Silvino Bracho / Pool Photo-USA TODAY NETWORK
SCOTTSDALE — The Giants prize spring competition, which is something that both helps and something that teams without many bona fide stars preach. And yet, much of the club’s roster has been roughly known from the onset of camp.
The outfielders are set. The infield would be set if Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt were healthy, but the former should be ready and the latter may be replaced by Jason Vosler or LaMonte Wade Jr., although the Giants are holding out hope.
Alex Wood’s back injury has opened a door for Logan Webb, and health more than competition will determine the starters.
And then there’s the bullpen, which just lost Rule 5 pick Dedniel Nunez to Tommy John surgery.
“It’s the one area where there’s quite a bit of competition,” Gabe Kapler said before Friday night’s game at Scottsdale Stadium against the Reds. “It’s certainly shaping up, and I see it as a competition.”
The certainties are the relievers on major league deals without options: lefties Jake McGee (who likely will be the de facto closer), Jarlin Garcia and Jose Alvarez and righty Matt Wisler. If the amount of southpaws surprises you, it should. A lefty-dominant pen is a rarity, but matching up against stars like Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy will be helpful, as will the fact the Giants’ rotation is mostly righty, with only Wood throwing from the left side.
If the Giants open with 13 pitchers on the active roster, that would include Johnny Cueto, Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Webb and Aaron Sanchez. Especially if Wood can’t go to start the year, righties Shun Yamaguchi (who has an opt-out) and Nick Tropeano could find their way onto the roster as bulk guys out of the pen, with Scott Kazmir opening in Sacramento.
That would leave two spots and Wisler as the sole righty reliever guaranteed a slot. The competition may be led by non-roster righty Silvino Bracho, who struck out the side Thursday and now has 11 Ks in 6 1/3 innings, with two runs allowed. Kapler called his changeup a “great weapon.”
“I’ve been working on my fastball control,” Bracho, who has a low-90s heater and pitched parts of five seasons with the Diamondbacks, said over Zoom on Friday, “because if I control my fastball very well on both sides of the plate, my changeups are going to get success.”
Among the other non-roster competition, Dominic Leone (six innings, one earned, nine strikeouts) also has been impressive.
The other rostered relievers will be up and down for much of the year. Tyler Rogers, a Kapler favorite, has not had a strong Cactus League but is dependable. Reyes Moronta’s fastball ticking up to 94-95 mph in his most recent outing was encouraging, and his slider has been sharp, but the putaway stuff that he had pre-surgery has not yet fully returned. He may have to keep working his way back at the alternate site. Camilo Doval has dominant stuff, but it would be a surprise if the 23-year-old who hadn’t pitched above High-A broke camp with the team.
The lefty surplus means quality 2020 arms like Caleb Baragar (who likely will be stretched out), Wandy Peralta and Sam Selman likely will be at the alternate site. There are shades of 2019, when the Giants had a veteran-laden bullpen they offloaded at the trade deadline so they could get a look at guys like … Selman.
There are now less than two weeks until Opening Day, and there are probably five righties competing for two spots. There is some drama in Giants camp.
“I think we’re getting a clearer and clearer picture,” Kapler said of the bullpen.