Spring Training 2019

[Stokes1931]

I don't hate this, would probably prefer him to Parra. Still doesn't really do much to address CF.

Nor does it address getting younger. Wonder if Younger is available.

 

[Stokes1931]

A righteous beatdown.

10-13 with RISP

Stokes is very pleased

And 10 XBH is laudable.

 

[LHG]

Nor does it address getting younger. Wonder if Younger is available.

Don't you know, Stokes, the outfield is too young! We cannot bare to have 3 starting players in their 20s, much less 2! If Zaidi can land another mediocre 30 something outfielder to platoon with Mac in left, then putting Duggar in center on a regular basis becomes bearable.

 

[LHG]

On a more positive note, I am looking forward to see how D-Rod does his sophomore season.

 

[LHG]

Starting rotation: Madison Bumgarner, Derek Holland, Drew Pomeranz, Dereck Rodriguez, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Stratton and Andrew Suarez. Locks: Bumgarner, Holland, Pomeranz, Rodriguez & Samardzija. Competing for open spots: None. Stratton and Suarez can only hope to stick with the club in the bullpen.

Bullpen: Travis Bergen, Ty Blach, Sam Dyson, Trevor Gott, Mark Melancon, Reyes Moronta, Steven Okert, Will Smith, Stratton, Suarez, Nick Vincent, Tony Watson. Locks: Dyson, Moronta, Smith, Watson. Competing for open spots: Bergen, Blach, Gott, Melancon, Okert, Stratton, Suarez for 3 to 4 spots. Who's hot: Bergen, Vincent, Gott. Who's in trouble: Okert, Melancon, Suarez. Analysis: A week ago, there was a maximum of 3 possible open spots in the bullpen. Now, it looks like there could be 3 to 4. Melancon has looked awful and the rumors are that he may soon be gone. That leaves the last 2 to 3 spots open, as well as the long man spot. The three best in this bunch competing for those last three spots are Bergen, Vincent and Gott. Bergen and Gott have been hot the entire spring and Vincent had a bit of a rough start but now looks a lot better. Melancon and Okert could be dfa'd in the next week (opening a spot for Vincent and a position player). And who is the long man? I think its still very much up in the air. Suarez has the best WHIP and worst ERA, Blach the best ERA and worst WHIP, Stratton falls in the middle in both categories. I think that due to the fact that Stratton has no options left, he's got the inside track.

Catchers: Joey Bart, Aramis Garcia, Buster Posey, Rene Rivera, Stephen Vogt. Lock: Posey. Competing for open spot: Bart, Garcia, Rivera, Vogt. Who's hot: Vogt, Bart and Garcia. Analysis: Rivera has the inside track, and probably continues to hold that spot, but its not as secured as a week ago. Vogt is finally catching in games and Garcia continues to hit well. Rivera's bat has cooled (we all know that Bart won't break camp, but it is surprising that he is still in big league camp). If Vogt is deemed healthy enough, he may be able to overtake Rivera. Garcia deserves the back up spot but won't get it and that only adds to the narrative that Zaidi's new regime is leaning heavily toward mediocre veterans over fairly young players.

Infielders: Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Alen Hanson, Even Longoria, Joe Panik, Pablo Sandoval, Donovan Solano, Yangervis Solarte. Locks: Belt, Crawford, Longoria, Panik, Sandoval. Competing for open spot: Hanson, Solano, Solarte for the final infield spot. Who's hot: The only ones hitting well are the two guys with the most unrealistic chances of making the team - Green and Michael. Who's in trouble: Hanson, Solano. Analysis: Now the competition is officially down to just Hanson, Solano and Solarte, with Green and Michael recently sent to minor league camp. Solano's bat has cooled but Hanson's has not gotten any better. Solarte is starting to hit well again. He is almost guaranteed the spot at this point, with Hanson being dfa'd to make room for him.

Outfielders: Steven Duggar, Drew Ferguson, Matt Joyce, Cameron Maybin, Gerardo Parra, Henry Ramos, Mac Williamson. Locks: Duggar, Parra, Williamson Competing for open spots: Ferguson, Joyce, Maybin, Ramos. Who's hot: None. Who's in trouble: Ramos, Ferguson, Maybin, Joyce. Analysis: Barring the long rumored trade actually happens to pick up an outfielder or two (not confident that anyone they actually get would be worth the trade), it looks like 3 quarters of the outfielders have been set. However, all the guys that showed well in camp for the 4th spot are gone, so its just left to some of the worst offensive performers in camp. Among position players with at least 10 spring at-bats, Ferguson (2nd), Maybin (4th) and Ramos (6th) all rank among the worst. Joyce's numbers with Cleveland would put him just above Ferguson as 3rd worst performer. So, maybe it will be done to him and Ferguson, based on how they've been cutting players from camp.

 

[tzill]

#BELTED. Dude is ready for a year, if he can stay healthy....








(he probably won't stay healthy)

 

[LHG]

#BELTED. Dude is ready for a year, if he can stay healthy....








(he probably won't stay healthy)

I hope he can stay healthy this year. I would love to see him post his best season yet.

 

[tzill]

Sammyjam getting hit, but only two solo shots are hurting him.

 

[tzill]

checking the boxscore, ST averages this year:

Duggar .368
Solarte .313
Belt .472
Longo .351


Not awful

 

[tzill]

A nice, clean game until the 7th....Dyson had the inning ending grounder and chucked it away. 2 runs and Chubbs still batting....ugh...

 

[tzill]

Bad, bad Bum....mound fully shat before the first inning is over.

 

[LHG]

Bad, bad Bum....mound fully shat before the first inning is over.

He wanted you to get into regular season form before spring training got out.

 

[calsnowskier]

He wanted you to get into regular season form before spring training got out.

Bum is such a thoughtful teammate.

We gotta sign him up to a long term deal. Pronto!

 

[Mays-Fan]

Nor does it address getting younger. Wonder if Younger is available.

Adam Younger Minor Leagues Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

 

[LHG]

I know I posted my long winded update just two days ago but things have changed enough for an update:

Starting rotation: Madison Bumgarner, Derek Holland, Drew Pomeranz, Dereck Rodriguez, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Stratton and Andrew Suarez. Locks: Bumgarner, Holland, Pomeranz, Rodriguez & Samardzija. Competing for open spots: None. Stratton and Suarez can only hope to stick with the club in the bullpen.

Bullpen: Travis Bergen, Ty Blach, Sam Dyson, Trevor Gott, Mark Melancon, Reyes Moronta, Steven Okert, Will Smith, Stratton, Suarez, Nick Vincent, Tony Watson. Locks: Dyson, Moronta, Smith, Vincent, Watson. Competing for open spots: Bergen, Blach, Gott, Melancon, Okert, Stratton, Suarez for 2 to 3 spots. Who's hot: Bergen, Gott. Who's in trouble: Okert, Melancon, Suarez. Analysis: Vincent has moved to lock status, per Bochy's comments, and a contract purchase is only a formality at this point. Despite Melancon's awful spring and rumblings of his soon coming release (or dfa), I'm not convinced he is on the outs. I do think he's got the inside track for one of the 3 spots (which I think is very likely, considering that Bochy said the team will only carry 4 outfielders). That leaves one long relief spot (Blach, Stratton, Suarez) and the end of the bullpen sport (Bergen, Gott). That is too bad, as both Bergen and Gott have earned a spot. It is still conceivable that both make the team, at the expense of Melancon, but I'm not sure how likely that is to happen.

Catchers: Aramis Garcia, Buster Posey, Rene Rivera, Stephen Vogt. Lock: Posey. Competing for open spot: Garcia, Rivera, Who's hot: Garcia. Analysis: Bart finally got sent to minor league camp. Vogt, contrary to what I reported two days ago, has not caught any games yet (I swear I read a report on the team website that he started catching in games) and is all put gone from major league camp. That leaves it down to Rivera and Garcia. I think this competition has gotten tighter in the past week. Garcia is still hitting well. Rivera is not. Unlike three other non-roster players, there's been no mention of Rivera being told he's made the team. I have to wonder if the Giants go with Garcia until Vogt is healthy and just jettison Rivera at the end of spring.

Infielders: Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Alen Hanson, Connor Joe, Even Longoria, Joe Panik, Pablo Sandoval, Donovan Solano, Yangervis Solarte. Locks: Belt, Crawford, Longoria, Panik, Solarte. Competing for open spot: Hanson, Joe, Sandoval, Solano for the final infield spot. Who's hot: Joe was hitting decently in Reds' camp. Who's in trouble: Hanson, Sandoval, Solano. Analysis: Big news in camp - Solarte is in and now Sandoval's spot is jeopardized! Joe could well replace him (and Hanson) on the roster. This could get very interesting.
Outfielders: Steven Duggar, Matt Joyce, Gerardo Parra, Henry Ramos, Mac Williamson. Locks: Duggar, Parra, Williamson Competing for open spots: Joyce, Ramos. Who's hot: None. Who's in trouble: Ramos, Joyce. Analysis: Finally, some sensible movement in camp in this area. Its down to Joyce and Ramos (in theory) for that 4th spot. However, Brandon Guyer is available and other outfielders may come available in the coming days. We'll see who mans that 4th spot. I do wonder if Gerber gets purchased after all, if no one available is really to the Giants' liking.

 

[SFGRTB]

I know I posted my long winded update just two days ago but things have changed enough for an update:

Starting rotation: Madison Bumgarner, Derek Holland, Drew Pomeranz, Dereck Rodriguez, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Stratton and Andrew Suarez. Locks: Bumgarner, Holland, Pomeranz, Rodriguez & Samardzija. Competing for open spots: None. Stratton and Suarez can only hope to stick with the club in the bullpen.

Bullpen: Travis Bergen, Ty Blach, Sam Dyson, Trevor Gott, Mark Melancon, Reyes Moronta, Steven Okert, Will Smith, Stratton, Suarez, Nick Vincent, Tony Watson. Locks: Dyson, Moronta, Smith, Vincent, Watson. Competing for open spots: Bergen, Blach, Gott, Melancon, Okert, Stratton, Suarez for 2 to 3 spots. Who's hot: Bergen, Gott. Who's in trouble: Okert, Melancon, Suarez. Analysis: Vincent has moved to lock status, per Bochy's comments, and a contract purchase is only a formality at this point. Despite Melancon's awful spring and rumblings of his soon coming release (or dfa), I'm not convinced he is on the outs. I do think he's got the inside track for one of the 3 spots (which I think is very likely, considering that Bochy said the team will only carry 4 outfielders). That leaves one long relief spot (Blach, Stratton, Suarez) and the end of the bullpen sport (Bergen, Gott). That is too bad, as both Bergen and Gott have earned a spot. It is still conceivable that both make the team, at the expense of Melancon, but I'm not sure how likely that is to happen.

Catchers: Aramis Garcia, Buster Posey, Rene Rivera, Stephen Vogt. Lock: Posey. Competing for open spot: Garcia, Rivera, Who's hot: Garcia. Analysis: Bart finally got sent to minor league camp. Vogt, contrary to what I reported two days ago, has not caught any games yet (I swear I read a report on the team website that he started catching in games) and is all put gone from major league camp. That leaves it down to Rivera and Garcia. I think this competition has gotten tighter in the past week. Garcia is still hitting well. Rivera is not. Unlike three other non-roster players, there's been no mention of Rivera being told he's made the team. I have to wonder if the Giants go with Garcia until Vogt is healthy and just jettison Rivera at the end of spring.

Infielders: Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Alen Hanson, Connor Joe, Even Longoria, Joe Panik, Pablo Sandoval, Donovan Solano, Yangervis Solarte. Locks: Belt, Crawford, Longoria, Panik, Solarte. Competing for open spot: Hanson, Joe, Sandoval, Solano for the final infield spot. Who's hot: Joe was hitting decently in Reds' camp. Who's in trouble: Hanson, Sandoval, Solano. Analysis: Big news in camp - Solarte is in and now Sandoval's spot is jeopardized! Joe could well replace him (and Hanson) on the roster. This could get very interesting.
Outfielders: Steven Duggar, Matt Joyce, Gerardo Parra, Henry Ramos, Mac Williamson. Locks: Duggar, Parra, Williamson Competing for open spots: Joyce, Ramos. Who's hot: None. Who's in trouble: Ramos, Joyce. Analysis: Finally, some sensible movement in camp in this area. Its down to Joyce and Ramos (in theory) for that 4th spot. However, Brandon Guyer is available and other outfielders may come available in the coming days. We'll see who mans that 4th spot. I do wonder if Gerber gets purchased after all, if no one available is really to the Giants' liking.

Your comments, re: Garcia/Rivera/Vogt made the most sense, so it's good that the F.O. agreed. It seems like they like Vogt a lot, but he's so far away still. May as well just use Garcia and let the spot that Rivera will need go to someone else who may need it until Vogt is ready.

As mentioned in the other thread, I don't know I'd consider Mac a lock yet.

Joyce/Guyer make a possible effective platoon combo, but it's not particularly exciting or long-term. However, I do feel like this team can grind out quite a few wins with their pitching if they're able to scratch across a few runs, so maybe playing matchups with proven bats in the OF isn't all bad. If the season is lost, I'd rather see what Gerber and Mac can do and punt Joyce.

 

[LHG]

Another outfielder has been acquired and I like it just for the historical name - Orioles, Giants Swap Mike Yastrzemski, Tyler Herb

 

[calsnowskier]

Another outfielder has been acquired and I like it just for the historical name - Orioles, Giants Swap Mike Yastrzemski, Tyler Herb

And the fact that a Cali team gave up herb to get him.

 

[LHG]

And the fact that a Cali team gave up herb to get him.

A Herb originally acquired from Seattle.

 

[tzill]

Per Baggs, Vincent has made the bullpen.

So we have: Smith, Watson, Moronta, Dyson, Vincent as locks

Likely: MM, Bergen

Bubble: Gott, Stratton

A trade is still likely, and eating MM's contract still possible.