San Francisco Giants: Five Spring Training Disappointments

Tyler Beede

With their starting rotation depth thin, the Giants were hoping Beede would force himself into one of the five spots.

But that didn’t happen this spring.

The 24-year-old Vanderbilt product was highly regarded when he was selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2014 draft.

After posting a 2.24 ERA in nine starts with the San Jose Giants in 2015, he struggled last year in AAA Sacramento. With the River Cats, he went 6-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 19 starts, giving up 121 hits in 109 innings.

But he never had a chance to redeem himself. As he warmed up for his 20th start, he injured his groin and missed the rest of the season.

With the Giants originally relying on Ty Blach and Chris Stratton for the fourth and fifth rotation spots, Beede had a chance to bring himself into the conversation.

But in four outings (8.1 innings) this spring, he had a 10.80 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP.

Beede will have another chance with the River Cats this year to show he’s ready for the big stage.

And he’s got the backing of Giants Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Brian Sabean.

Here’s what he told KNBR last month:

“To me personally who set eyes on Beede three times last year — three different starts — and what he’s done here in the offseason to get ready, how he’s throwing the ball in the bullpen, the early talk of the pitching coaches here — this guy is gonna be in the big leagues before we blink our eye.”

Jeff Samardzija

After Samardzija posted a very strong strikeout-to-walk ratio of almost nine last year, the Giants were optimistic he would have a good 2018 season as the No. 3 starter.

But then the first wave of the bad-news-comes-in-threes came to the Giants’ pitching staff.

As Samardzija was ready to follow up his strong 2017 season–albeit his 4.42 ERA was a bit high–the Giants announced last week he would open the season on the disabled list with a pectoral strain. He won’t be back until at least mid-April.

But the good news is, he’s expected to play catch Wednesday and is optimistic he could come back soon.

Samardzija told NBC Sports Bay Area:

“I want to pitch. I don’t enjoy watching. It doesn’t sit right with me.”

This is the 32-year-old’s first stint on the disabled list in his career. Coupled with the injury, Samardzija was having a terrible spring, plagued by the same problems he’s suffered throughout his career.

In four spring training starts (11 innings), he had a 10.64 ERA and a 2.18 WHIP. More concerning are the six home runs he gave up and the .347 average against him.

He also gave up 17 hits. Home runs allowed was a big issue last year for Samardzija. He gave up a career-high 30 and continued that trend this spring.

So although he had the high strikeout-to-walk-ratio, when Samardzija did get hit–he got hit hard.

Samardzija had been working on his curveball and changeup during camp, so we’ll see how he does when he comes back in mid-to-late April.

Madison Bumgarner’s Injury

When he pitched, Bumgarner had a fabulous spring.The Giants’ ace was ready to be one of the successes of the 2018 camp. He had gotten through spring training with a 3.43 ERA, blowing away hitters as he struck out 30 in 21 innings.

The Giants and the baseball world were ready for Bumgarner vs. Clayton Kershaw on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. But then–a freak injury.

In a game against the Kansas City Royals last Friday, Bumgarner got hit on his pinky finger by a Whit Merrifield line drive. An MRI showed the finger was broken, and the Giants would be without their ace for at least six-to-eight weeks.

This came at a terrible time for the Giants, as they face the Dodgers 10 times in their first 19 games.

Given how their terrible start last year led to 98 losses, the Giants need to have a good start to establish last year as a thing of the past.

Bumgarner told the San Jose Mercury News:  

“It’s tough, but I can handle it and these guys can handle it. I think I’ll be fine but it’s obviously not what I was expecting out of my last start, but it’s what happens and now I’ve got to deal with it.”

What makes this more disappointing is he missed half of last season, separating his shoulder during a dirt bike accident. While Bumgarner was not a disappointment on the field this spring, his absence, again, is what’s disappointing.

Furthermore, he was expected to pitch three times against the Dodgers in April. Ty Blach will pitch in place of Bumgarner on Opening Day.

Mark Melancon

The Giants paid Mark Melancon to be the finisher they did not have in 2016–and that’s what ultimately doomed them in the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs that year.

But 2017 did not pan out for Melancon, and the four-year, $62 million deal was starting to look like a wash.

It started on Opening Day against the Diamondbacks. As the Giants were looking to establish their closing woes as nothing more than a 2016 memory, he blew his first save chance of 2017.

Then, the Giants learned he was suffering from a forearm injury.

When he did pitch last year, Melancon posted a 4.50 ERA in 30 innings pitched. He was only 11-for-16 in save chances and had a 1.43 WHIP.

Hardly stats for a top closer in the National League, which he was in 2016.

But 2018 isn’t off to the best start either for the 33-year-old.

After he tried to pitch his second game in a row last week, the final test for a reliever before the season starts, Melancon reported he didn’t feel quite right.

Now, there’s speculation that he will start the season on the disabled list. The exact nature of the injury is not known. As it was, Melancon was having a poor spring, aside from showing some good stuff, posting a 5.79 ERA in 4 2/3 innings pitched. But not all is lost.

Next: 18 Questions for the Giants 2018 season

There’s a possibility he could still be ready to go Thursday at Dodger Stadium.

Manager, Bruce Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“We’re hoping he’s all good to go Thursday. We don’t know at this point, right now, if that will be the case.”

Still, even the threat of injury is a disappointment for Giants fans who want assurance the game will end in victory when San Francisco has a ninth-inning lead.