San Francisco Giants Options in the Minors

The San Francisco Giants bench has been a major weakness this year and as a result, there has been a steady steam of call-ups to find a spark for the lackluster bench. The Fresno Grizzlies have seven players on their roster that have played for the Giants at some point in this season, not including players on the disabled list. These players are grinding in the minors to get back on the Giants roster, and some of these players will be called  back up before the year ends

Some of these players have had little or no impact in the big leagues this year. Jake Dunning, Tony Abreu, and Jarrett Parker have spent less than a week on the Giants. On the other end of the spectrum, Brandon Hicks, Tyler Colvin, Juan Perez, and George Kontos have had a significant impact for the Giants this year.

George Kontos has been stellar since his latest demotion to AAA. He has five appearances, accumulating seven innings pitched, and has allowed just three hits and no earned runs. Kontos is likely to be called up in September, if not sooner. It is safe to predict that he will play a big role in the Giants bullpen down the stretch.

Brandon Hicks, who has taken over the everyday second baseman duties for the Fresno Grizzlies, has not had as promising of a minor league stint as Kontos. After batting for a .162 average in the majors and a home run drought, Hicks was demoted to see if he could get his early season swing back. So far, Hicks’ struggles have continued. His average for the Grizzlies is barely over .200, and he has only hit one home run in almost 70 at-bats. Hicks will most likely not be the answer at second base this season and his early season success was probably a fluke.

Tyler Colvin was designated for assignment along with Dan Uggla, but is still with the organization. He is no longer on the 40-man roster, which usually is a sign that he won’t spend any more time in the majors this season. Juan Perez, the speedy outfielder, has had little success with the bat at any level this season, but his defense and ability to be a pinch runner could be enough to see him in the majors again this year.

The minors have not been feeding enough quality players to the Giants this year, and this will need to change. George Kontos looks like he will be a major asset in the Giants’ bullpen when he gets called up. Other players are still figuring it out and hopefully will be able to help the Giants make the playoffs.