© Rick Scuteri | 2018 Apr 18
The Giants made their first roster moves of the offseason on Monday afternoon.
The club outrighted infielders Kelby Tomlinson, Chase d’Arnaud, and Miguel Gomez, along with pitcher Casey Kelly, with all four becoming free agents. Tomlinson and Gomez will be minor-league free agents. Pitcher Tyler Herb was also outrighted but will stay with Triple-A Sacramento, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic.
D’Arnaud was arbitration eligible, leaving Sam Dyson, Hunter Strickland, Gorkys Hernandez, Will Smith, and Joe Panik as the remaining arbitration eligible players still on the 40-man roster.
Giants not waiting for a new GM to clear 40-man roster space: P Tyler Herb outrighted to Sacramento; INF Chase D’Arnaud and P Casey Kelly- outrighted and elected free agency; INF Kelby Tomlinson and Miguel Gomez outrighted and will be minor league free agents.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) October 22, 2018
Chase d’Arnaud would have been eligible for arbitration. So their potential arb list is down to Dyson, Strickland, Gorkys, Will Smith and Panik. I’d expect all will be tendered contracts, but you never know.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) October 22, 2018
According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, the moves were made to clear spots for five players who finished the season on the 60-day DL: Johnny Cueto, Julian Fernandez, Jeff Samardzija, Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval.
This was simple. Giants had five players — Cueto, Fernandez, Samardzija, Posey, Sandoval — on 60-day DL and they had to be put back on 40-man roster. These moves, plus outrighting Tyler Herb, clear spots. That’s all.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) October 22, 2018