While the Giants already had a host of internal options for their few MLB openings, the club brought in a wide range of alternatives to compete for jobs in camp. It’s possible to imagine the team sticking with some old favorites, but the added contenders create some intrigue as the club looks to overtake a powerful Dodgers team in the NL West.
Here are San Francisco’s ongoing camp battles; click here for previous entries in MLBTR’s Camp Battles series.
THIRD BASE/INFIELD BENCH
Eduardo Nunez
Age: 29
Bats: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $4.2MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Conor Gillaspie
Age: 29
Bats: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.4MM (second of three seasons of arbitration eligibility)
Options remaining: Out of options
Jae-gyun Hwang
Age: 29
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.5MM on active roster)
Options remaining: 3
Kelby Tomlinson
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason
Options remaining: 2
Orlando Calixte
Age: 25
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2
Gordon Beckham
Age: 30
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.25MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Aaron Hill
Age: 34
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($2MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Jimmy Rollins
Age: 38
Bats: S
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
A pair of deadline swaps drastically altered the outlook for the Giants at the hot corner — out went Matt Duffy, in came Nunez — and the team has gone on to add a whole host of competitors for time there. Given the commitment to Nunez, and his lack of an obvious alternative position, it seems likely that he’ll earn the lion’s share of the time, but perhaps it’s not etched in stone. Also at stake in this battle is a job as a utility infielder.
Hwang represents the most intriguing alternative. He showed a fantastic blend of power and plate discipline last year, though it came in the hitter-friendly KBO and he had to settle for a minor league deal in his bid to make it in the majors. But if any of these players is a threat to Nunez as a semi-regular at third, it may be the unknown Hwang.
Of course, Hill has shown life in the not-so-distant past, and could also be a real contender with a big spring. Beckham would have quite an uphill climb to lay such a claim himself, though the team thought enough of him in a brief cameo late last year to bring him back on a minors deal. Gillaspie was a surprising postseason hero, and may be a favorite for an Opening Day nod, though he’d likely factor as a platoon candidate at the hot corner.
Rollins may fight with Tomlinson and Calixte for a true utility spot. All are capable of playing shortstop, which doesn’t hold for any of the other players — excepting Nunez, who could conceivably add value as a heavily used multi-position player rather than parking on third base.
Prediction: Nunez holds serve, with Gillaspie seeing time against righties. But I’ll guess Hwang stakes out a roster spot, too, and plays third on occasions when Nunez spells left-handed-hitting middle infielders Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik.
LEFT FIELD/BENCH BAT
Jarrett Parker
Age: 28
Bats: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: Out of options
Mac Williamson
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2
Gorkys Hernandez
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason
Options remaining: Out of options
Michael Morse
Age: 34
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Justin Ruggiano
Age: 34
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Kyle Blanks
Age: 30
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Chris Marrero
Age: 28
Bats: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
The Giants have made clear they’d like someone to take the job as a semi-regular in left, which makes this a true battle for an important role — albeit one that could change as the season goes on. Indications are that the out-of-options Parker will battle with Williamson for the job. Both have shown signs of promise in the upper minors and in their brief time in the bigs, though neither has yet been given a full opportunity to sink or swim at the game’s highest level.
While a platoon makes sense at first glance, it’s trickier in practice. Indeed, GM Bobby Evans has strongly suggested that he doesn’t really love the idea of both Parker and Williamson being on the same roster. The former hasn’t shown evidence that he can succeed against lefties, making him a prime candidate to be spelled by a lefty bench bat. But the latter is also better historically against right-handed pitching, meaning he’s not an optimal candidate to do so.
Given the array of veterans assembled here, it seems that San Francisco is giving thought to a few scenarios. If Parker can win the job, as Evans says is his hope, then the club could option Williamson and keep a lefty masher on hand to share time in left and perhaps also spell Brandon Belt at first. Morse and Ruggiano will try to show what they have left this spring, while Blanks will look to get his career on track after a series of injuries, but Marrero could also be a real consideration given that the team targeted him early in the offseason. Any of those players could also conceivably coexist with Williamson, though that would leave just one left-handed-hitting outfielder in Denard Span.
Hernandez, meanwhile, occupies a somewhat different place in the picture. Despite a lack of significant MLB time, he has shown a high-OBP approach in the upper minors. Hernandez could ease the burden on Span in center; he’s also out of options.
Prediction: This is an exceedingly difficult situation to prognosticate, but sometimes you have to go with your gut. I’ll guess that the Giants preserve their control rights and flexibility by handing near-regular duties to Parker, with Williamson optioned back to Triple-A to open the year. Hernandez will be the fourth outfielder, seeing most of his time in center, while one of the four righty bench bat candidates will take a job as well. My guess is Ruggiano, who has actually been rather productive in recent years when healthy and given a MLB opportunity.
ROTATION (ONE SPOT)
Matt Cain
Age: 32
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $20MM (club option for 2018 at $21MM, with $7.5MM buyout; vests with 200 IP if Cain doesn’t end year on DL for elbow/shoulder injury)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Albert Suarez
Age: 27
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: Out of options
Ty Blach
Age: 26
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2
Clayton Blackburn
Age: 24
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2
Chris Stratton
Age: 26
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2
This certainly appears to be Cain’s job to lose; barring injury, it’s difficult to imagine he won’t get another shot at rediscovering his form. Given his salary and history with the organization, he’ll have every chance of proving that he’s back to health — and that his last two seasons (combined 5.70 ERA over 150 frames) aren’t a reflection of his true talent going forward.
While there’s limited opportunity for other hurlers to snatch the job based solely on their performances in camp, there are contenders. Suarez is perhaps a swingman option after giving the Giants 84 serviceable frames in 2016. Blach had a nice debut last year, though it was brief and he doesn’t carry overwhelming minor-league numbers. Much the same holds true of Stratton. Meanwhile, Blackburn has shown signs of greater upside, though he managed only a 4.36 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in his repeat of Triple-A last year.
Looking somewhat further down the line, Tyler Beede headlines the team’s prospect pool in the rotation department, and he could soon be ready after strong year at Double-A in 2016.
Prediction: Cain gets the job out of camp, but could be pressured relatively early in the season.
BULLPEN (THREE or FOUR SPOTS)
Cory Gearrin
Age: 30
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.05MM (two remaining years of arbitration eligibility)
Options remaining: Out of options
George Kontos
Age: 31
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.75MM (two remaining years of arbitration eligibility)
Options remaining: Out of options
Steven Okert
Age: 24
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 2
Josh Osich
Age: 28
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason
Options remaining: 3
David Hernandez
Age: 31
Throws: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.5MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Matt Reynolds
Age: 32
Throws: L
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Bryan Morris
Age: 29
Throws: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract ($1.25MM on active roster)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Neil Ramirez
Age: 27
Throws: R
Contract Status: Minor-league contract (terms unreported)
Options remaining: 1
The wild card here is the health of lefty Will Smith, who has been slowed early. Any setback could not only open up another job (at least temporarily), but lock up Okert’s already strong hold on an Opening Day roster spot.
While he only threw 14 MLB frames in his debut last year, Okert recorded a strikeout per inning and also racked up sixty punchouts to go with just 11 walks in his 47 1/3 Triple-A frames. Osich was a similar story entering camp last year, but struggled badly in his sophomore campaign (4.71 ERA, 6.2 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 in 36 1/3 innings) and seems destined for a reboot. The other lefty, Reynolds, has an outside shot at factoring in despite his lack of recent contributions in the majors, though perhaps that’s mostly plausible in the event that Smith is shelved.
On the righty side of the equation, Gearrin and Kontos seem to have the inside track. Gearrin bounced back from two injury-limited seasons to post a 4.28 ERA, though it came along with a solid 8.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Kontos, meanwhile, has produced outstanding results in recent years (2.49 ERA in 159 innings); while he has averaged only 6.0 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9, he has managed to suppress the runs by generating lots of weak contact (.260 lifetime BABIP).
Those pitchers could be challenged, though, and it’s worth bearing in mind their arb deals aren’t guaranteed (so far as has been reported, at least). Hernandez is fresh off of an uneven year in which he landed with a 3.84 ERA over 72 2/3 innings; while he coughed up four free passes per nine, he also racked up 9.9 K/9 and showed he was healthy. Morris and Ramirez have more to prove, given their health situations, but have big arms and have had success in the majors in the past.
The above-noted Suarez (if not one of the optionable rotation candidates) could also factor here if the Giants elect to keep a long man — and especially if they choose to forego an extra position player on the bench. Dan Slania is another name to consider, perhaps; he showed well in the upper minors last year and could surprise in camp.
Prediction: I’ll go with a somewhat conventional outlook here, predicting that Gearrin and Kontos keep their jobs and are joined by Okert. Just to mix things up, though, I’ll also guess that Smith is unable to start the year in the majors, opening the door to the team preventing Hernandez from opting out by placing him on the active roster.
For fun, I simulated an entire season of MLB the Show 2014 and Matt Cain went 12-9. I think this is a good sign that he’s going to turn things around
Try the show 19
He will probably go 3- 14
17*
he went 12-9. was it with a 7.50 ERA and a ton of run support or a 1.90 ERA with little run support?
would be cool if chris marrero made the giants roster. the guys mashes the ball in the minors and just hit a walk off homer today
I really hope cain can turn things around this year. Not expecting cy young numbers but 12-9 would be great. And it would be a nice thing to see as the season progresses.
Ugh I am just not convinced that Okert is close to ready for the bigs. His frame is like a muffin and he is just too wet behind the ears. We need someone with more of a stone-face and many of the names on his list have better stuff than Okert to give him an opening day start.
Gorkys Hernandez is 29, not 26.
I concur with all these predictions, except I think Osich somehow finds his way onto the opening day roster…
I might be slightly biased but I think the Giants camp battles might be the most closely followed with all the names we have, going to be fun that’s for sure, no doubt we lose some of them who if they have a good spring could be picked up by other teams… ahhhh baseball is back baby!!!
Kyle Blanks feels like a guy made for the KBO. He might hit 40 homers there if he could just DH.
They got Michael
Morse back?
Not impressed with any of the players mentioned but it doesn’t matter because Bochy is like Belichick and can put garbage out there and win games….I would even bet that another unlikely hero wins them a playoff game or even series….luckiest team in professional sports….Cain had maybe 3 decent years and was the #2 starter on WS teams….and the Giants strength was it’s pitching during those WS runs….
On paper the Giants win maybe 83 games but they end up winning more like 93 games….because of luck and Bochy….
83 is too low. A team with Bumgarner, Cueto and Moore in the rotation, and a core that includes Posey, Panik,Crawford, and Belt on paper looks to project to around 87-88 wins,
Its not luck if you do it for almost a decade- Giants know how to grind it out.
Just like everyone bags on their minor league system – except oh thats right developed all stars at every infield position – yeah that farm sucks-
Cain had a 6 year run where he was one of the best pitchers in the game, not “three decent years”.
Maybe look at some stats before posting incorrect assumptions. 3 years? Over 6 years from the age of 22, until the injuries slowed him down, he posted a 3.18 ERA, averaged 217 IPs, and 178 SOs per season, with a 126 ERA+. And Cain was the ace of both the 2010 and 2012 staffs. This despite the presence of Bumgarner and Lincecum. on both those WS winning teams.
Matt Cain is only 32? He did have a good six year run but your career isn’t supposed to be over at 27. He should still be in his prime.
Nightmare scenario if he manages to pitch 200 innings and his option vests.
Cain throws 200, like the old Cain, and that’s a nightmare? You think they’ll care?
He won’t throw 200 even if he’s the old Cain btw. That was put in the contract long before he became injury plagued.
I think Hernandez is a lock to make the roster, not just because he’s out of options but because there is really nobody else that can play CF and Span cannot play 162 games there.
I really hope SF shrinks the size of their pen to allow for more bench bats. Last year was TERRIBLE where they had something like zero 9 inning come from behind wins. When you’re bringing up Ehire Adrianza to pinch hit in the 9th, there’s not a lot of upside there. SF have said they want some power off the bench and also need some depth at 1B so I look to see SF fill that need with one player who can also play OF.
Don’t know why Kontos is in with the others. His job is as secure as the ones for Law, Strickland, and Smith. There’ll be a battle between Gearrin and Hernandez for one spot and Osich and Okert for another.
Unless he collapses during Spring Training, Cain will have the #5 spot.
And unless he collapses, Parker will win the LF job because he’s out of options. Hernandez will win an roster spot simply because only he can play CF. If Parker wins LF, then Mac goes to Sacramento. I like Marrero as a surprise 5th OF. Here’s a guy who hit 20 HRs as an 18 year old in A and High-A ball. There’s talent there.
I actually think that Hwang could win 3B job if he can hit MLB pitching. I also think would like to have Nuñez as a Super Sub where he could spell multiple players on their day off. I’ll admit the probability of these things happening are low, but if it does it’ll vastly strengthen this ballclub.
The Giants highly value defense over hitting, so I expect the best current defender as a SS between Tomlinson, Calixte, and Rollins will win a backup job.
If
jmgara – I think your post is pretty much spot ont, except for your take on Kontos, and Osich and Okert. It could certainly turn out as you see it, but both Osich and Okert have a lot of upside, And Kontos seems to have out-performed his peripherals somewhat. With Smith’s health a bit up in the air, the lefties have some value It might be a good time for the Giants to cash in on Kontos’s trade value now that it’s fairly high.
I wasn’t saying that Cain was never good….I am saying that he was decent or pretty good for a few years….he only hit 18 wins once….he is barely over a .500 pitcher on a team that regarded him as the #2 behind Lincecum who was dominant during that stretch….I would hardly say that Cain was one of the best pitchers in baseball ever….Lincecum was top 3 or 4 during his run but not Cain….this was a team that prided their pitching and he was the #2 guy and barely a .500 pitcher on a team winning 90 plus games and going to the WS every other year….
He also had pretty terrible run support during that run which lead to his record being around .500.
That said….Cain would have been the #4 starter on the Phillies the year the Giants beat them in the playoffs 2012….behind Halladay….Hamels and Lee….and before Oswalt only because Oswalt was past his prime when he hit the Phillies….Cain could eat innings and give u decent ERA but that’s it….u can get that from several pitchers without paying them #2 salary is all I was saying….Cain is done now and will burden the team with his losing record….but Bochy will find me a way to win so it’s a moot subject….
If you keep posting you’ll lose all credibility. First, you said specifically that Cain was “decent” for only 3 years, then changed it to “a few”. 6 years is neither, and he was very good for those 6 years, not merely “decent”. Cain was still the best pitcher on 2 WS winning teams. Try as you might to diminish his contributions by portraying him as a #2. The Phillies lost to the Giants in 2010, not 2012. Cliff Lee was not on the 2010 Phillies. Cain had a better year in 2010 than any of the Phillies pitchers except for Halladay, the NL CY winner that year. Oswalt did have better numbers but was an Astro most of the season, and had Cain been on that team, he would have been #2 behind Halladay, since they would not have needed to acquire Oswalt at the deadline. And lastly, judging a pitcher by wins and W/L percentage is, as most baseball fans know, probably the worst way to assess how good a pitcher is.