There will be no Tyler Beede or Christian Arroyo.
Barring a major surprise, Chris Shaw and Andrew Suarez aren’t going to walk through the doors of the home club house at AT&T Park.
Many of the players the Giants will add to their roster on Friday, September 1, are no longer “prospects,” but rather tweeners who will provide depth to the Major League club over the final month of the regular season.
On Friday, a handful of players will arrive in the Giants’ clubhouse as Major League teams are allowed to use their entire 40-man rosters, but manager Bruce Bochy has already indicated that San Francisco’s call-up group this year will be “smaller” rather than larger.
Prior to Thursday’s contest against the St. Louis Cardinals, Bochy said the club isn’t expecting its top prospects to appear in September, and there’s a number of reasons why that’s a reality. In Beede and Arroyo’s case, both players are dealing with injuries that will prevent them from taking the field for the orange and black in a season where they would likely receive meaningful September playing time. For Shaw and Suarez and even outfielder Steven Duggar, there’s no need for San Francisco to add them to the 40-man roster just yet, as the club isn’t required to do so until after the 2018 season.
Even though there’s a contingent of folks (myself included) who would like to see how Shaw and Suarez would fare this fall, the Giants have other priorities to address in the short-term.
With Bochy’s comments in mind, here’s a look at the players most likely to be added to the Giants’ Major League roster come September 1, or after the AAA Sacramento River Cats’ season concludes on September 4.
Pitchers
Derek Law: Of all the players the Giants could add, Law is the surest bet. A reliever the Giants were hoping would take the next step in 2017, Law was demoted back to AAA after a brutal stretch in June that ended with a massive blowup in Atlanta against the Braves. Bochy was concerned about Law’s command, and he’s improved since returning to the River Cats’ bullpen, as his AAA ERA sits at 2.48 entering Friday evening.
Steven Okert: Like Law, Okert spent an extended stretch with the big league club earlier this season, but his effectiveness waned and his command left much to be desired. The Giants need a left-hander to pair with Josh Osich in their bullpen, and they’ll likely give Okert a few appearances over the final month of the season to showcase the improvements they wanted him to make at AAA.
Reyes Moronta: Moronta has yet to appear in a Giants’ uniform, but he is a member of the team’s 40-man roster and he’s performed well of late, recording nine scoreless outings in his last 10 appearances. It’s possible the Giants will let Moronta finish the season with Sacramento and then give his arm a rest in September, but because he’s on the 40-man roster, there’s no issue with bringing him up for a Major League showcase.
Tyler Rogers: Rogers isn’t a member of the 40-man roster, but there’s a strong chance he’ll make his way to the Giants’ bullpen in September after stringing together a strong campaign with AAA Sacramento. Rogers was a Pacific Coast League All-Star, and he’ll be a treat to watch for San Francisco fans because he’s a submarine-style pitcher. Whether Rogers has the stuff to be effective at the Major League level remains to be seen, but because he would likely be scooped up by another franchise in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, it makes sense for Rogers to be added to the 40-man roster sooner rather than later.
D.J. Snelten: It’s possible the Giants may also look at Dusten Knight, but of the pitchers other than Rogers who aren’t on the 40-man roster, Snelten is the most likely candidate to receive a call-up. Snelten is a 6-foot-7 left-hander who dominated with AA Richmond before receiving a promotion to Sacramento in the middle of the season. He’s also been in the organization since 2013, which means the Giants would have to add him to the 40-man roster during the offseason anyway if they wanted to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Why not protect him early and see if Snelten has the stuff to compete with Osich and Okert for a role as a left-hander in the Giants’ bullpen next season?
Position players
Orlando Calixte: Calixte has struggled at the plate with AAA Sacramento this season, but he’s been shuttled back and forth between the River Cats and the Giants a handful of times and he’s already on the 40-man roster. The Giants aren’t going to DFA Calixte and look at adding any infield prospects, so they’ll probably call him up as a depth option. Don’t expect Calixte to play much in September, though.
Mac Williamson: Williamson is already on the 40-man roster and he’s pumped out five home runs in the month of August after a dreadful July in Sacramento, but he’s probably not a shoe-in for a September call-up. San Francisco will get Austin Slater back soon and the club wants Jarrett Parker to continue to receive at-bats, so in a surprise move, the Giants may elect to cut ties with Williamson when Sacramento’s season concludes. Williamson will probably still receive a September call-up and come off the bench to pinch hit on occasion, but he may not have the type of future with the club that some fans hope for.
Tim Federowicz: Trevor Brown is the third catcher on the Giants’ 40-man roster, and he spent the 2016 season on the big league club. It’s logical to assume Brown will finish the season with the Giants, but I think Federowicz has put himself in position to take Brown’s place on the 40-man roster. San Francisco can DFA Brown and add Federowicz in his place, and with Buster Posey dealing with a lingering thumb issue, I’d venture to guess the Giants roll with the catcher who promises to be more productive.
Jae-gyun Hwang: Hwang continues to perform well at AAA, and like Calixte and Williamson, he’s already on the 40-man roster. Hwang wants to be in a big league clubhouse, and even if he’s not promised regular playing time, Hwang would accept a promotion to finish out the season in San Francisco. The Giants could always DFA Hwang and add Conor Gillaspie back to the 40-man roster, but Hwang plays third base and could even earn a few starts against left-handed pitchers in September, so there’s value in bringing him back.
The rundown: The Giants can free up two 40-man roster spots by DFA’ing Michael Morse and Chase Johnson (a Minor League pitcher who underwent Tommy John surgery), so that’s where they can find the room to add Rogers and Snelten. Because Bochy indicated the group would be smaller rather than larger, I could foresee a scenario in which San Francisco only adds three or four pitchers, and allows Moronta to begin his offseason early and waits until after the year to evaluate Snelten and Knight. San Francisco will probably move forward with Calixte, Williamson, Hwang and a third catcher, but the Giants may also leave Williamson and or Hwang off of the September roster. Ultimately, the big takeaway is that unlike the Los Angeles Dodgers who called up top prospect Alex Verdugo on Thursday, the Giants will wait until next spring to evaluate most of the marquee names in their farm system.