Is it time for the Giants to move on from Chris Shaw?

Slugger Chris Shaw was part of the San Francisco Giants first round of roster cuts. Is it time for the team to move on from him?

The San Francisco Giants announced their first round of roster cuts on Friday.

Among the players reassigned to the minors was Chris Shaw, a once promising power hitter who can play first base and the outfield.

It’s worth wondering if it’s time for the Giants to move on from Shaw.

He was one of the more intriguing prospects that the Giants had a few years ago when their farm system was fairly depleted. Now, after two unimpressive stints in the majors, the window for him to emerge as an impact player in San Francisco could be closing.

Still young at 26 years old, Shaw has just 72 big league at-bats under his belt, during which time he has hit a putrid .153/.244/.222 with 31 strikeouts. And while he has been touted as a power hitter, he only has one big league home run.

He still has a chance to turn things around, but he will need to play his way onto the MLB roster with a strong performance in the minors. If he struggles again, the Giants need to seriously consider moving on from him.

Last season, he hit .294/.360/.559 with 28 home runs and 94 RBI in the minors. Those are very solid numbers, but if they do not translate into big league success, they don’t mean a whole lot.

Mike Yastrzemski proved last year that a guy who toils away in the minors for years can still break out in the majors. Unfortunately, Shaw has not given any indication in his time against big league pitching that he is capable of that same breakout year.

The Giants may hold onto Shaw as a possible replacement for Brandon Belt in a few years once he becomes a free agent. But if Shaw continues to underperform when given opportunities, the Giants may have to start looking elsewhere for options at first base.

We will see how Shaw fares in the minors, but him being a part of the first round of cuts does not bode well for his future in San Francisco.