Game Thread: 8.29 Morning Bird Beer Day (11:10 am)

[jeep99tj]

I have no idea if that take is accurate or not, though. Look at Birdy. He just crossed the 200 career IP level for his entire prosper in today’s game. THAT is fast tracking. Look at Aldridge. He will likely start next year in AA, in his age 20 season. It was also stated a couple seasons ago that the Giants were changing their org philosophy to rush prospects more aggressively than the org had done in the past. Schmitt, Luciano, Birdy, Roupp, Harry, etc tell me that may actually be happening.

I see what you’re saying about these guys. Birdy has bounced back and forth a few times to make room for an extra reliever in between starts. The rest have been nothing more than injury replacements. Whether they are hot or not didn’t matter, up and down. Kinda hard to get into any rhythm doing that. This is my opinion only, but I don’t see how that helps a ball player with his confidence.

 

[stanford the manford]

Just my 2 cents on what this year looked like to me ... in the past I had always felt like I was watching a team. My team! Some times they were good and sometimes they were bad. But since 2014 they have been usually just midling at best, except for the 107 win season. The 3 WS titles eased a lot of the pain though. This year was different.

Not sure why but for me it felt different.

I lost the sense of 'team'. Felt more like a pick up game of baseball when I was a kid. You met at the park, chose sides and played some ball. Never really a team. Just a bunch of guys who liked baseball ... playing the game they liked. The one thing it always seemed to lack was essence of a 'team' with a common goal. Just a bunch of guys playing baseball. Winning was fun, but losing was ... so what .... we'll play again tomorrow.

I sort of felt that way about this year's Giants. Just a bunch of guys bought together to play some baseball. Snell, Chapman, Lee and Solar. Felt like we were trying to purchase a playoff spot rather than build a team to win a playoff spot. Didn't see any of them as long term building pieces (other than maybe Lee). Just couldn't seem to see any of them as long term Giants. Saw them more as mercenaries for this year's crusade. Sort of took the fun out rooting for them ... they just didn’t seem like SF Giants to me.

From my viewpoint there hasn't been a plan since the 2nd half '16 slide.

Lots a bad luck this year with Snell's 1st half, JHL & Murphy & Beck injuries, Soler&Doval slides, . Had those guys stayed healthy and performed to expectations it would have set a completely different vector. The young guys would have been brought up to augment rather and man the roster. Probably would have stuck with Cobb and not gassed Harry/Hicks.

Not sure where I stand on BoMel. I haven't seen cohesiveness or identity a team without elite talent needs. SD with all their talent never really jelled either. Could be just the team's make up team or could be the coaching staff.

If Fitz/Ramos prove to solid, Chapman stays, JHL recovers, and McCray keeps going - that's an interesting foundation. Matos and Encarnacion can develop, get a vet 1st baseman, either Estrada returns to form or replace him. Should be enough talent on the mound. Pressure will be on the coaching staff to figure out how to get runs and minimize mistakes.

I can't fault the FO for the opening day roster. We ended up with unexpected optimism with the bring-ups. and clarity on the vets. Bad results this year but IMO not a total bust as the Giant's seem to be moving forward.

As long as FZ deals with Conforto, Flores, Wade and doesn't re-stock wit retreads, I'm interested in '25

 

[tzill]

From my viewpoint there hasn't been a plan since the 2nd half '16 slide.

Lots a bad luck this year with Snell's 1st half, JHL & Murphy & Beck injuries, Soler&Doval slides, . Had those guys stayed healthy and performed to expectations it would have set a completely different vector. The young guys would have been brought up to augment rather and man the roster. Probably would have stuck with Cobb and not gassed Harry/Hicks.

Not sure where I stand on BoMel. I haven't seen cohesiveness or identity a team without elite talent needs. SD with all their talent never really jelled either. Could be just the team's make up team or could be the coaching staff.

If Fitz/Ramos prove to solid, Chapman stays, JHL recovers, and McCray keeps going - that's an interesting foundation. Matos and Encarnacion can develop, get a vet 1st baseman, either Estrada returns to form or replace him. Should be enough talent on the mound. Pressure will be on the coaching staff to figure out how to get runs and minimize mistakes.

I can't fault the FO for the opening day roster. We ended up with unexpected optimism with the bring-ups. and clarity on the vets. Bad results this year but IMO not a total bust as the Giant's seem to be moving forward.

As long as FZ deals with Conforto, Flores, Wade and doesn't re-stock wit retreads, I'm interested in '25

From MLBTR yesterday:

This season, Estrada has been one of the worst hitters in the game. He sports a .216/.246/.345 line through 374 plate appearances. While that’s partially due to a career-low .245 average on balls in play, Estrada has never walked much or had particularly strong batted ball metrics. Among hitters with 300+ plate appearances, only Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall have a lower on-base percentage.

That performance makes it likely the Giants will move on from Estrada next offseason even if he sticks on the roster for the remainder of the year. He’d be due a small raise on this year’s salary, likely into the $5-6MM range. The Giants have evidently determined they were going to decline to tender him a contract, so they’ll make him available to other teams a month earlier to see if they can shed the final month of his 2024 salary.

 

[sf1giantfan]

I’m beginning to think the Giants simply suck this year.

 

[LHG]

From MLBTR yesterday:

This season, Estrada has been one of the worst hitters in the game. He sports a .216/.246/.345 line through 374 plate appearances. While that’s partially due to a career-low .245 average on balls in play, Estrada has never walked much or had particularly strong batted ball metrics. Among hitters with 300+ plate appearances, only Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall have a lower on-base percentage.

That performance makes it likely the Giants will move on from Estrada next offseason even if he sticks on the roster for the remainder of the year. He’d be due a small raise on this year’s salary, likely into the $5-6MM range. The Giants have evidently determined they were going to decline to tender him a contract, so they’ll make him available to other teams a month earlier to see if they can shed the final month of his 2024 salary.

Good point. Why would they tender him a contract this offseason?

 

[calsnowskier]

Good point. Why would they tender him a contract this offseason?

If he was hurt this year, than his down year can be excused. I would not be overly surprised if he is kept. Even after this waiver placement.

 

[msgkings322]

I’m beginning to think the Giants simply suck this year.

The Marlins suck. The Giants are just meh. Again.

 

[tzill]

From Brisbee this morning, what the Giants should do in September:

1. Play Luci in SF every day, preferably at 2b
2. Extend Chappy
3. Rotate the bullpen through late inning situations
4. Play McCray against lefties