Right-hander Ross Stripling has exercised his $12.5MM player option for next season, per Danny Emerman of KNBR.com. Stripling, 34 this month, will return to the Giants for the 2024 season rather than test the open market. The move is hardly a surprise, particularly given the fact that Stripling himself announced that he expected to exercise his player option back in September.
After signing with the Giants on a two-year, $25MM guarantee this past winter on the heels of a strong platform season in Toronto, Stripling struggled badly in San Francisco this year. The right-hander ultimately pitched just 89 innings with the Giants this year across 22 appearances, 11 of which were starts. In addition to posting his lowest full-season innings total since 2017, Stripling struggled to get results. His strikeout rate dipped from 20.7% in 2022 to just 18.4% this year, while his walk rate crept up from 3.7% to 4.2%.
While those rates both trended in the wrong direction, the marginal loss in K-BB doesn’t compare to the massive home run problem Stripling faced in 2023. Despite the fact that only Comerica Park in Detroit and PNC Park in San Francisco suppressed home runs at a higher clip than Stripling’s home stadium of Oracle Park, the right-hander saw a whopping 22% of his fly balls leave the yard for home runs this year. Not only was that figure a career high in a full season only matched by Stripling’s 22.8% figure in the shortened 2022 campaign, but it was the second highest rate in the majors this year, barely edged out by Phillies righty Christopher Sanchez’s 22.2% figure. With Stripling allowing more than two home runs per nine innings in 2023, it’s hardly a surprise that Stripling’s 5.36 ERA and 5.21 FIP were the worst figures of his career during a full season.
That being said, there’s reason for optimism that Stripling could improve upon his 2023 campaign next year. After all, he missed two months this year across two separate IL stints due to back issues, suggesting it’s possible he wasn’t fully healthy for much of the season. Better health alongside better fortune regarding the number of his fly balls that leave the yard for home runs in 2024 could drastically improve Stripling’s effectiveness next year; after all, even in this brutal season some advanced metrics looked upon Stripling favorably as demonstrated by his 3.98 xFIP (9% better than league average) and 4.13 SIERA.
The Giants are still waiting on option decisions from left-hander Sean Manaea and Michael Conforto, both of whom can also return to the open market rather than playing out the final year of two-year deals they inked with the club last winter. Meanwhile, San Francisco faces a decision of its own regard veteran right-hander Alex Cobb. Manaea and Conforto are both reportedly undecided on whether or not they’ll return to free agency this offseason, while Cobb’s option, once an obvious choice for San Francisco to exercise, could be muddied by a recent hip surgery that figures to keep him out of action through Opening Day 2024.
I’d do that too if I were him.
There’s a PNC park in San Francisco?
It’s also a $15 million option not $12.5.
It’s 12.5.
No, it was $10 million in 2023 and $15 in 2024.
Don’t back down, double down!
Well BR says 10/15, Cots says 12.5/12.5. Do you have the contract in front of you Stephanie? I don’t.
So, yes. I will double down since it’s not like the author has done much work relating to the article. Seeing as how PNC park is thousands of miles away from SF.
“The contract contains a $5MM signing bonus that’ll be paid out in equal $2.5MM installments — one in 2023 and one in 2024, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Stripling will also earn a $7.5MM salary this coming season before deciding whether to opt out of a $12.5MM salary for the 2024 campaign.”
mlbtraderumors.com/2022/12/giants-sign-ross-stripl…
mlb.com/press-release/giants-agree-to-two-year-con…
It’s on vacation.
PNC is visiting Oracle in the off season.
PNC suppressed home runs simply because the Pirates had no power to hit any.
It’s called Willie Mays Park. Anyone who tells you differently is trying to sell you something.
Conforto and Manaea won’t opt out. Don’t see anyone paying them more than what they’ll make with the giants next season.
Manaea might have done well enough in the 2nd half to find a longer and more valuable deal. He might also just want to clear the slate and be seen as a starter and not long-man.
It seems like if Manaea were a free agent he would not be getting multi year offers after the past two seasons. 1/8m bounceback type deal seems realistic.
If he turns down 1/15m it’s definitely going to be regarding your second point. That said, considering he’ll be playing for Bob Melvin again I imagine he’ll take the big payday and stay.
Manaea had a very good 2nd half, 3.43 ERA, 8.4 SO/9, 1.144 WHIP. If this offseason is like every other one, most teams will be looking for pitching. They’ might look at that 2nd half turnaround and think he’s a gamble worth taking. If he hits the FA market competition from pitching-needy teams will drive up the price. If it was a no-brainer for him to decide not opt-out, he would have done so by now.
sf fan — No, neither player will make what the Giants are contracted to pay for 2024. However, both Manaea and Conforto might very well get multi-year deals that secure more money over all . And given Manaea’s career unexceptional work and Conforto’s past injuries, it certainly could make sense for either player to lock into the security of a multi-year contract.
As a Giants fan, I hope BOTH opt out.
I see your point, but I don’t think they could get multi-year contracts unless is … 20 million for 3 years or something like that? And yes, I hope they both leave, but they won’t, I think.
Manaea did. mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/giants-to-exercise-club…
Can’t wait for Farhan to sign Lance Lynn to prove that any park is hitter friendly if you have the right pitching. He and Stripling could have a season long bet on who can give up the most homers.
Lance Lynn could make Yellow Stone play small…
Rsox
Interesting now often people that are jerks are also ignorant
That’s not how park factors work
Lighten up, he was making a joke.
Whoooosh
Someone hasn’t had their coffee yet…
DUR
Thinking a joke is dumb and rude doesn’t mean I don’t understand it.
Insulting someone who is almost certainly one of the top 1% n their field while driving for Lyft, or whatever, is pretty sad.
Rsox
No
I don’t need drugs to function.
I also can easily tell when someone is being a jerk
And when some loser who’s a bank teller or whatever is trying to insult one of the top baseball players in the world.
I think we found Lance Lynn’s burner account
RSox
Nah
Some people are able to see when some losers are being jerks to someone much more detail than them
I’m guessing the irony is lost that the one pointing out others for being “jerks” is also the one resorting to name calling
RSox
Saying someone is “being a jerk” is not name-calling. If it is (it isn’t) then the xomments about Lynn are also name-calling. (They aren’t)
Saying someone “is a jerk” would be name calling.
Everyone, including me, is a jerk sometimes.
Anyway, I stand by my statement, Lynn is, almost certain,y, way more successful in his career than anyone criticizing him.
Calling people losers is name calling. Regardless of whether you agree or not
Filihook is on tilt because the giants are going to win 70 games next year. It’s ok. I’ve come to peace with it.
DUR
Why would I care if the Giants win 70 games?
Always hilarious that the [people] trying to insult others show their ignorance so explicitly
Considering how many bombs Lance Lynn gave up last year, I’m sure he’ll find a way to make Giants park homerun prone.
There is no way conforto opts out. Hes shown the player he is. No one is going to pay him more. Boras really screwed him by telling him not to sign that extension with the mets and hit the open market. Everyone saw conforto for the player he was, not whatever boras showed
The player who has basically the same career offensive output as Manny Machado and Nolan Arenado? That one?
Since 2015 with their MLB rankings:
Michael Conforto 147 HR’s (77th), 20.5 fWAR (51st)
Nolan Arenado 297 HR’s (1st), 43.6 fWAR (8th)
Manny Machado 280 HR’s (2nd), 41.7 fWAR (10th)
A comparable offensive output means little when 2 guys play most every game and the other is hurt frequently, historically speaking.
You know war includes defense, right? I said offense.
wRC+, career:
Machado – 123
Conforto – 121
Arenado – 120
Yes, I am aware (like most) that all variations of WAR include defense. My last sentence could have been referencing wRC+ or OPS+ if you take another look.
Conforto walks more, strikeouts more, has less power and obviously worse defense and much poorer health. With an additional 2000-2200 PA’s to match the others since he debuted he’d have around 235 HR’s and a fWAR in the low 30’s.
Comparing an injury prone corner outfielder to two of the best offensive and defensive 3b in the game is kinda pointless to make any point. Heck if we’re going to ignore the importance of playing time when making comparisons, in 2022 Matt Carpenter and Aaron Judge had similar wRC+.
If you never play, are you good?
He has 3,400 PAs in the bigs. Sample size is plenty sufficient
3400 PA’s over 9 years is why he’s been half as valuable as those others you compared him too. With his injury history it’s unlikely he gets healthier going forward.
Remember that baseball saying, the most important ability in baseball is availability?
That said, I hope Conforto’s career changes trajectory and he finds good health. He is a talented ballplayer!
Way to go Farhan
Another brilliant signing along with La stella Desclafani Haniger Conforto and Fat Joc
None of those are that bad.
8/144 for Hosmer is bad
5/106 for Myers is bad
Crap contracts are just that. And your Wil Myers numbers are wrong, he had signed a 6/83m deal that ended after 2022.
No, not every bad contract is the same. All these players were paid market rate. If your worst deal is giving a historically league-average starter 3/36, you’ve done quite well
The Desclafani contract was worse than any contract given out by the previous regime. At least Longoria Cueto and Samardzija had proven they could be good players for more than one season. Farhan is the opposite of savvy. Always behind the curve.
Lol what? Disco has been good pretty much every year he’s pitched. And they gave him like 1/3 of what the shark got…6 years later
@Gmoney ?????? Desclafani contract has been a total disaster he’s barely even pitched the past 2 years and when he has it’s been garbage
MadBum14 — I wouldn’t include Haniger in that list. It wasn’t his fault Flaherty broke his arm. Let’s see what he can do when he’s healthy.
I see you are applying hindsight and a fair amount of cherry picking in those names while ignoring context. Stay Mad, Bum.
This is why the giants always have a deep playoff run. You guys are right.
Typo. PNC is in Pittsburgh.
Easist decision of Stripling’s life right there.
Stripling can’t be as bad as he looked this year…right?
I really hope so. I doubt he even gets a spot in the rotation if the offseason goes as planned.
Too bad
Was hoping LA would sign Stripling along with Maeda, Ryu, Greinke, Hill, and Kershaw fora band back together rotation.
/TiC
I’m curious as to who these Zaidi critics think he should have signed last season. Who was Zaidi supposed to sign? Once Judge opted to stay in NY and Correa failed his physical, what FAs were available that would have made a difference in 2023? As Fangraphs said, Zaidi did all he could with what was available.
Hindsight is a terrible basis for a critical review. Zaidi signed more of the top 50 FAs than any other team. He couldn’t force Judge to sign with the Giants. Trea Turner would have been a great signing, but he left the Dodgers to go back to his preferred east coast. He wasn’t going to sign with SF.
These were MLBTRs top 10 FAs:
Judge
Correa
Trea Turner
Bogaerts
Swanson
Rodon
de Grom
Verlander
Nimmo
Willson Contreras
None of Judge Turner, and Nimmo, were going to sign with the Giants. Maybe Verlander, would have, but he didn’t exactly help the Mets get far. Some of the same fans criticizing Zaidi now wanted him to re-sign Rodon. Otherwise there’s some bad contracts on that list, and Zaidi should be given credit for avoiding them.
Taillon gets 4/68 from the Cubs, Taijuan 4/72 from the Phils, and everyone’s all over Farhan’s nuts for giving a better pitcher in Disco about half of that.
He gets extra hate because he’s a ‘nerd’ and a Muslim who thinks his way is superior and he’ll always be smarter than the horde of casuals who don’t just don’t get it. And he’s right.
Not the favorite demographic of the typical right-leaning baseball fan in case you hadn’t noticed
Spot on.
All of this!
I think you misspelled Ro Done.
I remember all those folks squawking about letting him go.
Long term contracts for pitchers on the wrong side of 30 rarely work out well.
Same memory. What amuses me is that those people now conveniently skip past Rodon and go back to Gausman when needing a pitcher they didn’t re-sign to cry about.
Probably the same crowd who were whining about signing Gausman in the first place.
Really not a known commodity at that point…
Your comment got me thinking, so I went back to the comments from when Gausman was signed in 2019.
“Gausman is awful regardless of where he was drafted. He’s, at best, the Giants #5. Nine million for this bum. God help us.”
“Seems like Zaidi’s making every effort to prove he’ an idiot.”
“There is no upside to Gausman. He has six years of mediocrity.”
“Preparing to finish last in their division”
“Enjoy that negative WAR Gnat fans.”
“seems like a lot for a pitcher who was…oh what is the technical term…oh yeah, not good.”.
“$9m for a bad pitcher”
“This deal makes zero sense…”
I’m wondering what the comments were like when Gausman signed with the Jays, but I’m bored with this now.
good post Jean. Zaidi has CLEARLY stated he’s not looking for starter depth, ie he’s not going to sign people like Lynn. Basically, will not seek 3,4 and 5 guys. That’s because he’ll have Desclifani, Harrison Beck Winn and likely manaea. Or stripling. And once Cobb is ready he’ll have Webb Cobb and a front end guy like maybe Yamamoto. And he’d rather develope the rooks than take a chance with a Lynn. And Giolito and many others. Snell would be a 2 as well. He and other high end starters are the targets. Position guys? Swanson is the only one that would have been a good add but the others you mentioned were so so. And if Conforto and Haniger return to previous performances they could still provide value. This organization was a mess under evans/sabean. Bochy lost his MOJO and was ready for a break. And wasn’t healthy. This narrative that he was forced out is comical. And some comes from Sabean who flopped in NY this season. So great source there. If Bochy was still healthy enough to manage, why 3 season delay. Why not KC or oakland or some other org?No he chooses theRangers who paid taxes with a $250mil payroll. And he wouldn’t have come close to 107 wins with 21 Giants. That entire season was accomplished with analytically driven platooning. A manager with “feel” was not a good fit for that team. As long as the posters are relying on hindsight for their comments, try some of mine.
This guy made the right choice. He’s had “strips” of excellent pitching, surrounded around injuries and mediocrity. Could be a steal at that price or just right.
Damn straight he’s cashing in that winning lotto tix zaidi gave em last yr. His agent deserves ‘gold glove’ brief case 4pulling that rabbit out of hat.
there’s always a risk for the signing team on these contracts. Rodon. Had a great year, sf benefitted from it, he opts out to make a bigger contract. He had an injury history and he could have stunk or never healed that year. If he had, Giants are on the hook for his second year. These opt out/in contracts are becoming more popular but there’s always a risk by signing team. Your “rabbit out of a hat” comment does not apply. Like I said, it’s common and Zaidi is one of many that likes them. Having said that, zaidi recently gave the impression that he’ll be more inclined to just sign regular multi-year contracts mostly because the opt out/in thing he did was temporary.
Stripling has stated that he had other suitors and the opt out got him over the line. From a team perspective, its way better than differentiating yourself by guaranteeing an extra year.
it’s wise
At least Manaea opted out. Helps to take the sting outta this one. I’d be surprised if Conforto opts out, but miracles do happen.
Stripling has shown the ability to bounce back after a bad year before. A lot of Jays fans thought he was done before 2022. It may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Or it may not. At least it is only 1 year at 12.5. Not exactly crippling to the payroll. He is playing for his next contract so they have that on their side.