SAN FRANCISCO–On Thursday afternoon, Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said he’s never dealt with as many injuries in a season as he’s encountered in 2017.
Prior to San Francisco’s matchup with a Major League-worst Philadelphia team, Bochy offered injury updates on more than half a dozen Giants players, including prospects like Christian Arroyo and Austin Slater, and veteran members of the team’s core like Joe Panik and Brandon Belt.
Injuries, though, are only one reason the Giants hold a 48-74 record and trail the Padres by 7.0 games for fourth place in the National League West.
Though he didn’t say it, Bochy has never dealt with as many under-performing veterans as he has in 2017, and it has cost the Giants an opportunity to remain competitive. San Francisco was essentially out of the postseason race after losing two of three to the Phillies in early June. Though the Giants were still mathematically involved in the National League West, anyone who watched the on-field product knew where this team was headed.
Fast forward to the middle of August, and the Giants are a mere 38.5 games behind the first place Los Angeles Dodgers in their division. San Francisco owns the third-worst record in baseball, and both Bochy and general manager Bobby Evans have indicated the final month and a half are about building toward 2018.
So with a pair of last-place clubs preparing for a relatively insignificant four-game set in San Francisco this weekend, it was fitting that Bochy addressed how he expects the 2018 roster to take shape on Thursday.
“It’s all going to be competitive the way I look at it right now next year,” Bochy said. “I don’t think we have a handful of jobs you say, okay this is your job in Spring Training. When you finish where we’re finishing, we’re not in the postseason, you have to stay open-minded on everything.”
Bochy’s comments shouldn’t come as a surprise for a team headed for a 90-plus loss season, but when you consider the makeup of the Giants’ roster and the experience of their core players, his thoughts should raise some eyebrows.
The Giants have $10-plus million committed individually to more than half of their starting position players, and second baseman Joe Panik isn’t among them. San Francisco will pay three pitchers upward of $15-million next season, and amazingly, the staff’s ace Madison Bumgarner isn’t among them. So if the Giants truly want to create an open competition for jobs in 2018, at least a handful of players with expensive contracts who signed with the expectation of starting will have to earn their way onto the field.
“I’m not going to talk about any names, but we’ve got to stay open minded as I said as far as who’s going to be where next year,” Bochy said. “Playing time and those things, it’s up to us to adjust and find a way to get better.”
Who is Bochy talking about? It’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which Brandon Crawford, who’s struggled through his worst professional season at the plate, isn’t starting. The Giants don’t have any young shortstops who could supplant Crawford in 2018, and he deserves a longer leash due to his track record and contract.
Brandon Belt? The Giants have both Ryder Jones and Chris Shaw capable of manning first base, but again, are the Giants going to turn over the starting job to a younger asset when they have nearly $70 million committed to Belt over the next four seasons? Barring a trade, Belt isn’t going to be sitting on the bench. Nor should he.
The two players most likely to be pressured by younger prospects and perhaps free agent signees are Denard Span and Hunter Pence. Bochy hasn’t said as much, but it’s clear that San Francisco will explore other options in center field next season. And while Pence has put together a better second half of the season, the Giants would probably be open to starting a prospect, or platooning a left-handed hitter, with Pence in 2018.
On the mound, if Johnny Cueto opts in, he’s a shoe-in for the team’s rotation. It’s cliche to say that Jeff Samardzija eats innings, but he does. He has a job. It’s really hard to envision rotation that doesn’t include Ty Blach, who’s been quite impressive as a rookie, but it’s still too early to set that in stone.
If Evans’ most recent comments are any indication, the Giants will seriously consider allowing left-hander Matt Moore to walk in free agency. If the club does pick up Moore’s $9 million option, there’s no guarantee he’ll start the year in the rotation. Moore will certainly figure into a competition if he comes back.
The wildcard in the Giants’ plans is closer Mark Melancon, who recently returned from the disabled list, but reportedly still feels a twinge in his elbow. If Melancon is healthy and ready to go in 2018, it’s not a foregone conclusion that the closer role belongs to him. With the way Sam Dyson has pitched since Melancon’s injury, the Giants could roll with the hot hand until they can’t anymore.
So to recap, the Giants have three starting pitchers, Bumgarner, Cueto and Samardzija, who will be penned into spots, as long as Cueto opts into his contract. Beyond that, the final two jobs should be up for grabs, with Blach having a massive upper hand on any competitors. In the bullpen, expect every role to be fluid, especially if the uncertainty regarding Melancon’s elbow lingers.
On the field, Crawford, Panik, Belt and Posey are all locks for jobs, as long as they’re around. But the Giants could throw a wrench in the team’s plans by trading Belt or Panik. Beyond that, San Francisco expects to enter Spring Training with a very fluid roster, and based on the team’s record, that’s the way it should be.