Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto is less than a year removed from undergoing a Tommy John procedure Aug. 2, 2018, but he’s already nearing a rehab assignment, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle relays. Cueto will begin pitching in rehab games in the Arizona rookie league at the start of August, manager Bruce Bochy announced Tuesday.
The Giants’ expectation is that Cueto will factor into their major league plans this season, and considering the recent tear they’ve gone on, the 33-year-old could influence a playoff push. At 45-49, the Giants remain a serious long shot for a playoff spot, especially if they start dealing veterans by the July 31 trade deadline. For now, however, they’ve rallied to within three games of a wild-card spot in a crowded race.
Regardless of whether he does pitch for the Giants in 2019, Cueto has two more guaranteed seasons left on the six-year, $130MM deal he signed with the team going into 2016. The longtime workhorse and ex-ace lived up to the pact in its first year, firing 219 2/3 innings of 2.79 ERA/2.96 FIP ball, but has struggled with injuries and failed to perform to his previous levels since then. Dating back to 2017, Cueto has given the Giants 200 1/3 frames of 4.18 ERA/4.55 FIP pitching.
Meanwhile, another of the Giants’ high-paid veterans – third baseman Evan Longoria – revealed Tuesday that he could miss two weeks to a month because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The injury forced Longoria to the IL on Monday, derailing a superb stretch for the former superstar. Longoria has posted a video game-like 1.537 OPS and swatted six home runs in 34 plate appearances in July, raising his 2019 line to .241/.318/.446 (101 wRC+) with 13 HRs in 311 PA. The 33-year-old’s overall production as a Giant has still underwhelmed since they acquired him from the Rays prior to 2018, though Longoria’s recent play has aided in the team’s improbable run toward contention. As long as he’s out, fellow vet Pablo Sandoval figures to handle third for the Giants. That is, if they don’t trade Sandoval in the next two weeks.
“Third-last guaranteed season” – might want to re-word that, it’s a bit confusing.
Yeah, how about “2 1/2 years to go on a 6 year deal…”
Why over-complicate ?
Maybe ur just an idiot
Well, that does sound awful as it’s written up there. Try to get some sleep, Floyd.
Yeah, I had to read it a couple times…don’t think I’ve seen that reference before
Wow, you must be fun at parties.
Or “Cueto is in the 4th year of a 6-year deal.”
It’s the antepenultimate season of his half-dozen-years-long contract.
Perfect
Maybe use Roman numerals?
“In eight years he will have been two years removed from the contract he is three years away from completing” seemingly makes it clear.
Hahaha keep me coming
Em* whoops lol
Easily aroused? Lol
hahahahahaha @lanceparrish. if this was reddit i would give you some gold. thanks for making me laugh this morning man
3 Games Under Now. !!!
Cuteo could absolutely factor in. For Anderson based on innings. Or Beede, Who has been doing better as well. Pomeranz pitched good tonight. More to Come I Hope.
They need another stater. Hopefully Cueto can come back 80 pitches a start 4-5 Innings. Can work. Like an opener.
Don’t Sell. I Repeat. Don’t SELL. !!!
Hope it’s a joke but in case it’s not….You have 2/8 guys in your starting lineup batting over league average. Do you want them to buy instead? Because staying put isn’t going to do them any favors trying to win a WC
Eduardo Nunez. For Longoria. That’s a Start.
They need to make more deals like they did years ago involving Nunez. Shaun Anderson for Nunez is really paying dividends for you right now. Keeping all these guys and trying to go to October is really going to set you back. Particularly if they buy more.
Nunez got DFA’d Today. 7 days if he clears. Might be available. Longo might be out for a month. Can slow play. Send down Solano for a few weeks when Longo comes back. And have both in September. Expanded Rosters.
Pablo will get worn down playing everyday hitting third. Add more depth. Might as well. If your playing to win. They know him too.
Not selling would be the worst possible thing this team could do. They have no long term pieces on the roster. Outside of a few hot stretches like they are on now, they have been one of the worst teams in baseball over the last few years. As much as I would love another post season run, now isn’t the trade deadline to mortgage the future when they have desirable pieces to sell for once.
They Have long terms pieces in the minors. . . To many big contracts to pull the plug. They’re playing well. It’s another couple weeks. We’ll see then. But my take is to go for it… Hopefully they continue to play well…
You saw tonight. The hit n run with belt on first. Bochy is a game changer. One last season. . . I’d say go for a wild card if they can… Remember Pittsburgh. ?!!!
But they don’t. They’re widely panned as a bottom 5 farm. I think they do have some nice young international players. IE Luciano,Torbido but they’re years off. A restocking by using the likes of Bum, Smith, Dyson, Watson etc. would be a huge boost to a below average system.
Why not sign Bum 4/80. Option year 5/100 in the off-season. Both bullpen Lefty’s are free agents. I’d say sign at least Smith back. Back load and give him melancon money. Not as much. Maybe extend Watson too. Player option 2.5 mil. Add another year guaranteed at 3.5
Can trade Dyson in the off-season if want to. Get a piece. I say keep em now. And slowly build as the contracts play out. Maybe belt traded in off-season for more pieces. A few others.
If we trade now we pull the plug. Too early. I say add if they can. Maybe panik goes, add another. Addition by subtraction. A few other moving parts.
But don’t sell the season. Too Early. !
Those farm system rankings are pretty useless this time of year. They don’t account for player development, or the influx of new players. Mid-season trades rarely return players of any significance. You have to wait for players to develop.
Don’t agree with every idea but solid post, people are too generic about sell sell sell.
Actually the farm has improved and was reading something that they could have a top 15 farm by end of year. They have 3 in the top 50 right now. Bart, Ramos, and Luciano.
Yeah, no Vinny. Fangraphs did an updated list and put them #27. Zaidi didn’t inherit much.
Top 15 farm? That’s like saying you finished in the top 15 of a race comprised of 32 runners. Yawn.
End of the season rankings, they will be right around 15th is what I’m saying.
Giants have quite a few young talents. Bart, Ramos, Luciano, Webb, hjelle, Santos, toribino, Labour, Matos, Canario, Bishop, Fitzgerald, geneves, pomaries etc..
They will have 6 maybe even 7 in top 100 next season. Depending on who they get in trades this month.
Anyone like the idea of using Ray Black as an opener since he has anxiety and issues in HPS??
I say give him a Xanax and let him pitch the 8th 🙂
Took 5 weeks to jump 3 teams and those teams are still nipping at their heels. Delusional Giant fans will make this new GM miserable when he tries to sell off the assets.
I can’t believe they think Alex Dickerson & Baby Yaz are answers. Worst thing for the organization is what’s going on now.
Wil Smith & MadBum will pull at least 1 potential building block player each and Watson & Dyson could pull a contributor a piece.
All important pieces to a rebuild.
Same GM that found Muncy. Taylor. Contributors. . . It takes a team right.? More like a few weeks to tie the Rockies. Who according to ESPN baseball analysts, The Rockies Should Be Buyers.
I say give it a few weeks Yes. But if the Giants close out July @ .500 or above. 2-3 games behind the Nats. My vote is to stay in. And Contend. . . Why blow it up. No more August waivers. Can trade assets in the off season.
If they sell the fan base walks. This Is A Business right. First and foremost. Forget these four year rebuilds. There a waste. Why not contend and add at the same time. . .
Trendy tear downs are old news. Giants have the best Bullpen is baseball. !!!
And Manager. ! . . We’ll see…
Building block players for 2 month rentals? What are you smoking.
Will Smith is one of the best relievers in baseball. You get a very, very decent prospect in return, even if it is for two months rental.
I tend to agree that this is the worst thing that can possibly have happened to this Giants team. They may well end up at .500 or even just above, and out of the playoffs/wildcard. They’ll then lose Bumgarner and Smith, and get nothing in return in the offseason. The front office can’t very well start trading players off if they think there’s a legitimate shot at the playoffs, as that would indicated to the entire team (not just vets like Posey) that they don’t have faith in their professionalism. So the Giants have to chase that wildcard spot, which means losing the prospects they would have got for the rebuild. If this team was playing .400 baseball, it’d be a no brainer to trade whomever they can. This team is approaching .500, which in theory makes it a harder call. Couple that with showing some damn respect to Posey et al, and I reckon they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.
If the Giants Don’t Sell. And they have two of the best trade chips according to most list. And also a few other bullpens pieces. Maybe Sandoval I’ve read. Pillar. . . If they don’t sell. Than other teams don’t improve either. Also with so many teams bunched up. In the NL. Where are the upgrades going to come from. ? Miami. ? The five down teams in the AL. ?
The Cubs come to town in a few. It’s to early to sell anyway. The trade deadline is 2 weeks away. So to be determined. I’d say.
But the Cubs come in. SD on the road. And Philly at the deadline… A Wild Card Team. Hell even pundits have been saying the Pads should Buy.!!
I’d say the offense output and starting pitching needs to at least finish July over .500 to see if there’s a chance. But if there is. . . They’re a team on the rise. With a Great Bullpen. Starters with Cueto coming back. And maybe the offense isn’t a fluke. Can carry them. Past the Phillies with no pen. Bad starters. Nats with Scherzer hurt. Bad pen. A Wild Card Could win in the postseason. . . With Bochy. Anything is possible. And Bum. Who knows.
What does it matter. Selling the house after the season. Why not resigning Smith. And making trades then… Look how much movement has happened since April… The team is turning around…
Yanks got Gleyber Torres for a few months of Chapman.
And literally everyone agreed it was a massive overpay at the time.
CCCTL, well thank goodness everyone thought it was an overpay….except of course not everyone did, otherwise the trade would not have happened.
CCCTL, well thank goodness everyone thought it was an overpay….except of course not everyone did, otherwise the trade would not have happened.
Agreed.
Take MadBum, Smith and Dyson off the trading block….
(So my Jays can get more for Stroman, Giles and Hudson)
Giants be dreamin’…..
Looks like Braves are focusing on Stroman/Giles package deal
Thanks Giants really wanted MadBum/Smith package
Really really want Greinke but DBacks are to close to sell off and the Giant fans will revolt if they sell now
“playoff push” … lol
Zaidi is smart enough to know that the Giants need to sell. We desperately need to get younger and more talented.
Don’t let this latest win streak blind you. The last three years is a large enough sample. Sell, sell, sell. Get some studs for MadBum and Smith.
all offseason you have praised Zaidi for being “smart” and that “you trust” him like this guy has some history of success or something. This guy is an “analytics geek” out of college with no prior baseball experience or knowledge. What has the guy accomplished to garner so much faith in Zaidi ?