We have entered the final-week-and-a-half of Spring Training down in Scottsdale Arizona, and the San Fransisco Giants roster battles are heating up. The Giants have made their initial cuts from Major League Camp. Some of the bigger names heading out include Ryder Jones and Christian Arroyo. Arroyo showed why the Giants took him in the first round of the MLB draft in 2013. Now 20-years-old, he made an incredible impression this spring with a slick glove and a lightning rod for a bat. In 27.1 innings, Arroyo had a perfect fielding percentage and managed to bat over .500; he added an impressive moon shot of a home run early in the spring.
While the Giants cut Arroyo, it is expected he will be brought up by the roster expansion date at the latest. While some young guns made impressions early, there are a few fringe players who are still making noise in the big league camp. Kyle Blanks, Trevor Brown, Connor Gillaspie, Mac Williamson, Jarrett Parker, Gorkys Hernandez, Ehire Adrianza, Grant Green, and Kelby Tomlinson have seized their opportunities, and each has made a solid case for his roster spot. Here is each case.
Kyle Blanks
Blanks has had an impressive spring at the plate, albeit in a rather small sample size. Blanks has power, and that’s been his calling card throughout his career. So far, Blanks has made his case as a backup first baseman, batting .400 in his ten plate appearances this spring while also hitting a couple of home runs. Belt’s injuries and the a lack of a concrete backup at first base were issues for the Giants last season. The lack of production and consistency from Andrew Susac didn’t help the situation. If Susac had produced at a higher rate last year, he would’ve freed Posey to move to first base to help deal with the loss of Belt. It would be a surprise if Blanks didn’t make the roster just because of the need for a legitimate backup first baseman alone.
Trevor Brown
Brown made a solid impact when he got called up by the Giants as part of the roster expansion. The backup catcher for San Fransisco basically is the guy who relieves Buster Posey when he needs a rest, so when I say they need production out of that guy, I mean anything .240 and above from the plate is good enough. Susac blew Hector Sanchez out of the backup spot, batting .273 in 2014, but followed up with a major dud the next season. He hit just .217 in 2015. Then, Brown came in and provided timely hits, accruing five RBI in the nine games he played. In comparison, Susac had fourteen RBI in over 100 more plate appearances. Brown has carried that success into Spring Training and is batting .375 so far, while Susac has been scuffling along at a .217 clip. It is quite conceivable that Brown ends up winning the backup spot for 2016.
Connor Gillaspie
Gillaspie is one of my favorite pickups the Giants made in the offseason. He has gained experience at third base around the league and within the Giants organization. Gillaspie’s best years as a pro came in 2013 and 2014 with the Chicago White Sox, for whom he hit twenty home runs and drove in ninety-seven runs over the two seasons. Matt Duffy is undoubtedly the starting third baseman and it would take a lot for Gillaspie to usurp the spot. However, Gillaspie will provide what the Giants have so greatly needed since the departure of Pablo Sandoval: a backup third baseman. Matt Duffy was runner up to Kris Bryant for the N.L. Rookie of the Year award last season, thanks to his .295 avg., seventy-seven RBI campaign. The biggest issue was that he got worn out due to starting 129 games out of his 134 appearances last season. Duffy started and played every single inning after July 6th at third base. Gillaspie will provide much-needed balance in Duffy’s appearances, and hopefully solid production as a backup. I’d say it’s safe to expect Connor Gillaspie to make the roster for Opening Day.
Mac Williamson
Williamson was regarded as the best power-hitting prospect in the organization in 2013, when Williamson hit twenty-five home runs in the pitcher-friendly Cal League (High A). Despite striking out 132 times, he still compiled a slash line of .292/.375/.504. Williamson then had to undergo Tommy John surgery in the offseason and only played twenty-three games in 2014. Last season, he struggled in AAA but thrived at AA Richmond, where he batted .293/.368/.429. He lost a little bit of power, but evened out his swing. This spring, the power has returned, or so it seems. Williamson is batting .317/.404/.683 and leads the team in home runs and RBI. Williamson seems to be returning to the player the Giants hoped he’d become, and that may just end up earning him a roster spot.
Jarrett Parker
Parker is an interesting player. In 2014 he got called up from Richmond, along with Matt Duffy. Duffy went on to become the a starter for the Giants, while Parker didn’t make the big league roster until last fall. Once he did, however, he made an immediate impact, drilling six home runs and batting .347 in his forty-nine plate appearances. Add on a three home run game against the Athletics, and Parker became an instant hit with the fans in San Francisco. Parker has gotten better every level he’s advanced to. Last season in AAA, he had a slashline of .283/.375/.514. He drilled twenty-three home runs and brought in seventy-four runs. Since Sacramento (AAA) didn’t make the postseason, he was called up immediately when the rosters expanded to forty. While filling in for an injured Hunter Pence, he caught everyone’s collective eye. Unfortunately, he’s facing stiff competition from Mac Williamson and Gorkys Hernandez. While Parker’s power numbers and run production are there, his strikeouts have skyrocketed and his average has dropped significantly this spring; he’s only batting .217 so far. He’ll have to show improvement at the plate in these last couple weeks, or he may miss out on the roster.
Gorkys Hernandez
GHernandez was an interesting pick-up in the offseason, and he has seemingly capitalized on his chances so far. He’s averaging .287 at the plate, and is getting on base plenty. His speed and fielding ability bring are reminiscent of former Giant outfielder Juan Perez. Yet Hernandez’s bat has never borne fruit in the Major Leagues. His batting average in the minors, however, has been about what it is this Spring Training. I think the Giant’s would have a hard time putting him on the Opening Day roster due to his track record in the big leagues. If he went down to Sacramento and tore it up, then they might consider calling him up. More likely than not, his big league time this year comes with the September roster expansion.
Ehire Adrianza
Adrianza has spent a lot of time on the big league roster, primarily because of his glove and speed. Last season, Kelby Tomlinson came up from Richmond and, because of his bat, took over Adrianza’s job as the backup middle infielder. Adrianza’s bat has never come to life at the big league level, and that has been a major frustration within the Giant’s organization. This spring, however, his bat has made a surprise appearance. He’s now batting .289, while his career average in the spring had previously been below .230. Because of Adrianza’s ability to field the ball, you should expect him to make the roster. If his bat fails, he’ll make way for Grant Green or Kelby Tomlinson
Grant Green
Green is much like Gorkys Hernandez. He’s had fantastic stats at the plate in the minors, but has never really put it together at the big league level. Green owns a .289 average this spring and has put up some decent numbers in run production. He can play second base, shortstop, or outfield, so his fielding as a utility man could be quite useful. If he made the roster, he could act as a backup middle infielder and a sixth outfielder at the same time. While he’s clearly logged more innings at second base, he has 127 innings as an outfielder in the majors and has a perfect fielding percentage. In his 400-plus innings at second base, he only has committed five errors. His glove is without a doubt his strongest asset. Will his batting ever carry over to the big leagues? We’ll have to see. My guess is, due to his “Swiss-army knife” quality in the field, he has a decent shot at making the roster.
Kelby Tomlinson:
Tomlinson was a fan favorite last year. The glasses, humble attitude, and knack for clutch hitting endeared him to the Giants faithful. He actually acquitted himself well at the plate, batting .303 in 178 at-bats. That’s not too shabby for a guy called up straight from AA. Unfortunately, Tomlinson has struggled this spring, batting just .206. His minor league numbers show he’s a lot better than that, but it’s difficult to tell whether or not his numbers from last season will carry over. At the plate, he’s a lot like Joe Panik. He doesn’t try to do too much and he doesn’t ever strike out looking. We’ll see if the Giants give him an Opening Day opportunity, but his best bet to make the roster is to await an injury or a mid-season call-up.
Who Makes The Roster?
Since we’re about two weeks away from Opening Day, I thought I’d give my prediction on who makes the Giants Roster. Here goes:
Pitchers (11):
Rotation: Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy. Bullpen: Chris Heston, George Kontos, Hunter Strickland, Javy Lopez, Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla.
Infield (9):
Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford, Matt Duffy, Trevor Brown, Connor Gillaspie, Grant Green, Kyle Blanks
Outfield (5):
Angel Pagan, Denard Span, Hunter Pence, Gregor Blanco, Mac Williamson
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