches like crap next year, and if so will drop him the first time they need a 40-man spot. (Or, they place him on revocable waivers NOW to see if there is interest and pull him back if there is a claim. If no claim, put him on the AAA reserve list.)

Great post Marco. I'm of the opinion, that, with some many guys coming off the 40 man roster, the Giants won't have any need to designate anyone further from the 40 man roster until they start signing free agents. With 9 guys becoming free agents (I count Frandsen in this latter group because I thought Frandsen could declare for free agency without being taken off the 40 man roster first), they have flexibility in this area. I doubt they purchase more than 5 or 6 guys for the Nov. 20th deadline.

 

[LHG]

With the 40 man roster updated, here is a list of the minor leaguers eligible for drafting in the Rule 5 draft. I think a few of them are possible pick ups but unlikely anyone gets taken. However, the nature of the draft means surprises, so we will see next month.
Pitchers (25)
Martin Agosta, sp
Carlos Alvarado, rp
Bryce Bandilla, rp
Joe Biagini, sp
Jose Casilla, sp
Carlos Diaz, rp
E.J. Encinosa, rp
Austin Fleet, sp
Jason Forjet, sp
Chris Johnson, sp
Joseph Kurrasch, sp
Braulio Lara, rp
Andrew Leenhouts, sp
Jarret Leverett, rp
Matthew Lujan, sp
Phil McCormick, rp
Tyler Mizenko, rp
Reyes Moronta, rp
Randy Ortiz, rp
Jose Reyes, sp
Pedro Rodriguez, rp
Eury Sanchez, rp
Eric Sim, rp
Jack Snodgrass, sp
Jeff Soptic, rp

Catchers (7)
Jeff Arnold
Miguel Gomez
Travis Higgs
Fernando Pujadas
Leo Rojas
Ben Turner
Eliezer Zambrano

Infielders (8)
Mitch Delfino, 3rd
Hector Mercedes, ss
Rando Moreno, ss
Ricky Oropesa, 1st
John Polonius, 2nd
Travious Relaford, ss
Myles Schroder, 3rd
Angel Villalona, 1st

Outfielders (4)
Andrew Cain
Devin Harris
Cristian Paulino
Julio Pena