Initially I asked this in a joking manner. Obviously there is nothing serious about this. Trevor Lawrence plays football – he doesn’t play baseball.
I did not receive a response. Was it because my 19 followers were busy at work – unable to engage? Was this simply too abstract of an idea for people to pay attention to?
The more likely thought is that I uncovered the secret plans of Farhan Zaidi and the San Francisco Giants front office.
It is no secret that the Giants are re-building their minor league system and hoping to acquire assets. They recently traded for a washed-up Zach Cosart and his $12M salary just to get a prospect. They then released Cosart – willing to pay him $12M in 2020 to not play baseball for the club.
Go with me here. Farhan is looking to acquire talent and value – no matter the cost. Is there a more valuable asset than the #1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft? I believe there is a scenario where the Giants and Zaidi could be willing to take on a bad NFL contract in exchange for the #1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. The Lions are a good fit here. They have Matthew Stafford with a $135M contract through 2023. Would the Giants be willing to trade a PTBNL for Stafford and their #1 pick in 2021?
The next step is analyzing the value of Trevor Lawrence. He has to be the most valuable draft asset since… Greg Oden? Andrew Luck? Herschel Walker? Mario Williams?
Is there a world where the Giants can obtain the draft rights for Trevor Lawrence, and flip him for assets? Probably not. However – this organization is now known for their out of the box thinking – I’m just trying to keep up with Farhan.
*Kevin Pillar is not a member of the 2020 San Francisco Giants – This is a recycled image from an old article.
On January 30th, Bradford Doolittle wrote an article for ESPN+ ranking the best MLB lineups. I opened the link and scrolled all the way down to the bottom – anticipating the Giants to be the last team on the list. I was surprised to see they were in fact not the worst lineup in baseball…only the 5th worst. Here is a screenshot of how the Giants are ranked:
Obviously, things have changed since January 30th. The Giants made a few additions since then – Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval, and Billy Hamilton. Not that any of those additions truly impact this roster.
I decided to take a look at the other bottom feeder rosters – would I prefer to have any of the lineups from teams ranked below the Giants? Long story short, yes I would.
The Royals come in just below the Giants – but honestly…are they worse? At the top of the lineup they have Whit Merrifield, one of the best hitters in baseball. He is followed by speedy Adalberto and a big hoss in Hunter Dozier. Jorge Soler and Salvy Perez are joined in the middle of the lineup by Alex Gordon. They have Maikel Franco in the eighth spot – who hit 17 HR last year, good enough for 4th on the 2019 Giants.
This one is easy. I would take Blackmon, Dahl, Arenado, Story, and Murphy in a heartbeat.
Yikes, this one is gross. OK so I finally found one lineup worse than the Giants.
I somehow found myself at two Orioles games last summer – some of these boys can hit. Alberto, Mancini, Santander and Nunez put up solid ABs. Hell, Wilkerson can even throw and inning or two. With that being said, I’d still rather watch the Giants hit than see the bottom half of this lineup.
Wrap-Up
The Giants lineup is gross, but not the grossest in baseball. There are clearly two teams below them – the Orioles, and Tigers. I can safely say that the Giants have one of the top 28 lineups in all of baseball.
I have no idea what is going on with this ball club. From a baseball and organizational perspective I have no clue how this can benefit the franchise. I understand that Pence was a great player and clubhouse guy – but it is time to move on from the ’10, ’12, and ’14 seasons. If we are going into full re-build mode then it doesn’t make any sense for us to sign a 36 year old outfielder. Even if he is brought in at the league minimum salary – he is taking ABs away from our future outfielders.
The Dodgers – who already had better outfielders across the board – went out and got Mookie Betts. We brought back Hunter Pence.
This has been a tough offseason to be a fan of the San Francisco Giants. Bruce Bochy retired. We lost Madison Bumgarner to the Diamondbacks. Our front office has not made a single significant addition to the major league roster.
Today – the tweet above came across my timeline. Chris Shaw, a forever prospect for the Giants organization, is excited about the direction the organization is heading under Gabe Kapler.
Why is Chris Shaw meeting with Gabe Kapler? The 26 year old outfielder was 1/18 last year and is 11/72 on his career. There is no world where Chris Shaw should be in Gabe Kapler’s plans.
*Screenshot from sfgiants.com
The depth chart above is what we are currently looking at to start the season. This is not a competitive roster.
Don’t worry though, Chris Shaw likes our direction.
Guess what!? You can still trade in August. Anyone not on the 40 man roster is eligible to be traded – it is time to shake things up a bit.
Joey Bart is struggling in the the Majors as we enter the month of August. After just over one hundred ABs he is hitting .187. He needs some time back in AAA to figure things out – he just is not ready for the bigs yet. I decided that this was a good time for me to grab a top tier prospect for a few of my own.
Ramos, Toribio and Callahan
Player
Age
Ovr.
Pot.
To
Rec.
Age
Pos.
Ovr.
Pot.
Heliot Ramos
19
64
A
Orioles
Adley Rutschman
21
C
71
A
Luis Toribio
18
56
B
Jamie Callahan
24
64
C
I am sad to see Heliot Ramos go, but I was able to grab the #1 pick from the (actual) 2019 MLB draft. Adley Rutschman will be able to play immediately for me behind the dish.
Rutschman
Davidson, Lovegrove, and Sierra
Player
Age
Ovr.
Pot.
To
Rec.
Age
Pos.
Ovr.
Pot.
Logan Davidson
21
65
B
Padres
Jose Castillo
23
RP
76
B
Kieran Lovegrove
24
64
C
Jamie Callahan
20
59
C
I was high on Logan Davidson when I initially acquired him. Unfortunately for him, he is the 4th best shortstop in my organization. I move Davidson and two C level prospects for a reliever that will immediately help my Major League roster.
Castillo
MLB Debut For Rutschman
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Adley Rutschman showed up to Oracle Park ready to play. He took the first pitch he saw and lined it up the middle for his first major league hit.
In the 4th inning, on just the second pitch he saw as a major leaguer, he flared a single to left field.
In the 6th inning – he hit a ball off the pitchers shin for another hit.
During his fourth at bat – he probably had his best hit ball of the night – but lined out to the left fielder.
The Giants won the game 4-3 and Rutschman finished the night 3/4.
Roster Moves/Injuries
Joey Bart was sent back down to AAA – he needs some time to improve his bat and get it ready for the 2020 season.
On August 13th, Adley Rutschman was promoted to the MLB squad – he will wear #35.
On August 13th, Jose Castillo was promoted to the MLB squad – he will wear #65.
Travis Bergen was sent to AAA.
On August 16th, the Giants claimed 2B Esteban Quiroz and 2B Peter Van Gansen from the Padres.
Cliff Pennington was placed on trade waivers – and was unclaimed. He was sent to AAA.
Esteban Quiroz was promoted to the MLB squad – he will wear #92.
On August 21st, Royce Lewis broke his arm – ending his season.
Logan Wyatt returned to the Flying Squirrels on August 28th.
Regular Season Results
MLB
The Giants finished the year with a 64-98 record – dead last in the N.L. West. Only the Orioles had a worse record in all of baseball, and the Giants were only better by one game.
AAA
The River Cats finished the season with a 59-81 record. They did not make the playoffs.
AA
The Flying Squirrels finished the season with a 77-63 record. They made the postseason as a wild card team. The Squirrels were swept by the Eerie Seawolves in the first round.
Awards
Award
Player
Stats
Team
NL MVP
Ronald Acuna Jr.
.362 AVG, 47 HR, 125 RBI
Braves
NL Cy Young
Clayton Kershaw
16-6, 2.48 ERA, 220K
Dodgers
NL Rookie of the Year
Austin Riley
.257 AVG, 31 HR, 108 RBI
Braves
AL MVP
J.D. Martinez
.298 AVG, 59 HR, 141 RBI
Red Sox
AL Cy Young
Chris Sale
17-5, 3.12 ERA, 258K
Red Sox
AL Rookie of the Year
Vladamir Guerrero Jr.
.292 AVG, 31 HR, 92 RBI
Blue Jays
Playoffs
Wild Card
Mets over Phillies
Yankees over Blue Jays
Divison Series
Indians over Astros 3-2
Yankees over Red Sox 3-2
Pirates over Dodgers 3-1
Braves over Mets 3-1
Championship Series
Indians over Yankees 4-1
Pirates over Braves 4-2
It looks like the trade I made with the Pirates prior to the season has really impacted the playoffs this year. The Pirates won the N.L. Central. Madison Bumgarner has pitched 25 innings so far in the playoffs. He is 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA and 26 K. In game 6 of the NLCS – Bumgarner threw a complete game shutout while batting 2/5 with 2 HR and 4 RBI. The Pirates won that game 26-0. Will Smith has 2 saves for the Pirates so far with a 0.00 ERA. Steven Vogt, who I traded in July to the Pirates – is now their everyday first baseman. He is hitting .359 in the playoffs so far.
I also had a trade that impacted the Indians. Carlos Asuaje is starting at second base and hitting 2nd for the Indians through their postseason run.
World Series
The Cleveland Indians won the World Series 4-2. Asuaje led the league in hits throughout the playoffs with 19.
Madison Bumgarner had 3 HR in the postseason. He hit .333/.400/1.083. He ended the postseason with a 4-0 record over 41 IP with 39 K and a 0.66 ERA.
Will Smith ended with 4 saves and a 0.00 ERA.
Tyler Naquin was the World Series MVP with a .391 AVG 1HR and 7 RBI
Season Stats
Hitting
Name
Pos.
G
AB
R
H
HR
RBI
BB
SO
SB
AVG
OBP
SLG
Adley Rutschman
C
37
132
14
37
4
13
12
33
2
.280
.342
.447
Joey Bart
C
29
107
7
20
1
6
9
19
2
.187
.250
.234
Josh Bell
1B
160
539
76
161
33
81
99
107
8
.299
.410
.534
Abiatal Avelino
2B
66
244
29
65
6
20
20
55
6
.266
.328
.422
Ke’Bryan Hayes
3B
69
265
27
59
10
33
23
66
4
.223
.286
.396
Cole Tucker
SS
151
558
60
137
9
47
47
119
8
.246
.309
.366
Dominic Smith
LF
154
542
56
139
25
74
52
120
9
.256
.323
.434
Chris Shaw
LF
111
302
29
71
15
46
10
93
2
.235
.259
.417
Mike Yastrzemski
LF
88
304
36
83
12
39
35
59
7
.273
.349
.470
Steven Duggar
RF
141
497
61
128
10
42
60
124
14
.258
.344
.400
Josh Bell is easily the best bat in my lineup. He led the team in every offensive category except for stolen bases.
Young Adley Rutschman came along and put up some nice numbers at the end of the season. His performance may have made Joey Bart expendable.
Pitching
Name
Pos.
W
L
SV
IP
SO
ERA
Alek Manoah
SP
1
7
0
50.2
49
6.93
Darwinzon Hernandez
SP
8
11
0
155.0
119
4.18
Dereck Rodriguez
SP
3
4
0
82.1
59
2.62
Jefry Rodriguez
SP
4
4
0
75.0
56
4.20
Shaun Anderson
SP
6
14
0
163.1
138
4.52
Reyes Moronta
RP
1
1
44
53.2
60
1.34
Jose Castillo
RP
0
0
0
11.0
9
1.64
Caleb Ferguson
RP
5
5
0
84.0
70
5.57
Vince Velasquez
RP
6
4
0
111.1
106
4.77
Miguel Diaz
RP
6
2
0
62.2
61
6.03
Tyler Rogers
SP
6
5
0
101.0
71
3.30
Reyes Moronta and Jose Castillo are solid arms in my bullpen. I will be able to build around them heading into next season.
Dereck Rodriguez is a great arm – when healthy. I need to get a full season out of him next year.
Coming Up
We will head into the offseason and see what moves I can make to improve this roster. Hopefully the Giants can start to compete as we head into the 2020 season.
We enter the month of July and with the trade deadline approaching I have decided that it is time to call it a season and let the kids play. I want to get a jump on the deadline and unload some of my players – so I am going to begin trading early in the month.
As it stands, the following teams are within reach of winning their division:
Red Sox, Yankees, Indians, Royals, Astros, Braves, Pirates, Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Dodgers, and Rockies.
The following teams have a shot at a wild card spot:
Angels, Mariners, Blue Jays, Rangers, Rays, White Sox, Athletics, Twins, Mets, and Nationals.
The Tigers, Orioles, Padres, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Brewers all are below .500 and do not have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. They are all beyond 5 games out of a playoff spot and would not reach the playoffs without an unprecedented run.
By trading players in early July I give my organization more possible trading partners and feel like this a good opportunity for me. I believe that the following players could possibly help a contender down the stretch and I have decided to make them available: Bartolo Colon, Santiago Casilla, Joaquin Benoit, Ty Blach, Steven Okert, Stephen Vogt, Francisco Pena, Carlos Asuaje, Jose Reyes, Chase Headley, and Pablo Sandoval.
My current budget is as follows:
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Keeping the contenders in mind, I am only going to follow through with trades that make sense for the teams listed above.
Asuaje
The first player I am looking to move is Carlos Asuaje – he hasn’t shown that he fits the long term vision of my franchise, yet his is talented enough where he can help out a contender. I will only be looking to move Asuaje to a team that needs help at 2B or as a UTIL player.
Asuaje would be an improvement at 2B for the Indians and Cubs. Those are the teams that would likely pursue him. The Indians came to the table with the better offer:
Traded
Age
Ovr.
Pos.
To
Rec.
Age
Pos.
Ovr.
Pot.
Carlos Asuaje
27
76
2B
Indians
Jefry Rodriguez
25
SP
73
B
James Karinchak
23
RP
60
C
I am able to grab a starting pitcher that they Indians are not using, yet he is good enough to make my big league club today.
Headley, Casilla and Benoit
Chase Headley is aging and a change of scenery could revitalize his career. He has a reasonable salary that any contender could pick up without any issues. The Royals have Hunter Dozier at 3rd, but he is injured. I also have aging relief pitchers in Santiago Casilla and Joaquin Benoit that would improve the bullpen in Kansas City.
Traded
Age
Ovr.
Pos.
To
Rec.
Age
Pos.
Ovr.
Pot.
Chase Headley
34
74
3B
Royals
Richard Lovelady
23
RP
64
B
Santiago Casilla
38
73
RP
Jake Newberry
24
RP
61
B
Joaquin Benoit
41
72
RP
I grab two relief pitchers that can help with my pitching depth. As I have mentioned before, my organization needs help at the RP position.
Colon
Traded
Age
Ovr.
Pos.
To
Rec.
Age
Pos.
Ovr.
Pot.
Bartolo Colon
45
64
SP
Blue Jays
Zach Jackson
23
RP
62
C
For some reason the Blue Jays wanted Colon. I grab an OK pitching prospect, mostly for depth.
Sandoval, Pena and Blach
Traded
Age
Ovr.
Pos.
To
Rec.
Age
Pos.
Ovr.
Pot.
Pablo Sandoval
32
69
3B
Cubs
Brendon Little
22
SP
65
B
Francisco Pena
29
70
C
Ty Blach
28
68
RP
Sandoval becomes another player the Cubs can plug in anywhere. Pena becomes their new back-up catcher and Blach works into their bullpen.
Little
I am able to pick up 2017 first round pick Brendon Little – this helps make up for the lack of SP I was able to grab in the 2019 First Year Player Draft.
Vogt, Reyes and Okert
Traded
Age
Ovr.
Pos.
To
Rec.
Age
Pos.
Ovr.
Pot.
Stephen Vogt
34
68
C
Pirates
Gage Hinsz
22
SP
62
C
Jose Reyes
35
65
2B
Steven Okert
27
65
CP
I grab another pitching prospect in exchange for two players in their mid-30’s and a career minor league closer. Not bad.
Roster moves
I accidentally placed Richard Lovelady on Waivers when trying to move him to AA. Luckily nobody claimed him.
Ke’Bryan Hayes was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #31.
Joey Bart was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #9.
Shea Langerliers promoted to AAA.
Abiatal Avelino was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #46
Jefry Rodriguez was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #68.
Ryder Jones was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #14.
Will Maddox, Kody Hoese, Jonah Arenado, Ray Black, and Kieran Lovegrove to AAA.
Miguel Diaz was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #47.
Joey Gerber was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #35.
Austin Slater was sent to AA to make room for Mike Yastrzemski.
On July 20th, Alexander Palma (AAA) dislocated his shoulder – sidelining him for two months.
On July 27th, Dereck Rodriguez broke his forearm and will be out for two months.
Alek Manoah was promoted to the MLB squad. He will wear #47. Miguel Diaz now has to wear #48. (Manoah only threw 3.2 IP in his debut but struck out 8 and only gave up 4 hits).
Free Agents
Player
Pos.
Age
Ovr.
Pot.
Yrs.
Contract
Cliff Pennington
SS
34
64
C
2
$1.2M
Jim Johnson
CP
35
66
C
1
$600K
Trevor Brown
C
27
64
D
2
$1.4M
New Budget
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Out budget is incredibly low at this point. According to Sportrac, the Red Sox have 10x the payroll that we have. Our payroll is also $40M less than the next lowest team, the Tampa Bay Rays.
MLB Debuts for Hayes, Bart, Avelino and Gerber
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
On July 1st in San Diego the Giants decided to let some of the kids play and make their debut.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Ke’Bryan Hayes led off for the Giants, and on just the second pitch he drove the ball to the right-center gap for a double and his first major league hit.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
With two outs in the inning, Joey Bart lined the first pitch he saw up the middle. This gave him two firsts, not just his first major league hit but also his first major league RBI – as Hayes scored from second.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Offense was limited and we had a straight up pitchers duel until the 7th, when Austin Hedgers homered to tie the game. With two outs in the inning – Joey Gerber made his Major League debut and got the only batter he faced out.
With one out in the 8th, Hayes doubled again – this time to left-center field. Dominic Smith hit a deep fly ball to center, which moved Hayes to third. Josh Bell was intentionally walked to bring up Joey Bart with two outs. Bart flew out to center field to end the threat.
A double switch was used in the bottom of the 8th, and the pitcher was put in Bart’s spot since he was the last out. I brought in Aramis Garcia to catch and hit in the 9 spot.
With one out in the 9th, Abitial Avelino was hit by a pitch to reach base for the first time in his career. The Giants could not put a threat together and the score remained tied heading into the bottom of the 9th.
In the bottom of the 10th the Padres were able to capitalize on an error and take home the victory.
Futures Game
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Our organization sent three players to the Futures Game: Seth Elledge, Alexander Palma and Matt Beaty.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Palma had an RBI single in the 3rd inning and another hit in the 5th inning, he also stole a base.
Matt Beaty had a single in the 7th inning.
Elledge pitched the 8th inning – striking out one and allowing zero runs on zero hits.
The AL Futures won 3-2. Nick Madrigal (now on the Yankees) was the MVP.
All Star Game
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
I have no idea how this happened. Ke’Bryan Hayes, who just made his debut days earlier – was now on the N.L. All-Star team.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Hayes hit into a double play his first at bat and singled his second time up, also scoring a run.
The N.L won 19-10.
AAA All-Star Game
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Matt Beaty started at 1B and hit 5th, while Heliot Ramos was on the bench. Beaty was 0/2 and Ramos singled in his lone AB.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
The I.L beat the PCL 5-1.
AA All-Star Game
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
I had three AA All-Starts: Sam Wolff, Jin-De Jhang, and Brice Turang – all of which started on the bench.
Wolff threw a perfect 7th inning.
Jhang singled in the 7th.
Turang did not play – which is pretty disrespectful.
Block Buster Trades
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
This is an interesting move for both squads. The Rockies pick up an elite starting pitcher in James Paxton in exchange for their closer – Wade Davis. I think the Rockies won this trade.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Jose Berrios for Matt Olson – the Twins are 9.5 games back and the A’s are 15.5 games back. No idea who this helps.
Another trade that caught my attention but did not produce a graphic was Josh Hader to the Mariners for Jarred Kelenic and Jordan Cowan. The Brewers are out of the playoff race, and pick up an elite OF prospect in Kelenic for a solid lefty-reliever in Hader.
July Results
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
MLB
We had a couple exciting debuts to start the month. Cole Tucker returned from injury on the 4th of July. Mike Yastrzemski returned on July 6th.
Hot and Cold
MLB
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Ke’Bryan Hayes
3B
.284 AVG, 5 HR, 15 RBI
We have had a pretty solid start from the young buck at 3rd base. Hayes is hitting for average and power in his first month in the bigs.
AAA
D
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Ray Black
RP
0.68 ERA, 17 K, 13.1 IP
Kody Hoese
3B
.313 AVG, 64 AB, 6 RBI
Ray Black has adjusted to AAA incredibly well, hopefully he is finally living up to his potential. Kody Hoese is filling in for Hayes at AAA quite nicely.
AA
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Jackson Rutledge
SP
0.00 ERA, 13K, 14.1 IP
Jackson Rutledge has bounced between A and AA all year, but he had a solid month at AA and is hoping to stay.
A
Prospects
With all of the players I moved around – the prospect list did not update or reflect that quite yet. I will show an updated prospect ranking after August.
Waiver Wire
Some teams put some incredible talent on the Waiver Wire as we entered August. I know that I am out of contention for the year, but this could be a way that I grab some talent for the 2020 season. I could even do what Oklahoma City did with Paul George or what the Toronto Raptors attempted with KawhiLeonard. Get talent into the organization – hopefully they like it and sign long term.
I placed claims on the following players:
Player
Pos.
Ovr.
Age
Pot.
Blake Treinen
CP
94
30
A
Anthony Rendon
3B
90
28
A
David Peralta
LF
90
31
B
Jonathan Villar
2B
89
27
C
Marcus Semien
SS
83
28
B
I am curious to see which players are allowed to walk and come to San Francisco, and which players are pulled off of waivers once teams see that I have made a claim.
Coming Up
July was a busy month. As we head into the last few months of the season we will see how our young rookies are doing. We will also keep an eye on that waiver wire and see if there are any more moves we can make prior to the offseason.
Another terrible month for the Giants who finished the month with a 10-17 record – putting them at 31-53 on the season. Our organization is now 22 games back of the division leading Dodgers. It is safe to say that playoffs are not in our near future. We will be unloading players at the deadline.
AAA
The River Cats started the month with a 10 game losing streak. They were only able to collect 10 total wins on the month while losing 17. This brought their season record to 36-47. The Cats are in last place in their division – 9 games back of first.
AA
The Flying Squirrels were 14-14 through the month of June- bringing them to a 43-37 record on the season. The Squirrels are tied for the division lead with the Eerie SeaWolves.
Hot and Cold
MLB
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Pablo Sandoval
3B
.283 AVG, 12 HR, 39 RBI*
We are getting a pretty solid season from Pablo Sandoval so far. He is hitting for average and power – this is a nice surprise.
*Season stats
h
AAA
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Jose Mesa
RP
2.03 ERA, 12 K, 13.1 IP
Matt Beaty
1B
.341 AVG, 91 AB, 13 RBI
Looks like I made a solid pickup in Jose Mesa – who had a great debut month for our organization. Matt Beaty was also swinging a hot bat through the month of June.
Cold
Name
Pos.
Stats
George Kirby
SP
5.76 ERA, 11 BB, 29.2 IP
George Kirby struggled this month – although I am not too concerned, I expect him to bounce back just fine.
S
AA
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Alek Manoah
SP
3.31 ERA, 21K, 16.1 IP
Brice Turang
SS
.315 AVG, 92 AB, 12 RBI
Alex Manoah is a strikeout machine – I have high hopes for him in the future. Brice Turang has been a consistent bat for the AA Flying Squirrels.
Roster Moves/Injuries
Jason Hammel separated his shoulder on June 8. He was placed on the 60 day IL. Ty Blach pulled his hamstring on the same day and was placed on the 10 day IL. I didn’t want to rush any of my younger arms to the bigs – I called up 28 year old Tyler Rogers from AAA to replace Jason Hammel. Conner Menez took the spot of Tyler Rogers in the AAA rotation. Gregory Santos was called up to AA amongst all of the shuffling.
The squad was needing some help – we only had 13 relief pitchers within the organization. I signed the following player:
Name
Pos.
Age
Ovr.
Pot.
Yrs.
Contract
Jose Mesa
RP
25
63
B
1
$80K
Alek Manoah returned from his injury on June 16th. He returned to the AA rotation.
Logan Wyatt broke his foot on June 30th. He was placed on the 60 day IL.
Prospects
As we enter the month of June, things have changed in the Top 50 Prospects list. Here is where things stand:
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Some players within the organization found themselves at new spots on the MLB Top 50 Prospects list. Here is where I would rank the prospects within our system after a month of baseball:
Org. Rank
MLB Rank
Player
Age
Pos.
Pot.
Ovr.
Level
#1
#8
Royce Lewis
19
SS
A
66
AAA
#2
#21
Alexander Palma
22
RF
A
66
AAA
#3
#40
Joey Bart
22
C
A
66
AAA
#4
#46
Ke’Bryan Hayes
22
3B
A
69
AAA
#5
NR
Heliot Ramos
19
CF
A
63
AAA
#6
NR
Hunter Bishop
20
CF
A
61
AA
#7
NR
Logan Davidson
21
SS
B
65
AAA
#8
NR
Shea Langeliers
21
C
B
67
AA
#9
NR
Alek Manoah
21
SP
B
66
AA
#10
NR
Jake Wong
22
SP
B
66
AAA
Coming Up
I will breakdown July, as well as all of the All-Star festivities that happen during the month. We will also trade anything we can not that we are completely out of the playoff picture.
The Giants have the 10th overall pick heading into the 2019 First Year Player Draft. Our organization is hoping to grab some talent on the mound – but we have to take a best player available approach. Having the 10th pick in the draft is not a terrible spot, but some of our preferred players will be off the board when it is our turn to pick.
Looking ahead at the players available – there are a significant amount of 80 grade potential prospects.
What I am going to do is breakdown how the first nine picks of the draft play out – then provide the pool of players I am deciding between at pick 10.
Round 1
1. Orioles– LF – Jose Vizcaino
Scouted
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
There is no doubt that Jose Vizcaino is a threat on the bases – he is already scouted near elite speed. Although Vizcaino is just 18 years old, the Dominican shortstop is below average at the plate – and projects to be above average at best as he gets older. His glove is not elite, which is what I would want if I were picking first overall. I think this is a reach for the Orioles.
Current Overall
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
The potential grade is there – but overall he is not talented and won’t impact the Orioles for quite some time. Hopefully he can grow into that 6’5″ frame and develop a bit at the plate.
2. Royals– SS – Dwight Ludwig
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Dwight Ludwig seems to be a more balanced player that the #1 Jose Vizcaino. Ludwig is coming out of college and I would want a more polished 21 year old if I were picking at #2 overall.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
This pick was a reach and the Royals truly botched this pick. Ludwig has potential, but I don’t see him living up to that anytime soon. He could end up like Ray Black in my organization – high potential but low overall late into his 20’s.
3. White Sox– SS – Jason Fisher
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
My guys scouted Jason Fisher as the best of the first three players taken. He projects well at the plate and in the field. He has the potential to be an everyday player in the White Sox organization.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
These first three picks were shocking to me. These are three organizations that took long term projects – two of which are already 21 years old.
4. Marlins– C – Ethan Schmoll
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Ethan Schmoll is another older draft pick – at 22 years old. He projects to be an above average hitter and catcher. He has a big frame and should be pretty solid behind the plate. With that in mind – this is a reach at #4.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Yikes – 46 overall. Without that high potential, Schmoll would not make it onto many of these rosters.
5. Tigers– SP – Travis Akers
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Travis Akers was the #1 player on my draft board. He currently has a good skill set and projects to have elite stamina and velocity. He enters the draft at just 19 years old, which gives him some time to figure things out in the minors.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Akers is already a solid pitcher and would have been fighting for a spot in my Major League rotation already. I am sad to see him off the board. The Tigers made a good pick here.
6. Padres– 1B – Hank York
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
I see this as a pretty bad pick at #6. The Padres definitely reached here. Hank York has good potential – but it is in many areas that you don’t seek out for a first baseman.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Luckily for the Padres Hank York is just 19 years old. He needs to really develop that bat in the Minor Leagues to have a chance in the Major Leagues. The Padres attempted to draft the heir to Eric Hosmer at first base and I am unsure if York is that guy.
7. Rangers– CF – Omar Cedeno
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Omar Cedeno is the first outfielder off the board in the 2019 draft. He is a speedy center fielder that projects to be a good contact hitter at the plate.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
So far in this draft – my scouts have been pretty on the mark. They have been correct with the potential and overall of all players drafted so far. Cedeno is another player that I would deem a reach this early in the first round. After seven picks, only one player that I was considering for the #10 pick has been taken.
8. Reds– SP – Frank Pond
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
I spoke too soon, there goes #2 from my draft board. Frank Pond is a smaller pitcher – but he projects to be a solid Major League arm in a few years.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
This was a good pick for the Reds. He already has a decent overall and is just 18 years old.
9. Blue Jays– CP – John Lovallo
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
For me, this is a bit early to draft closer John Lovallo, but the Blue Jays were high on this guy. The German righty brings the head and has elite break on his pitches already. Give him a couple years to work on his control and he has the potential to be an All-Star.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Great potential and the velocity and break are already there. This was an OK pick for the Blue Jays at #9.
10. Giants–
At pick number ten, only two of the players I truly had my eyes on were off the board – Travis Akers and Frank Pond. I had identified pitching as an area of need heading into this draft. However, there were not many pitchers that I deemed worthy of the #10 pick at this point. As an organization we are far away from fielding a competitive team, so it may be better to draft based on best player available rather than need.
One player that caught my eye through the scouting process was 18 year old Dominican LF Miguez Becerra. He has elite future grades in the areas of contact and speed.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Roger Miranda, a 22 years old also from the Dominican Republic – is another player that can hit. He already is scouted to have elite speed as well.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Second baseman Alvin Darden looks to be a solid prospect. He is young and has a solid bat already. He looks like he will continue to develop at the plate.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
This is something that totally surprised me. With the minimal scouting I have done on this prospect, Clifford James is already graded as an elite player. When I look across the board at his abilities all I see are Well Above Average to Elite future grade. Is his potential worth the risk here at #10?
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
I came into this draft wanting to take a pitcher at #10, and Dane Dagenais is available. I had him ranked as the third best pitching prospect. To me, he projects to be a middle of the rotation guy. He is also just 18 years old, which is enticing.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
10. Giants– LF – Miguel Becerra
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
With the 10th pick in the 2019 draft I decided that Miguel Becerra was the best guy to get. I am very pleased with this choice – he already can hit and run with the best of them. Becerra may find his way into the Giants lineup as soon as Opening Day 2020.
14. Phillies– SP – Dane Dagenais
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
The Phillies grabbed Dagenais shortly after my pick at #10.
Comp Round A
1. Marlins– CF – Roger Miranda
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
There goes Roger Miranda. I am glad that I went with Becerra at #10 over Miranda – but damn, look how fast Miranda is already.
Round 2
5. Tigers– 2B – Alvin Darden
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
I have filed a petition with Major League Baseball to look into the scouting practices of the Detroit Tigers. This is the second player that I have been high on that they have taken shortly before me. I was hoping that Darden would make it to me in the second round.
10. Giants–
Of the players I mentioned earlier – Clifford James was still on the board. I know that I have hardly scouted him. I know that he will probably not be as elite as my minimal scouting says he will be.
10. Giants– 3B – Clifford James
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
I drafted him anyways. There was nobody else that I was super high on and decided he was worth the risk. The potential is not quite there, but he is already a decent player. Not a bad second round draft choice.
Round 3
10. Giants– SP – Connie Nowakowski
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
This was another player that I did not thoroughly scout – but from what I saw he looked to be elite. Definitely worth the risk in round 3.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Dang. Connie Nowakowski is a decent arm already, but I do not anticipate much from him past AAA in the future.
Round 4
10. Giants– CP – Edgar Nunez
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Somehow Edgar Nunez was still around in the fourth round. He projects to be an elite closer – he just needs to work on his control.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Honestly, not a bad pick in the 4th round. He will spend a few years in the system – I am optimistic that he will develop into a solid bullpen piece.
Round 5
10. Giants– SP – Paul Finn
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
More of the same, a player that I had not really looked at – but I deemed worth the risk of taking in the 5th round.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
He is an OK talent with good potential. We will have to wait and see on this draft choice.
Round 6
10. Giants– RP – Willy Anderskow
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
A total crapshoot in Round 6. If he comes out as a somewhat decent player I’ll be happy.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Honestly, not too bad for my last pick in the draft.
Draft Day Steals
Round 6 – Andres Campos – Mets
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Although the potential is not there, the overall already is. Andres Campos is a talented 3rd baseman that should make his way onto the Met in 2020.
Round 5 – Edgar Merced – Orioles
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Edgar Merced is a pretty talented 18 year old. He can do it all. The potential is not there, but I don’t think that is needed with the skillset he already has. He should be starting for the Orioles in 2020.
Coming Up
We will cruise through the rest of the month of June to see where the organization is at. How do you feel about the draft choices I made? Are you all in on Becerra?
We are back to chronicle another month of baseball for the 2019 San Francisco Giants. If you want to catch up on the season so far, click the links below:
After a 3-5 start to the month, the Giants were able to sweep the Reds to bring their record to 6-5 for May. The series finale on May 12th was capped by a walk-off single by Pablo Sandoval for a 5-4 victory and series sweep.
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
The Giants ended the month with a 12-15 record, this was an improvement over the previous month – but still not great. The Giants are now 21-36 on the season and 15.5 games back of the Dodgers in the N.L. West. As far as records go, the Giants are now the 3rd worst team in all of baseball – ahead of the Orioles and the Tigers.
AAA
The River Cats struggled this month – producing a 10-20 record in April. They have fallen to dead last in the PCL Pacific North Division – 3 games behind the Rainiers.
AA
The Flying Squirrels were 15-14 through the month of April – bringing them to a 30-23 record on the season. They currently sit in second the the EL Western Division – 1 game back of the Eerie Seawolves.
Hot and Cold
MLB
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Josh Bell
1B
.311 AVG, 12 HR, 34 RBI*
*Season stats
Josh Bell is a solid player and he is having a great season so far. I need to make sure that I can keep him happy so he is willing to stick around for this rebuild. As long as I can keep his morale up we should be good for a few years. Bell is making a case to be my only All-Star this season.
o
Cold
Name
Pos.
Stats
Williams Jerez
RP
8.13 ERA, 21 BB, 27.2 IP*
*Season stats
Williams Jerez was designated for assignment after another poor month.
AAA
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Sean Hjelle
SP
3.09 ERA, 28 K, 32 IP
Heliot Ramos
CF
.294 AVG, 85 AB, 10 RBI
After a terrible first month to the year, Sean Hjelle was able to bounce back with a solid May. Heliot Ramos is starting to heat up as well, which is what I expect from one of the top prospects in the organization.
Cold
Name
Pos.
Stats
Jake Wong
SP
4.60 ERA, 14 BB, 31.1 IP
Ryder Jones
3B
.158 AVG, 57 AB
Jake Wong looked very below average on the mound in May. I was hopeful that he would be able to pitch for the Giants by the end of the season – but now I am not so sure. Ryder Jones struggled at the plate and may be destined to be a career minor-leaguer.
a
AA
Hot
Name
Pos.
Stats
Ray Black
RP
3.38 ERA, 9K, 8 IP
Ray Black has been talked about as a top prospect for the Giants for a long time – and at 28 years old he is finally starting to perform.
T
Cold
Name
Pos.
Stats
Seth Elledge
CP
5.95 ERA, 16.2 IP
Not much to say here – this was a bad month for Seth Elledge from the bullpen.
I
Roster Moves/Injuries
Ronnie Jebavy (AAA) sprained his ACL and missed two weeks.
Logan Wyatt (AA) pulled his hamstring and missed a few weeks.
Dereck Rodriguez returned from the Injured List on May 30th. James Shields was struggling on the mound – with a 1-8 record and 5.64 ERA. I decided to check the market and see what kind of return I could get for him before releasing him. Nobody seemed interested, so I designated Shields for assignment.
Travis Bergen was called up from AAA to take the spot of Williams Jerez, who was also designated for assignment.
Conner Menez was sent up to AAA after posting a 1.77 ERA in 40.2 IP at AA.
Jackson Rutledge was sent up to AA.
Prospects
As we enter the month of June, things have changed in the Top 50 Prospects list. Here is where things stand:
MLB(R) The Show(TM) 19
Some players within the organization found themselves at new spots on the MLB Top 50 Prospects list. Here is where I would rank the prospects within our system after a month of baseball:
Org. Rank
MLB Rank
Player
Age
Pos.
Pot.
Ovr.
Level
#1
#9
Royce Lewis
19
SS
A
66
AAA
#2
#35
Joey Bart
22
C
A
66
AAA
#3
#40
Ke’Bryan Hayes
22
3B
A
68
AAA
#4
#41
Alexander Palma
22
RF
A
65
AAA
#5
NR
Heliot Ramos
19
CF
A
63
AAA
#6
NR
Hunter Bishop
20
CF
A
61
AA
#7
NR
Logan Davidson
21
SS
B
64
AAA
#8
NR
Shea Langeliers
21
C
B
66
AA
#9
NR
Trevor Stephan
22
SP
B
62
AA
#10
NR
Jake Wong
22
SP
B
66
AAA
Coming Up
I will breakdown all of the prospects that the Giants are looking at in the 2019 First Year Player Draft.
The Diamondbacks took down the N.L. West leading Los Angeles Dodgers last night, thanks in part to a Zack Greinke homerun in the second inning. That was his third homerun of the year, and it got me thinking – is Greinke a better hitter than anyone playing regularly for the San Francisco Giants? *Outside of Alex Dickerson
Through 18 games at the plate – Greinke is putting up the following numbers:
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
BA
OBP
SLG
36
7
11
2
1
3
6
2
.306
.342
.667
Those are some solid numbers – especially for a pitcher. Obviously, Greinke does not play every day, so we need to take those numbers and project those out as if he were playing regularly:
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
BA
OBP
SLG
180
35
55
10
5
15
30
10
.306
.342
.667
It is unlikely that Greinke would keep hitting at the same rate – but those numbers are all we have to work with. Keeping the above stat line in mind, I will include a screenshot of the regulars for the Giants from Baseball Reference below:
If Greinke were playing in the everyday lineup for the Giants – he would be leading the team in 3B, HR, BA, OBP and SLG. He would be second in RBI and third in hits. He would without a doubt be the best bat in their lineup.
The question is, would the Diamondbacks be willing to trade Greinke, the hitter, to the Giants? Is it possible to work out some kind of time-share where Greinke plays for the Giants on his off days?
