3 Giants who may have played their last game in San Francisco

As we all wait to see if baseball will be played in 2020, there are three players that may have played their last game with the San Francisco Giants: Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval, and Jeff Samardzija.

While the beginning of the season has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is still no word yet on whether the entire 2020 season will be scrapped or just played without fans. With MLB service time staying the same as if games were being played, that may mean several Giants have already played their final game in a Giants uniform.

While there are obviously more important things in the world than baseball right now, it would still be a shame to see these players not get a proper send-off if the season truly does end up being canceled.

Let’s take a look at the three most notable players that may never play for the Giants again.

Giants outfielder Hunter Pence

One of the most exciting moves of the offseason was when Hunter Pence came back to the San Francisco Giants after a year away with the Texas Rangers.

Unfortunately, if the season does end up being canceled, there is a decent chance that Pence would end up either retiring or playing somewhere else as he only signed a one year deal.

The Giants were able to give him a proper fairwell in 2018 when it seemed like he had played his final game as a Giant, but getting to see him play for the Giants again was one of the more exciting things to look forward to in 2020.

If the season gets cancelled, then sadly the Pence reunion may never truly materialize in the regular season.

Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval

We all thought that last September was the last time we were going to see Pablo Sandoval in a Giants uniform, but in a surprising move the team decided to bring him back for 2020.

He apparently got along well with new manager Gabe Kapler and said he did not want to make the same mistake he made after 2014 when he signed with the Boston Red Sox and struggled there for three seasons.

He came back to the club in 2017 and was a valuable bench contributor for the last two seasons and figured to be one again as well as a positive clubhouse presence in 2020 but it may not come to fruition.

No matter what, Pablo is still a San Francisco legend.

Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija

2020 was likely going to be Jeff Samardzija’s last season with the Giants no matter what, since he is set to become a free agent after the season. If he had a solid first half he would have been a valuable trade chip for a contending team in return for prospects. But if the season is canceled then the team cannot get anything in return for the Shark.

If he has thrown his last pitch in San Francisco, he had a respectable run with the team. While injuries limited him in 2018, his 2016, 2017, and 2019 campaigns were all serviceable and he finished strong with a 3.52 ERA in 2019, his best as a Giant.

I would say he was a pretty good Giant, and the competitive presence he brought to the mound will be missed. One can only hope some of the younger pitchers that will vie to take his place have inherited his mentality.