The Giants announced they’ve selected reliever Scott Alexander onto the major league roster. Fellow southpaw Thomas Szapucki was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. To create a spot on the 40-man roster, San Francisco recalled left-hander Sam Long from the minors and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list.
Alexander is up for the first time as a Giant. The 33-year-old is no stranger to the NL West, having spent the 2018-21 campaigns with the archrival Dodgers. He was a solid situational piece for L.A. skipper Dave Roberts, posting a 3.49 ERA across 111 frames. The sinkerballer only struck out 17.7% of opposing hitters over that stretch, but only Zack Britton and Aaron Bummer had a ground-ball rate superior to Alexander’s 67.5% clip (among relievers with 100+ innings). He held left-handed opponents to a woeful .196/.262/.312 line in 122 plate appearances over that stretch.
Unfortunately, Alexander was also no stranger to the injured list. He lost a good chunk of the 2019 season with forearm inflammation, and he spent most of last year on the IL with a shoulder injury. The Dodgers waived him at the end of last season, and he remained a free agent until signing a minor league deal with San Francisco in March. He’s spent the majority of this year on the IL as well, only reporting to Sacramento three weeks ago. After 7 2/3 scoreless innings over seven games there, Alexander makes his return to the major leagues.
Long recently suffered a right oblique strain in Triple-A, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. His 2022 season comes to an end after 28 MLB appearances and eight outings in Sacramento. The swingman worked to a 3.61 ERA over 42 1/3 innings at the MLB level, albeit with a modest 18.2% strikeout rate. He’ll be paid at the prorated $700K league minimum rate for the rest of the season and collect big league service time for the next five weeks.
@Drew_Smitty first reported Alexander’s forthcoming promotion yesterday.
I think he is a better player than my Alexander Rag time band guy on the brewers. Yes, I know they are brothers!
Try saying Susan Slusser five times fast-
Ready?
Susan Slusser Susan Slusser Susan Slusser Susan Slusser Susan Slusser
That said (five times), she’s fortunate her name isn’t Pheasant Plucker.
Susan Slusser sells seashells by the seashore
Why not? Giants have nothing to lose .. .but a bunch more games.
Yes please keep losing in order to get a top 10 pick #Trusttheprocess
Unfortunately that seems like a more likely option than trying to make the wild card. Even if a miracle happens and they make it they won’t go far.
When did the giants sign this guy? Thought he played for Doyers
“The Dodgers waived him at the end of last season, and he remained a free agent until signing a minor league deal with San Francisco in March. He’s spent the majority of this year on the IL as well, only reporting to Sacramento three weeks ago. “
He’s been hiding
Another joke of a franchise…
You think the franchise with the second most hall of famers and fifth most world series titles is a joke? That’s a good one lol
1958 to 2010 is a long time to lose.
And still 5th most titles, says a lot about the other teams. What do you think about those teams ?
But you’ve be a loser all your life
2010-2014 is also a very short time to win 3 titles. That’s more than half of baseball has in the history of their organizations in fact.
Comments like that really deserve a lifetime ban.
They have won 3 out of the last 12 world championships. Kind of a joke of a statement.
And not a thing before or since.
Since the Giants won 2014, the Yankees, Cardinals, Padres, Mets, along with almost 20 other teams have also not won the World Series. And among the teams that have, the Astros were marred by a cheating scandal and the Dodgers won it during a 60 game season.
So what makes them such a joke of a franchise? Especially since this post is about team calling up a reliever.
You act like the dodgers were the only one who had to play a 60 game schedule in 2020 looping them with the Astros. Lmao
Did you know that the 2020 LA team is the only team to have a .700 win percentage since they 2001 Mariners?
And before you say “well duh, they only had 60 games,” do take note that the 2022 Dodger team is currently at a .699 pace through 124 games, with a run differential 78 runs better than #2 and 117 better than #3 so…. You’ll need to find another excuse. Don’t hurt yourself stretching for your next argument
No matter your spin, it’s not a full season. A lot could happen in another 100 games. So no matter who won in 2020, it’s an asterisk. Two different teams this years Doyers compared to 2020 also.
I’m not taking away the fact the boys in blue are good, they are a and have for a long time, been real good.
For the last 100 games of 2020, LA could have gone .500 the rest of the way, and won 94 games. Given they were winning at a .717 pace, .500 for the last 100 would have been shocking. LA’s 2020 season is only the 3rd season since 1962 to end over .700 winning percentage.
To tie the bow on this, the last time LA played a full year at or below .500 was 2010. Also known as, before this ownership group. They were easily winning 100+ in a complete 2020, and anyone who isn’t biased can acknowledge that
At that point, it’s the playoffs of 2020 to discuss. LA in 2020 won more playoffs games than any previous champion, with fewer off days as well than any previous October. and the year in between then and now? 106 wins. Just be a man and admit it
The Dodgers are insanely talented so their regular record is hardly surprising, and I’m not sure what it has to do with winning a World Series.
Anyways, I’m so sorry for hurting your feelings about calling the shortened season World Series lesser of a World Series win.
Hurt my feelings? Hardly
I just enjoy pointing out bad logic. Again, I’ll do it here.
The only way you can discredit a 60 game regular season champion with a straight face is if you believe there is a reasonable argument that the team should not have made the postseason. If you fail to make the argument, which it sounds like you’ve conceded regarding the Dodgers, then the only discussion about 2020 that applies to discounting LA’s title would be about the postseason. And as we both agree, LA won more playoff games than any champion in history, with fewer off days during their run. Neither the Nats of 19 or the Sox of 18 could have won the 2020 World Series in the same manner that they won their respective titles, given their strategic use of off days.
So again, what argument is it that you think discredits LA’s title…that has any basis?
The only asterisk is courtesy of the 2017 Houston Astros.
No bro, don’t care what spin you put on it, like I said, 60 games isn’t a full season. No fans, nothing was normal. Injuries happen, a lot happens. It’s an asterisk. Period. It’s like sayin Matt Williams would’ve beat out the season homer record before the strike. We will never know, just like we will never know what would’ve happened if they played a full season
You’re cherry picking now, and it shows. Here’s the thing – the 60 game season was an anomaly, so there will always be arguments for and against that World Series, so there’s no real “right” answer. Only the answer that you most believe in. That’s true for you, that’s true for me.
From my perspective, baseball is unique in that it has an obscenely long regular season. A lot can happen in 162 games, so when you subtract 100 from that, it removes a lot of the chance that happens during the season. Navigating injuries becomes less likely, and fatigue certainly won’t be nearly as prevalent. Trades were more about enhancing an existing roster than rebuilding an area of lost strength. You can definitely argue that the 2020 season has a shortened spring training, so it’s not to say the 2020 season was not without its struggles, but you’d be lying to yourself if you feel like it’s comparable to a 162 game season. That’s why the “fewer days off” argument doesn’t make sense, and I’m not sure what it accomplishes. For example, if MLB has fewer days off during the 2023 World Series (assuming a full season), would that make it the most impressive World Series win in all of history? Maybe in its own right, but nobody is really going to think of it that way.
I know that, as a Giants fan, it looks like I’m discounting 2020 because of the Dodgers, but I promise that is not my point of view, but there’s not really anything I can do to chance that perspective. I said from the beginning of 2020, that the World Series winner wouldn’t count to me because, with the expanded playoffs and shorter season, any team could catch fire and win, which would’ve been obnoxious. Heck, the Giants had freaking Joe McCarthy and Tyler Heineman in their opening day lineup, and almost made the playoffs (we missed it by like 1 or 2 wins). Thankfully, that didn’t happen and I do believe the right team (the Dodgers) won, given the circumstances. But what if, say, Betts got injured? Or Bauer faded down the stretch? Kershaw has a pretty poor reputation in the playoffs – is that due to the grueling schedule? Obviously, we’ll never know, and even if those things (or worse!) did all happen, the Dodgers would’ve probably been fine. That isn’t the say the Dodgers aren’t an impressive team (that’s part of what makes me so angry about them, haha), and there’s probably a pretty good chance they would’ve won 2020 if there was a full season. But my reason for discounting 2020 is there just isn’t the variation of a regular 2020 season, and 60 games is not a good sample size for a truly great team. And winning 100+ wins that season is irrelevant, so if you are going to knock my arguments, then you’ll need to provide better than that or arguments about winning records since 2010, because that hasn’t amounted to any other World Series wins… it’s irrelevant to the root of the conversation.
It seems like, to you, fewer days off and the shorter season plus expanded playoffs gave anybody a chance was actually a credit to the Dodgers 2020 win, and that’s fine! Also, it’s not like MLB placed an asterisk on that year, so you have their full support. But I think ultimately, we can agree to disagree, given that it was an anomaly.
Anyway, my original point to the OP was that they’d have to try harder than saying the Giants are a joke franchise for not having won the World Series since 2015, that are bringing a ton of other outstanding franchises down with them. Even if you do count the 2020 Dodgers win.
@Disadvantage, couldn’t of said it any better. I agree.
Before, really ? You must be 12 years old. Check the history books next time you’re in detention, son.
I’ve been posting on this website more than 12 years, try again bud
And McCourt bought the Dodgers in 2004. I take it math isn’t your strong suit.
Knocking the Dodgers for winning in 2020 is a tired argument. Every team played the same amount of games and had to face the same challenges. Starting spring training and then shutting it down, then ramping up again and playing a bizarre schedule without the fans. It was a challenging season for every team. Teams have won in strike shortened seasons and there aren’t any asterisks involved. When there isn’t a clear advantage given there is no need for an asterisk. The 2017 Astros deserve an asterisk for cheating the game. They gained an unfair advantage against their opponents which is asterisk worthy. Don’t get me wrong, I want the Dodgers to win one in a 162 game season, particularly to quiet the noise about the 2020 championship, but that doesn’t take away anything they accomplished during that season.
As far as the Giants go, they are a well run franchise and I respect them as opponents. Of course I want to see them die a dog’s death when they play (especially against the Dodgers) but I respect their franchise and enjoy the competition. The players don’t hate other teams and for the most part don’t hate other players. I understand the idea of being a die hard fan but as I’ve gotten older I’ve dropped the whole “hate the other guys” mentality. I feel like if more people could do the same there would be less trolling and more constructive talk about baseball.
Nobody is knocking them for winning in 2020, the only thing that I stated was it wasn’t a full 160 game season. And the history books will state that the Dodgers won a shortened season championship. It’s not comparable to others who won after grinding through 162.
Everyone who called the Giants pretenders last year were right. SF has looked more like the Rockies than division winners. Missing the playoffs after not trading Rodon, is the icing on the cake.
Everyone who said the Doyers weren’t going to win the World Series again last year were right, and watching the Giants tank the Dodgers pitching in the playoffs was icing on the cake! You do know they tried to move Rodon right? They are still getting something for him and probably will try and extend him.
San Francisco is a joke of a baseball team. The dodgers have the best record in baseball and you waste your time arguing for the giants? You guys got eliminated by LA last year for a reason. You can bring up previous years but no one cares. We all want to win now and that’s what the dodgers lead the league in as we speak. Giants fans are more pathetic than padres fans. You guys won’t even make the playoffs, chump
You say the Giants look like the Rockies, which is a bad team. Then there’s also the D-Backs in the division (who are worse than the Giants). So the Dodgers have the best record while playing in, by your own admission, a division with several bad teams? Congratulations, I guess…
They had the second best record in the league last year when playing in a division with a team (that wasn’t even supposed to be good) that had a better record. And if they’re so good, when are they going to finally win a World Series in a full 162 game season? They’ve had 8 chances…
Dodgers won in 2020, that’s more recent than those losers in San Fran. Four teams have held opponents under .280 OBP. 2019, 2020, 2022. Were in the playoffs every year and haven’t lost to anyone who hasn’t won it all since 2015. I wouldn’t trade the dodgers roster or track record for any other MLB team. 1988 was such a great championship that it’s replayed more than any other sports moment in history. Gibson’s walk off, Covid championship, the dodgers always have the best moments to root for. San Francisco has the most miserable star of all time. Congrats on all those roid home runs from the bonds era.
@Gavin
Literally you: “You can bring up previous years but no one cares.”
Also you:
“1988 was such a great championship that it’s replayed more than any other sports moment in history.” (Sources, please??? I’ve literally never seen this to be true.)
“Gibson’s walk off.”
“Covid championship.”
“Dodgers won in 2020.”
If you’re going to be an awful, no-good person to talk to, can you at least be consistent with it? I’m all for good “Giants suck, Dodgers rule” banter – there’s plenty of it within this comment section alone! – but can you at least make it interesting? Here’s one! You say: “Were (sic) in the playoffs every year and haven’t lost to anyone who hasn’t won it all since 2015.” Okay, so the Dodgers can’t beat good teams in the playoffs then. What good does that do?
You’re just a biased, unpleasant person to talk to.
@Gavin…you need to stop. You’re all over the place. I love the game of baseball as a whole, love Kershaw, love Betts, Trout, Judge, the list goes on, they are true baseball greats. So I only speak truth to what is obvious. No matter who the team is. So For you to call a team garbage just shows you are bias and narrow minded. Every team has problems, even your Dodgers. Sorry to say, for as many times the Dodgers have been in the playoffs, they sure don’t have a lot to show for it. A 60 game Covid, restricted season championship. That’s just the truth. But keep holding on to the 88 dodgers, which I actually watched and you weren’t probably even born yet. Ha
What is the benefit of recalling a player to the active roster from AAA and then immediately placing them on the 60 day DL (Sam Long) as opposed to just keeping him in AAA?
he’s on the 40 man roster