Conor Gillaspie

Elected Free Agency: Siegrist, Edgin, Hutchison, Locke, Bolsinger, Van Slyke, Maness

By Steve Adams | October 23, 2017 at 3:28pm CDT

The indispensable Matt Eddy of Baseball America provides an overview of a vast number of players electing free agency following the 2017 season in his latest Minor Transactions roundup. Eddy largely focuses on players with big league service time (significant service time, in some cases) that were outrighted off the roster that are now hitting the open market for the first time. (Players with three-plus years of service that are not on the 40-man roster at season’s end can elect free agency, as can any player that has been outrighted on multiple occasions in his career.)

While the vast majority of these players seem likely to sign minor league pacts this winter — they did, after all, go unclaimed by 29 other teams on waivers — a number of them are still intriguing with recent success in their past and/or multiple years of arbitration eligibility remaining. Eddy’s rundown also contains a number of re-signed minor leaguers and released minor leaguers without big league experience as well as Arizona Fall League assignments on a per-team basis, so it’s well worth a full look.

We’ve updated our list of 2017-18 MLB free agents accordingly, and here are some of the new names now checking in on the list…

Depth options in the rotation

Josh Collmenter, Asher Wojciechowski, Drew Hutchison, Jeff Locke, Kyle Kendrick, Mike Bolsinger, Christian Bergman, David Holmberg

Collmenter is just two seasons removed from being the D-backs Opening Day starter but hasn’t had much success of late. Hutchison had solid Triple-A numbers and once looked like a long-term rotation piece in Toronto before Tommy John surgery. He can be controlled for another three seasons in arbitration. Locke was injured for most of an ugly first (and likely only) season in Miami, and Kendrick made just two starts for the Red Sox.

Wojciechowski (6.50 ERA in 62 1/3 innings with the Reds), Bolsinger (6.31 ERA in 41 1/3 innings with the Jays), Bergman (5.00 ERA in 54 innings with the Mariners) and Holmberg (4.68 ERA in 57 2/3 innings with the White Sox) all soaked up innings for injury-plagued pitching staffs. Bolsinger has had the most MLB experience of the bunch.

Corner Bats

Scott Van Slyke, Tyler Moore, Cody Asche, Conor Gillaspie, Jaff Decker

Van Slyke has long been a solid bat against left-handed pitching but appeared in just 29 games with the Dodgers and didn’t hit well with their Triple-A affiliate or with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate. (He was included in the Tony Cingrani trade to balance out the financial side of the deal.) Moore, also a right-handed bat, showed power but struggled to get on base.

Once one of the Phillies’ top prospects, Asche hit well in Triple-A Charlotte but flopped in a brief stint with the ChiSox. Gillaspie was unable to replicate his 2016 rebound with the Giants, while Decker showed some on-base skills in the Majors and minors but didn’t hit much overall. (He can play center but hasn’t graded well there in the Majors.)

Utility Infielders

Ruben Tejada, Phil Gosselin, Dusty Coleman, Chase d’Arnaud

Each of the four can play all over the diamond, but none provided offensive value in 2017. Tejada has the most big league experience but hasn’t received much playing time since 2015 (and hasn’t performed well when he has gotten opportunities). Gosselin has a solid defensive reputation but a light bat through 551 MLB PAs. Coleman hit four homers in 71 PAs in his MLB debut this year but logged a .268 OBP. d’Arnaud saw his fair share of 2016 action with the Braves but has never produced much at the plate.

Bullpen options

Kevin Siegrist (L), Josh Edgin (L), Seth Maness, Kevin Quackenbush

Siegrist and Edgin are intriguing names for clubs in need of left-handed bullpen help. Both have recent success on their track records, though Edgin wasn’t as sharp in 2017 as he was prior to 2015 Tommy John surgery. Siegrist’s control eroded in 2017 as he missed time due to a back/spinal injury and tendinitis in his left forearm, but he was one of the Cardinals’ top setup options in both 2015 and 2016. Both lefties are controllable through 2019.

Maness drew headlines for returning from a torn UCL in roughly seven months thanks to an experimental new “primary repair” procedure, but while he stayed healthy in 2017, the results weren’t great in the Majors and especially not in Triple-A (6.13 ERA in 47 innings). Quackenbush was excellent as a rookie in 2014 and solid in 2015-16 before imploding in 2017 (7.86 ERA in 26 1/3 innings). He was better but not great in Triple-A (3.90 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9). Maness could be controlled through 2019, while Quackenbush would have three more years of control.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/6/17

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2017 at 5:52pm CDT

Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

Conor Gillaspie accepted an assignment to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jonathan Hawthorne). Gillaspie had the option to become a free agent after being designated for assignment earlier this week, though he chose to remain in San Francisco’s organization after clearing waivers. The infielder has been plagued by back problems this season and hit just .163/.218/.288 over 87 plate appearances.

Giants Designate Conor Gillaspie For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 3, 2017 at 7:47am CDT

Following last night’s game, the Giants designated third baseman Conor Gillaspie for assignment and optioned infielder Jae-gyun Hwang back to Triple-A Sacramento, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area writes. In their place, the Giants have recalled infield/outfield prospect Ryder Jones from Sacramento and activated outfielder Jarrett Parker from the disabled list.

Gillaspie, 30, returned to the Giants organization for a second stint in 2016 and hit ..262/.307/.440 in 205 regular-season plate appearance before emerging as a postseason hero and cementing himself in Giants lore. With the Giants and Mets locked into a scoreless Madison Bumgarner vs. Noah Syndergaard pitching duel, it was Gillaspie who eventually broke the deadlock with a dramatic one-out, three-run homer in the ninth inning against New York closer Jeurys Familia. Gillaspie would later have a 4-for-4 showing in the decisive Game 4 of the NLDS, though the Giants nonetheless dropped that game and series to the eventual World Champion Cubs.

This season, however, has been entirely different for Gillaspie. He’s spent roughly two months of the year on the disabled list due to ongoing back spasms and back discomfort, and when he’s been healthy enough to take the field, he’s been unproductive in a limited role. Through 87 plate appearances, he’s hitting .163/.218/.288 with a pair of homers.

Notably, Pavlovic suggests that Jones will get the opportunity to establish himself as an everyday player in the wake of Wednesday’s late-night moves. The 23-year-old former second-round pick (2013) has enjoyed an excellent season in Triple-A, hitting .312/.396/.574 with 13 homers, 19 doubles and a pair of triples through 273 plate appearances. He didn’t get a lengthy look in his initial audition with the Giants earlier in 2017, but it seems that San Francisco decision-makers are prepared to see what they have on their hands in Jones as they seek to evaluate their needs for the 2018 campaign.

Jones also has experience in the outfield corners and at first base, so he could settle in as a versatile semi-regular, even if Christian Arroyo returns in 2018 and lays claim to the third base role. However, Pavlovic explains that Arroyo, like fellow prospects Austin Slater and Tyler Beede, may not make it back to the field at all in 2017 due to injury. Arroyo suffered a fractured hand when he was hit by a pitch in Triple-A earlier this month.

Injury Notes: Alvarez, Nunez, Duffy, Smith, Freeman, Perez, Hatcher, Bailey

By Jeff Todd | June 24, 2017 at 10:43am CDT

Former All-Star righty Henderson Alvarez put on a showcase yesterday, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). There’s no word yet on how it went, though it’s certainly promising that he was able to take the mound at all. Alvarez, who only just turned 27, is said to be to full health. He last appeared in the majors early in the 2015 season, before a string of shoulder problems intervened. About half of the MLB clubs were represented at the showcase, per Heyman; it’s not surprising to hear of the interest given Alvarez’s young age and track record of success — including a sterling 2014 campaign in which he placed 12th in the NL Cy Young voting.

Here’s more on some injury situations from around the game:

Giants infielder Eduardo Nunez is heading to the 10-day DL with a hamstring injury, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. That placement opens space for Conor Gillaspie to return from his own stint on the disabled list. It doesn’t seem to be a major injury, as the club has given Nunez time to try to work through the issue, but clearly the hope will be that he can return sooner than later. Nunez seems like the most obvious trade piece on the San Francisco roster, and he’ll need to be in top form at the deadline to maximize his return.
Rays skipper Kevin Cash says that infielder Matt Duffy had a procedure to “remove a pea-sized calcium deposit” from his problematic left heel, as Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). The hope is that doctors have identified the cause of Duffy’s ongoing pain, which has lingered much longer than anticipated. Cash says he expects Duffy to return to action this summer, which could represent a nice boost.
There’s still no clarity on the status of Red Sox righty Carson Smith, who has been working back from Tommy John surgery. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager John Farrell weren’t exactly brimming with confidence yesterday, as Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com reports. It has now been ten days since Smith last threw, and he’ll be evaluated by medical personnel before picking up a baseball again. At this point, there’s no clear timetable for Smith to make it back to the majors, though Farrell says the organization has “not closed the book in a sense on anything Carson can contribute this year.”
While his potential shift to third base has drawn all the headlines, it’s also notable that Braves slugger Freddie Freeman has made major strides in the healing process for his broken wrist. As David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links), Freeman says that doctors have seen dramatic improvement over the last week. While he says he can still feel some pain in the surgically repaired joint, he stressed that “it’s pain, it’s not hurt” at this stage.
Rangers lefty Martin Perez is headed to the 10-day DL with a fractured right thumb, per a club announcement. Fortunately, that’s his non-pitching hand, so it seems likely he won’t require an extended absence. (Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the story on the injury, which was caused by a rogue hotel door.) Texas will also welcome back southpaw Cole Hamels, who is slated to take the MLB mound on Monday.
The Dodgers announced yesterday that righty Chris Hatcher will head to the 10-day DL with thoracic inflammation. The 32-year-old has struggled to a 4.66 ERA, with seven home runs clouding his stat sheet though he also carries a strong 10.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. He has been replaced on the active roster by fellow right-hander Ross Stripling.
And finally, the Reds have officially activated righty Homer Bailey. That move was expected at this point, but it’s still plenty notable. The high-priced righty has made just eight MLB starts since the beginning of the 2015 season, and will be trying to reestablish himself as a healthy and productive big leaguer. Young outfielder Jesse Winker was optioned to create roster space.

Notable Roster Decisions: Friday

By Steve Adams | March 31, 2017 at 9:45pm CDT

As Spring Training draws to a close, the final determinations about each team’s roster will be continue to come into focus. Here are some of the day’s more notable roster decisions…

Prized righty Tyler Glasnow will take the final spot in the Pirates rotation, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on Twitter. He had been competing with Trevor Williams, who’ll head to the bullpen, Adam Berry of MLB.com adds on Twitter. With southpaw Wade LeBlanc also taking a job, that seems to set the stage for Rule 5 pick Tyler Webb to hit the waiver wire.
The Giants have nailed down their bench and rotation, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Aaron Hill and Chris Marrero will round out the bench. The veteran Hill figures to share the infield reserve duties with Conor Gillaspie, while Marrero will surprisingly open the season as a part of a left field platoon with the left-handed-hitting Jarrett Parker. Meanwhile, Matt Cain will keep a rotation spot, though Ty Blach will also make the club as a reliever — where he could often spell Cain in lengthier outings.
With injuries and young arms entering the picture, the Rockies’ pitching plans were interesting to watch this spring. As Nick Groke of the Denver Post tweets, the team will roll with lefty Kyle Freeland and righties Antonio Senzatela and German Marquez to fill out their starting staff. It seems likely that the former two will open the year in the rotation, with Marquez heading to the pen and staying on hand if a need arises.

Click to read earlier updates …

By optioning Ben Gamel and placing several relievers on the DL, the Mariners signaled their Opening Day Roster, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). Guillermo Heredia will serve as a reserve outfielder, while both Dillon Overton and James Pazos are slated to take up spots in the bullpen.
Righty Oliver Drake has been named as the final member of the Orioles bullpen, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. It had been suggested yesterday that Drake was placed on waivers, but it seems that was premature. Though he had a rough spring, Drake has shown an ability to induce lots of swings and misses with his deceptive pitch mix. The 30-year-old is out of options, so Baltimore had to carry him on the active roster to maintain control rights.
The Rangers made the surprising decision to option righty Keone Kela, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Indications are that the move was related to off-field issues rather than performance questions or a need for roster space. Indeed, Kela was — and, perhaps, still is — expected to fulfill an important role in the Rangers’ pen. Though he dealt with elbow issues and struggled in the earned-run department last year, the 23-year-old was dominant this spring and seemed a good bet to bounce back.
A groin injury will land Matt Garza on the 10-day disabled list to open the season, meaning that the Brewers’ rotation will now consist of right-handers Junior Guerra, Zach Davies, Wily Peralta, Chase Anderson and Jimmy Nelson, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Left-hander Tommy Milone, who inked a one-year deal after being non-tendered by the Twins, had been in the mix for a rotation spot but will instead pitch out of the bullpen, Haudricourt adds. The 30-year-old Milone, who has made only 11 career relief appearances, will be the lone southpaw in Milwaukee’s bullpen (and on its entire pitching staff, for that matter).
Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune reports that Trevor Cahill and Luis Perdomo have won spots in the Padres’ rotation, thereby pushing Jarred Cosart to the bullpen. Cahill and Perdomo will be joined by Jhoulys Chacin, Jered Weaver and Clayton Richard in a reconstructed San Diego rotation that was pieced together in cost-effective fashion but still carries myriad question marks. Manager Andy Green didn’t rule out a return to the rotation or an eventual late-inning role for Cosart, but for the time being it sounds as if he’s slotted for long relief. Given the uncertainty that permeates the San Diego starting corps, that role could lead to plenty of innings for the 26-year-old Cosart early in the year.
The Yankees announced last night that right-hander Chad Green has been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 25-year-old Green had been in consideration for a rotation spot and turned in a strong 1.50 ERA in 12 spring innings, though that was accompanied by a less-encouraging 8-to-6 K/BB ratio. The Yankees aren’t planning to name a fifth starter before Opening Day and will utilize early off days to avoid needing a fifth starter for the early portion of April. Still, it’d be a surprise if Green didn’t at least enter the team’s rotation conversation at some point this season. For now, the team’s rotation will be comprised of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia and Luis Severino.
Jandel Gustave has won the Astros’ final bullpen spot, beating out fellow righty James Hoyt, per Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 24-year-old bounced to three different teams after being taken in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft before ultimately returning to the ’Stros. Gustave averaged 97.1 mph on his fastball in his brief MLB debut last season and turned in a 16-to-4 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings of work.
Right-hander Austin Pruitt has beat out Chase Whitley and Jaime Schultz to make the Rays’ roster, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Injuries to Shawn Tolleson and Brad Boxberger likely helped to pave the way for Pruitt, 27, to break camp with the team. The 2013 ninth-round pick turned in a solid 3.76 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9 in his first taste of Triple-A work last year. Manager Kevin Cash tells Topkin that delivering the news that Pruitt would make the Opening Day roster was “probably the best conversation all spring.” The manager also noted that a decision on the final bench slot may not come until Saturday (or even Sunday morning, Topkin adds via Twitter).

Giants, Conor Gillaspie Avoid Arbitration

By Steve Adams | January 11, 2017 at 7:46pm CDT

The Giants and third baseman Conor Gillaspie have agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (via Twitter). San Francisco’s latest postseason hero will make $1.4MM with the team in 2017, per Heyman. That figure checks in quite a bit north of his $900K projection.

Gillaspie, 29, returned to the Giants, the team that originally drafted him, on a minor league deal last February. He’d spent the bulk of the past three seasons with the White Sox, logging significant playing time as the team’s primary third baseman. He sputtered in 2015, however, and was ultimately designated for assignment before being traded to the Angels in exchange for cash. The Halos cut Gillaspie loose following that 2015 season, in which he posted a disheartening .228/.269/.359 batting line.

Gillaspie had a brief stint with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in 2016 but quickly made his way to the big league roster, seeing his contract selected in late April. He’d go on to appear in 101 games for the Giants, primarily in a bench role, hitting .262/.307/.440 in 205 trips to the plate. Gillaspie went on to cement himself in Giants lore by crushing a three-run homer against Mets closer Jeurys Familia, which broke a scoreless tie in what had been a masterful pitching duel between Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard for much of the night. He turned in a valiant 4-for-4 effort in the roller-coaster game that proved to be the Giants’ final contest of the season — a 6-5 loss to the Cubs in Game 4 of the NLDS.

The Giants will be able to control Gillaspie through the 2018 season if they wish, as the Hendricks Sports client enters the 2017 campaign with just over four full seasons of big league service time under his belt. Gillaspie figures to enter the season in a reserve role, with Eduardo Nunez lined up to be the team’s primary third baseman.

Evans, Sabean Discuss Bullpen, Cain, Posey, Arroyo, Coaches

By Steve Adams | October 13, 2016 at 7:56pm CDT

The Giants’ season ended in a devastating defeat that saw a gem from Matt Moore — two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts across eight innings — go to waste as five relievers turned a three-run lead into a one-run deficit in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS vs. the Cubs. In the wake of that stunning defeat, executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean and general manager Bobby Evans spoke to the San Francisco media on Thursday, and Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area has published three different stories on the media session. (Giants fans would do well to read each in its entirety, as they contain far more quotes and context than this overview.)

Sabean and Evans emphasized that the Giants will pursue late-inning relief help this winter. A top-flight closer appears high on the wishlist for the longtime San Francisco baseball ops duo, though as Pavlovic notes, there won’t be a complete overhaul of the bullpen. The Giants are encouraged by the overall output of Derek Law, Hunter Strickland, Josh Osich, Steven Okert and Will Smith, and Evans confirmed that right-hander George Kontos will be tendered a contract as well. However, as Evans explained, the Giants believe there’s a benefit to all members of the relief corps if there’s no question as to who will be closing out games.

“The bullpen performs at a much higher level when you know who your ninth-inning guy is,” said the GM. “It puts everybody at ease and helps [manager Bruce Bochy] as he defines roles. With ambiguity, it creates tension and unknowns that can add to or detract from performance and ultimately lead to struggles.” As for how he’ll go about acquiring a closer, Evans implied a no-stone-left-unturned approach, stating that he’ll be active in free agency, trades and even evaluating his internal options.

The top three relievers in free agency are Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon. Pavlovic rightly notes that the Giants would need to make overwhelming offers to win a bidding war with teams like the Cubs, Yankees and division-rival Dodgers for the services of Jansen or Chapman, opining that Melancon is the likeliest target. That could be especially true when considering the fact that Evans has previously been candid about his pursuit of a Melancon trade in July. Of the team’s trade efforts, Sabean indicated that the Giants lacked the prospect firepower to play for top names like Chapman and Andrew Miller at this year’s deadline, ultimately concluding: “In every case that a closer didn’t come to the Giants, they went elsewhere for probably a lot more than we could have been involved in.”

Shifting to the other side of the pitching staff, Evans said that Matt Cain will have every opportunity to make the team’s starting rotation next year, but the former ace will be competing with young left-hander Ty Blach to win the fifth rotation spot behind Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Moore. Pavlovic wonders if Cain and his four-pitch mix could transition to the bullpen in a similar manner to Joe Blanton. (If that shift in roles is indeed possible, then perhaps Cain could eventually emerge as a late-inning option.)

There’s little doubt, of course, as to who will be calling the games for the majority of the pitchers discussed thus far. Buster Posey remains one of baseball’s premier backstops, but he did fade down the stretch, in part due to some nerve irritation in his right thumb. The former NL MVP won’t require surgery — no member of the roster is in line to go under the knife following the season, in fact — and he isn’t likely to see a marked decrease in terms of time behind the plate next season, either. Some have wondered if catching a career-high 122 games contributed to Posey’s second-half decline, but Evans said there’s no thought to giving Posey more time at first base. “We’re always monitoring his health,” said Evans. “We’re still confident that (catcher) is the best spot for him.”

A full season of productivity out of Posey would certainly aid the Giants in returning to playoff baseball next season, and while many fans feel that the addition of Christian Arroyo to the big league roster would do the same, Evans’ expectation is that Arroyo will begin next year in the minors. The 21-year-old, believed by many to be the team’s third baseman of the future, has yet to play above the Double-A level and slashed only .274/.316/.373 in 119 games there this season. With Arroyo likely headed for the minors, Eduardo Nunez and postseason hero Conor Gillaspie “are locks” to make the roster, writes Pavlovic.

Looking to the coaching staff, the Giants made the decisions to part ways with first base coach Bill Hayes and third base coach Roberto Kelly, with Evans explaining that the team needs to “grow our leadership in terms of how we approach our base running and our overall efforts first-to-third, second-to-home.” Furthermore, the GM said that bench coach Ron Wotus has been contacted by another club, though Pavlovic notes that it’s not clear which team, nor is it clear whether Wotus will interview for one of the managerial vacancies with the division-rival D-backs or Rockies.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/22/16

By Steve Adams | April 22, 2016 at 1:10pm CDT

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…

The Giants have selected the contract of third baseman Conor Gillaspie from Triple-A Sacramento and optioned outfielder Mac Williamson to clear a spot on the 25-man roster, the club announced. To clear a space on the 40-man roster, San Fransicso has transferred utility man Ehire Adrianza to the 60-day disabled list. Gillaspie, 28, was originally a supplemental-round draft pick of the Giants in 2008 and made his big league debut in a Giants uniform. He spent parts of three seasons with the Giants before being traded to the White Sox in 2013. The left-handed-hitting Gillaspie spent two and a half seasons as the primary third baseman for the White Sox and batted .260/.314/.397, largely in a platoon capacity. But he was largely ineffective at the plate last year and wound up returning to the Giants on a minor league deal this winter.

Earlier Moves

The Phillies have outrighted left-hander James Russell after he cleared waivers, the club announced. Philadelphia designated Russell for assignment two days ago and selected the contract of fellow veteran Andrew Bailey. Russell struggled greatly with the Phils this season, allowing nine runs with four strikeouts against five walks in 4 1/3 innings. Because of his service time (five year, 122 days), Russell will have the right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency. The longtime Cubs reliever had a career 4.09 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in 334 2/3 inning and has held lefties to a .242 average and .289 OBP, though the .410 slugging he’s yielded leaves something to be desired.

NL West Notes: Lincecum, Cueto, Gillaspie, Cain, Urias

By Mark Polishuk | February 21, 2016 at 10:56pm CDT

The Padres have spoken to Tim Lincecum’s agent and will have scouts in attendance to see the righty throw in a showcase scheduled for later in February, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Rick Thurman, Lincecum’s agent, said he’d talked to the Padres “a number of times” but had also been in contact with “quite a few other teams” as well, with at least 20 teams requesting Lincecum’s medical information. There seems to be enough interest that, provided Lincecum’s showcase goes well, he should be able to land his desired Major League contract. If such a deal is found with San Diego, the Padres could line Lincecum up as their fourth or fifth starter and move one of their many other back-of-the-rotation candidates into the bullpen. Here’s some more from around the NL West…

Johnny Cueto’s extra workload from the Royals’ postseason run will slightly impact how the Giants treat him in camp, pitching coach Dave Righetti tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s been through some playoff situations, but when you go to the World Series you go the extra mile,” Righetti said. “We know it takes stuff out of guys regardless of how young and strong they are….So, absolutely, you would monitor him anyway. Being that he pitched an extra month, you’re darn right.”
Conor Gillaspie has regrets over his first stint with the Giants, telling reporters (including Schulman) that “obviously, I was young and probably not mentally or physically or socially where I needed to be” when he broke in with San Francisco as a rookie. Now back with the team on a minor league deal, Gillaspie feels he’s matured and is thankful to the Giants for giving him a chance.
Matt Cain has gone from a cornerstone to an x-factor with the Giants, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes, as both the team and the pitcher are hopeful but measured about what Cain can deliver in 2016. Injuries played a role in Cain’s rough last two seasons, though beyond health, his sudden propensity for allowing homers didn’t help Cain’s faith in himself.
Julio Urias is facing a lot of pressure as both arguably the game’s top pitching prospect and maybe even “the next Fernando Valenzuela,” though Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown relates how the 19-year-old Dodgers phenom is trying to take his development step by step.

Giants To Sign Conor Gillaspie To Minors Deal

By Jeff Todd | February 5, 2016 at 8:55pm CDT

The Giants have agreed to terms with third baseman Conor Gillaspie on a minor league pact, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports on Twitter. He’ll presumably join the competition for an infield bench role in San Francisco.

Gillaspie, 28, first appeared as a professional and a major leaguer in the Giants organization. He was shipped off to the White Sox before the 2013 season, and has spent most of his MLB time in Chicago.

Things were looking up for the left-handed hitter after a strong 2014 in which he put up a .282/.336/.416 slash line. That was enough to make him a useful player despite a questionable glove. (Defensive metrics have largely panned his work at the hot corner.)

But Gillaspie never got going at the plate last year. He ultimately found himself designated for assignment twice — first by the White Sox and later by the Angels, who had acquired him.

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