The Giants signed infielder Wyatt Mathisen to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s official transactions page. Mathisen was in the lineup last night for Triple-A Sacramento, going 2-for-4 with a double in his organizational debut.
The Mariners released Mathisen on Friday, so it wasn’t a long stint in free agency. The Giants represent Mathisen’s fourth team within the last four months, as he began the season with the Diamondbacks and was subsequently moved to the Rays and Mariners in trades. The 27-year-old’s only big league playing time this year came in Arizona, as he had only a .445 OPS over 51 plate appearances. Originally a second-round pick for the Pirates in the 2012 draft, Mathisen made his MLB debut last season, hitting .222/.364/.444 over 33 PA with the D’backs.
Mathisen has strong numbers (.251/.359/.474 with 37 homers in 824 PA) at the Triple-A level over his career, and given the Giants’ penchant for unlocking potential in less-heralded players, it can’t be ruled out that some of this production could translate over to the majors. Mathisen also adds to San Francisco’s multi-positional depth, as he has played mostly third base but also has some experience at first and second base in recent years.
He started as a catcher. Emergency third catcher experience might be enough to keep him as 26th man with someone.
Nice of you to drop in, Wyatt’s mom!
Can the Giants or another team trade for Paul Fry now that he’s been optioned to Norfolk?
If he’s not on the 40 man, yes.
No. Any player who is or has been on a 40-man roster this season is ineligible to be traded.
My bad. Thanks for the info, Steve!
I think they gotta package Bart, Ruf(maybe Hjelle too), someone like Hunter Bishop and/or Luis Matos. Maybe more(pretty much anyone other than Helio Ramos/Thairo Estrada/Marco Luciano/Patrick Bailey) for Miami’s All Star starter Trevor Rogers.
Heck, I’d be down for a Bart+Hjelle for Sandy Alcantra, but Trevor Rogers is a 6’5/220lb, 23yo, All-Star lefty starter under club control until 2027. As of this post Baseball Ref has him at 2.45 ERA in 110IP through 20 starts, and a FIP of 2.61, ERA+ of 168. 10.6 SO/9, 3.3 BB/9, 6.9/H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 3.23 K/BB, and a WHIP of 1.127. 3.0 WAR(compared to Giants’ pitchers-Gausman 4.9, Webb 3.2, DeScalfani 2.7, ). 129 K/40 BB. 5 homers given up all year, compared to 5 homers given up in 28 innings last year(6.11 ERA/7 starts.)
That’s the kind of guy you trade a farm for, especially if SF can only retain 1 of Gausman and DeScalfani, to go with the surprising performance of Logan Webb.
Alcantra, 25, also has a 3.0 WAR, and is 6’5/200 with a 3.27 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 126 ERA+, 8.6 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 3.36 K/BB, 7.5 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, and a 1.119 WHIP. Doesn’t his FA until 2025, so he’s a solid option as well as a young top of rotation right handed starter.
Of course Rogers has ace-level potential, however Alcantra flashed some promise as an All Star in 2019 and has ERA’s of 3.44, 3.88, 3.00*, and 3.27 for a total of 3.53 since 2018.
Why would Miami trade either of them? Well, Miami has several starting pitchers high on their prospect rankings, so trading from a position of strength to add to their team could help. Edward Cabrera came up this year(#2 prospect), with Max Meyer(#3) and Sixto Sanchez(#4) expected to make the leap to the majors as soon as 2023. It depends how Miami feels about Alcantra. If they think of him as a more proven rotation piece and if the fans love him, maybe they choose to get more out of trading Rogers while his stock is this high. With the lack of pitching on the FA market, there won’t be a lack of teams bidding. Gausman(31) looks like the best match of quality and young enough to feel comfortable giving him a longer deal. With Kershaw(34), Verlander(38)), Greinke(38), Sherzer(37), Morton(38), Duffy(33), Cobb(34), Kluber(36), Smyly(33), Pineda(33), Syndergaard(29), Paxton(33), Bundy(29), Ray(30), DeScalfani(32).
Gausman, Robbie Ray, and DeScalfani may be the top 3 starters available, with Keeshaw and Sherzer sure to get short term deals, however they won’t get any 7yr/$200m.
If SF makes a trade for Rogers, and brings back DeScalfani and Gausman, and somehow add Syndergaard on a 1yr-$8m-$12m “prove it” type contract, a Rogers/Gausman/Webb/DeScalfani/Syndergaard(just teach Thor the ways of the 96-97mph splitter) rotation has potential to make the team even better than it’s been this season.
That *could* be the rotation of a 100win team-but a lot would have to go right.
Why would you want Paul Fry? Has a 6.08 ERA, and 6.7 BB/9, although his 3.92 FIP and 11.4 K/9 sounds like there’s at least some potential for better performance from the 29yo. 0.6 HR/9 isn’t terrible either, but the 1.71 K/BB ratio isn’t very good. A 93mph fastball with heavy sink, a hard, sweeping, slider around 85mph, and a 91mph change up he’s used 4 times this season. 76 ERA+(park adjusted, league average=100).
That’s all stuff I’d rather hear about from a 20-25yo than a 29yo…
I mean, I guess he could be alright, but SF has a ton of solid lefty relievers with Tony Watson, Jake McGee, Jarlin Garcia, José Alvarez, Sammy Long, Caleb Baragar and Conner Menez-all of whom deserve shots before an unlucky Orioles reliever, despite his success in 22 innings during the COVID shortened season.
If he was a starter, it’d be a WHOLE different story, but it looks like he’s got 10 starts in 212 minor league games, and 0 at the major league level, so I can’t imagine the Giants moving anything for another lefty reliever… keep em coming though, high K/9 guys are worth checking out and I mean, if the Giants are planning to release a guy anyways than I’d prefer to get something more than just a roster spot.
Ho him signing. Time will tell.
Him who saying. Might turn out well.
There should be a fair amount of non 40 man players traded today as it’s the last day for teams to add players and have them available for the postseason. If the Giants can trade for a good arm that would be good. Or we might see SF select a pitcher like Hjelle or Ragsdale. This COVID outbreak is only going to get worse…
Should have acquired some real starting pitching depth at the deadline.
Like who? Chase Anderson? You do know they acquired Quintana right? Was there anybody better than him that was available? They probably have better options in the system than what was available.
Max Scherzer, Kyle Gibson, José Berrios were all available at the deadline, and obviously all are better than current Jose Quintana.
That being said, I’m certainly glad the Giants didn’t end up spending too much of their prospect capital at the deadline. Can’t complain at all about the deals they DID make, but definitely some starting pitcher depth would have been nice about now.
Yup, totally agree. But my guess is that the Giants went after those arms (maybe not Gibson), but that the asking price would have severely cut into the Giants prospects, and this is no time to be gutting a good system for rentals—although IF they could have worked out a long-term deal with Scherzer . . .
I think they’re cool with a Gausman/Webb/DeScalfani/Wood 4 man playoff rotation. They weren’t expecting to be THIS good this season, everyone had/has them pegged for next year… then they started winning.
Just wait till they trade Joey Bart+Darin Ruf+Luis Matos+Hunter Bishop+Sean Hjelle for Miami All Star starter Trevor Rogers, and then sign Noah Syndergaard to a $8-$12m 1yr “prove it” deal. A rotation of Rogers/Webb/Gausman/DeScalfani/Syndergaard would be real nice. Plus, despite Ruf being really good(2.8 WAR), we have a crowded 1st base group. I’d prefer to give more time to Belt and Wade over Ruf.
Sherzer is 37. Verlander 38, Greinke 38, Kershaw 34, Morton 38, Kleber 36, Morton 38, Cobb 34, Pineda 33, Duffy 33, Smyly 33, Paxton 33, Gausman 31, DeScalfani 32, Robbie Ray 30, Dylan Bundy 29, and Syndergaard 29. There’s just not a lot out there. Even Quintana is 32.
The Nationals weren’t planning on trading JUST Sherzer. They wanted more and that’s why they included Trea Turner. Once that trade happened, everyone realized why their packages weren’t sufficient. They wanted a haul. It’d be stupid for SF to give up their farm for a 37yo starter. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Farhan doesn’t operate that way. He got Kris Bryant because we needed an everyday left fielder with 3B experience. An impact bat to add with Crawford, Posey and Belt. Gausman wasn’t a guy they traded the farm for. Nor was DeScalfani. Yet they’ve both been excellent and guys that would be 2 or 3 starters in every rotation in baseball. Webb was a hit too. Cueto is a huge contract from the prior regime, and a telling tale to learn from when it comes to giving pitchers money past their prime. I’d be cool with Ray, Kershaw. Syndergaard, but I’d only want them if we can’t resign Gausman and DeScalfani. If we get them, I’d say they look to the guys like Pineda or Cobb. Or trade their 401