The Giants announced today that they have placed second baseman Joe Panik on unconditional relief waivers. He had been designated for assignment recently.
This was the likely outcome of the situation once Panik hit DFA limbo. He’d have had the right to elect free agency had he been outrighted. It seems most likely that Panik will end up on the open market. A claiming team would have to take on the remainder of his $3.8MM salary. Instead, they can wait and pay him only for a pro-rated portion of the league minimum salary.
Either way, Panik will be eligible for arbitration one final time in the 2020 season. It’s unlikely he’ll be tendered, but perhaps that’s still possible if he catches on elsewhere and turns things around down the stretch.
nickv1013
Mets! Come home baby
MetsFanaticDanny
With Jed “I Don’t Want To Play” Lowrie without a timetable for his return, it’s almost a guarantee that Panik ends up in Flushing.
Gettin greedy
Would be a good buy low for the White Sox.
solaris602
Oh the wine and cheese crowd is gonna have a stroke over this.
clepto
I see you got a nice head start.
snotrocket
He has had a pretty long leash. Just couldn’t get it back together after the concussions. The organic garden dorks who hang out behind the center field fence are the ones who will be pissed.
SFGiants74
What’s wrong with an organic garden?
clepto
Please take your soap box to the other side of the street, Nancy.
SFGiants74
I thought this was a baseball site. When did it switch to gardening.
txjags
Well….baseball does have a farm system so…
SFGiants74
So…An organic garden would be developing players without steroids?
Dodgethis
The giants center field garden is a joke and an example of their attempt to appease non baseball fans and typical low IQ San Francisco residents.
jrjalr
How about a gardenic organ?
SFGiants74
Jeez…Someone needs to eat their Wheaties. It sounds like you need to get laid.
SFGiants74
Why would Yankees fans care?
Fg-3
Yanks need a 2b with all the injuries
Fg-3
Yonkers boy comes home to the pinstripes
Xavier Blaine
One of the few Giants that I would always feel confident would make contact and put the ball in play, was the modern Marco Scutaro for us. The DFA was expected, he truly didn’t have a place on the roster with the way he had performed, but talent doesn’t just fly away. Joe is very talented and I’m sure with some work he can find himself again.
RadioPirate
David Bowie fans everywhere are hoping the Tigers sign him.
youtube.com/watch?v=AXxmIcsmpnQ
WarrenSpahn
“Joe is very talented”
Which Joe is that? DiMaggio?
surely you don’t mean Panik
Dodgethis
Panik has lots of talant. He was key to the 2014 championship and was at one time part of the best double play team in all of baseball. Like all giants fans have already said, his hitting was never the same after concussions. They effect people differently and it’s too bad panik wasn’t able to fully recover. His talant will surely be missed. But this a league based on results, not talant.
Michael Chaney
I remember the Indians showed a lot of interest in him a few years ago, but he was untouchable then.
With Kipnis on the verge of free agency, I wouldn’t totally be surprised to see them sign him to a cheap deal (maybe even a minor league deal and promote him when rosters expand) with an eye towards an audition for next year. He probably won’t move the needle much, but they’ve at least liked him.
jorge78
That was then. This is now…..
Michael Chaney
The idea is that they can get him for pretty much nothing and give him a free audition. I didn’t say that they’d expect him to become a key contributor (he likely won’t).
Besides, the Indians aren’t quite known for shopping at the top of the free agent market, so these are the types of moves they seem to make a lot of. Most times it doesn’t work, but there’s not much risk and the few times it works out are worth it.
layventsky
What are unconditional relief waivers? Are they a new thing now that there are no waiver trades in August anymore?
jorge78
Weak…..
Pickle_Britches
Wish the 2 Brandon’s would be next. Time to clean house boys..
Dodgethis
Nah, just belt. Let one of the young power guys take a shot. Crawford is still a crazy good defender. He only had 1 down year. You wait to replace Crawford until you have a legit replacement.
fundude
Joe Panik Should be signed by the Chicago Cubs because they do need a second baseman !
Bay Area sports
Prediction: Panik will have one more all star season, but the rest of his years he will provide below average production
geg42
Panik has a good eye for the strike zone. Nearly as many walks as strikeouts. 1st in the NL in ABs per K this year and 2x before.
He has never hit for power, so now that his contact rate has fallen, he doesn’t offer much.
Deriding his skill just shows a lack of knowledge.
geg42
League leader AB per So
baseball-reference.com/leaders/at_bats_per_strikeo…
WarrenSpahn
Deriding his skill? wha
fundude
Joe Panik Should be signed by the Chicago Cubs because they do need a second baseman ! Trust me this is the best team for him to play for!