SF Giants Spring Training: 6 Competitions to Watch

It’s that time of year once again. Pitchers and catchers for all 30 MLB teams have reported to Spring Training. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, the SF Giants facility welcomed their entire big-league staff and 70 players to prepare for another baseball season. As the league gears up for their first full-season since 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic continues looming over the schedule. For now, though, the league and many players remain intent on playing.

With the return of a 162-game season comes two fewer roster spots than the 28-man rosters in effect last season. Farhan Zaidi constantly shuffled the back end of the roster last season. By maximizing those two additional spots, manager Gabe Kapler maximized platoon switches and consistently had an 8-10 pitcher bullpen to work with. This season, he will not have such flexibility.

More players, including some of last season’s significant contributors, will be in legitimate competitions for an Opening Day roster spot with fewer available. Still, the vast majority of the roster has already been decided. Below are the 20 players almost certainly assured to be on the Giants big-league roster on Opening Day if they are not injured or traded before then.

SF Giants Projected Opening Day Roster Locks

C Buster Posey
C Curt Casali
1B Brandon Belt
1B Wilmer Flores
2B/3B/1B Tommy La Stella
2B Donovan Solano
SS Brandon Crawford
3B Evan Longoria
CF/SS Mauricio Dubón
OF Alex Dickerson
OF Mike Yastrzemski
SP Kevin Gausman
SP Johnny Cueto
SP Anthony DeSclafani
SP Alex Wood
SP Aaron Sanchez
RHP Matt Wisler
RHP Tyler Rogers
LHP Sam Selman
LHP Jake McGee

Injuries and other potential transactions will likely change things. However, for now, the rest of the players in camp are competing for one of those final six spots. Beyond the roster, though, many are competing for playing time and more prominent roles on the roster. Check out the six most important to watch this spring.

SF Giants Spring Training Competition:
Closer: Jake McGee, Sam Selman, Reyes Moronta, Tyler Rogers

Favorite: Jake McGee
Biggest Competition: Sam Selman, Tyler Rogers
Longshot: Reyes Moronta

This competition will not determine who ends up on the Opening Day roster, but it might be the most important to fans. In his first season as manager, Kapler utilized a revolving door of arms to get the final three outs. At times it worked wonders, but at the beginning and end of the season, fans were left watching the back of the bullpen fail to turns late-game leads into victories.

I expect Kapler to find a middle ground this year. The extreme revolving door is probably a thing of the past, but I would not be surprised if a pair of relievers rotate through save opportunities. Offseason acquisition Jake McGee is coming off an undeniably dominant performance last season, something Kapler did not have in 2020. Reyes Moronta is the only other reliever with a similar track-record of effectiveness. Of course, he’s coming off shoulder surgery and already struggled with command before his injury.

Tyler Rogers was quietly quite solid last year in San Francisco as well. As unorthodox as Rogers is, he’s appeared in 46 MLB games over the past two years. In that sample, he’s completed 45.2 innings of work, allowed only two home runs, walked nine batters, struck out 43, posted a 3.15 ERA with a FIP (2.81), xFIP (3.34), and xERA (2.82) that suggest he’s been a borderline elite reliever.

Of this group, Sam Selman has the weakest resume. However, as effective as Tony Watson and Jarlin García were in 2020, peripherals and batted-ball data consistently favored Selman as the most effective southpaw in the Giants’ pen. That shouldn’t be the case this season with McGee in the mix, but Selman’s soft stuff and reliance on his unique slider could be a useful change of pace from McGee’s power pitching.

SF Giants Spring Training Competition:
4th Outfielder: Steven Duggar, Jaylin Davis, LaMonte Wade Jr, Jason Krizan, Arismendy Alcantara

Favorite: None
Biggest Competiton: Steven Duggar, Jaylin Davis, LaMonte Wade Jr.
Longshot: Arismendy Alcantara

There’s technically a way for the Giants to fill out their roster without another center fielder. The organization has seemed comfortable playing Mike Yastrzemski in center and Mauricio Dubón transitioned to the position beautifully last year. However, advanced metrics have consistently been down on Yaz’s defensive potential, and it seemed pretty obvious to the eye test as well last year. That leaves an obvious spot on the roster for a player capable of playing center field. Given Dubón’s platoon struggles against same-sided pitchers, one that thrives against righties would be an ideal fit.

Enter Steven Duggar, Jaylin Davis, and LaMonte Wade Jr. A trio of players who have hit better against right-handed pitching than southpaws with plenty of experience in center.

Duggar is easily the most advanced defensively, grading as a plus defender in center before his big-league debut in 2018. However, in parts of three big-league seasons, Duggar has posted a meager .636 OPS and struck out 133 times in 135 games. Duggar once profiled as an average everyday center fielder but has failed to find any offensive consistency. He has dealt with several poorly timed injuries at pivotal points in his development though. Perhaps things are finally ready to click for the Clemson alum this spring.

While the current Giants’ regime inherited Duggar, Davis and Wade were acquired in separate trades with the Minnesota Twins. That would suggest they have the upper hand. Yet, Wade, was never projected as a strong defensive center fielder, and Davis was skipped over multiple times last season for other players in the system, including Duggar.

Minnesota has played Wade more in center than anywhere else recently, but while there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Wade’s future, legitimate questions surround his viability in the middle of the outfield. His propensity to walk and put the ball in play give him the highest offensive floor of the group and if he has a strong Spring Training performance defensively, he is probably the favorite for this spot.

Davis easily has the highest offensive upside in the group. Heading into last season, he looked poised for an extended big-league look. Instead, he struggled in 12 early-season plate appearances, was optioned to the alternate site, and never got another opportunity. The organization was adamant that they wanted him to work on swing adjustments to elevate the ball more consistently, but it’s hard to know what the internal evaluations are at this point. Defensively, Davis falls somewhere between Wade and Duggar.

This also remains one of the few opportunities for an outsider to make a push for a roster spot. All three of the aforementioned players have a minor-league option this season, enabling the Giants to send them to the minor leagues without exposing them to waivers. That could open the door enough for minor-league signing Arismendy Alcantara to crack the Opening Day roster.

Alcantara is a 29-year old former top prospect who has struggled to hit at the MLB level. Defensively, he is a competent defender at second base, shortstop, third base, left field, center field, and right field. At the plate, the switch hitter posted a .286/.354/.480 triple-slash, stole 21 bases on 24 attempts, managed one of the highest walk-rates (9.4%), and isolated power (.215) of his career for the Mets Triple-A affiliate in 2019. His impressive set of tools, upper minors’ success, and a unique amount of versatility are worth keeping an eye on.

SF Giants Spring Training Competition:
Long Reliever: Wandy Peralta, Logan Webb, Caleb Baragar, Conner Menez, Nick Tropeano

Favorite: Wandy Peralta
Biggest Competiton: Nick Tropeano, Caleb Baragar, Logan Webb
Longshot: Conner Menez

I’ve been mesmerized by Wandy Peralta’s three-pitch mix for some time and think he can be an above-average reliever. He really got comfortable in a long-relief role with the Giants by the end of last season. Still, it would be inconsistent to ignore the mediocre 4.22 FIP, 4.27 xFIP, and 4.33 xERA that all raise questions about the sustainability of his 3.29 ERA. I’m still calling him the favorite because of my faith in his repertoire, but he’s far from entrenched.

Nick Tropeano has already made some early noise in Scottsdale and posted a dominant 1.15 ERA with 19 strikeouts (4 walks) in 15 innings for the Pirates last year in his first season as a reliever. FIP (2.55), xFIP (3.94), and xERA (4.04) were somewhat split on how sustainable Tropeano’s success was, but a former starting pitcher, he has a much longer track-record of eating innings than Peralta. Assuming McGee, Selman, and Garcia make the Opening Day roster as well, the Giants might feel less inclined to carry a fourth lefty, like Peralta, in the pen.

Caleb Baragar, Logan Webb, and even Conner Menez, to a lesser extent, had their moments for the Giants in 2020. All three were developed as starting pitchers but stalled at the upper levels. Baragar and Menez were already moved to the bullpen last season, and Webb could be next. Still, all in their mid-20s with options remaining and a Triple-A season likely on the horizon, the front office might prefer allowing all three to start full-time in the minors instead of putting them in a relief role that someone like Peralta or Tropeano could fill.

SF Giants Spring Training Competition:
Third First Baseman/5th Outfielder: Austin Slater, Darin Ruf, Jason Vosler, Joe McCarthy, Jason Krizan

Favorite: Austin Slater
Biggest Competiton: Darin Ruf
Longshot: Jason Vosler, Jason Krizan, Joe McCarthy

If Austin Slater did not have such an extensive injury history, he’d be locked into a platoon with Alex Dickerson in left field. However, Slater’s breakout 2020 season is undermined by an elbow injury and a history of regressing after injuries. A strong start would quell those questions quite quickly.

If that’s what happens, Darin Ruf will have an uphill battle to stick on the roster. Brandon Belt, Tommy La Stella, Wilmer Flores, and Slater all have extensive experience at first base. Ruf’s below-average defense in left field makes it hard to envision him playing over Dickerson or Slater. Had the National League finally adopted the universal designated hitter, it would be easier to envision the Giants forcing the issue. For now, though, it seems like something will have to give. Belt is recovering from an offseason surgery and could miss the start of the season. If that’s the case, Ruf could easily slot into his spot on the roster until he recovers. Still, that crunch will have to be addressed at some point.

Even if Belt begins the season on the injured list, Zaidi and company could prioritize youth. If they do, Joe McCarthy, an organization favorite since he was acquired from the Rays at the 2019 trade deadline, could get another chance to prove himself against MLB competition. Jason Vosler, on the other hand, was one of the top minor-league free agents available this offseason, and the Giants signed him to a major-league contract. He’s excelled at Triple-A and can handle the infield corners defensively with limited experience at second base.

There is an outside shot the Giants could prioritize positional versatility, which would open the door for Jason Krizan. Signed to a minor-league contract this offseason, Krizan can handle both outfield corners and everywhere on the infield except shortstop. In 2019, he spent the majority of the season at the Mets Double-A affiliate before a strong stretch of play to close the year at Triple-A. He posted a solid .275/.358/.469 triple-slash with 46 extra-base hits and more walks (50) than strikeouts (45) between both levels.

 SF Giants Spring Training Competition:
Final 3 Bullpen Spots:

Favorites: Jarlin García, Reyes Moronta, Trevor Gott
Biggest Competition: Jay Jackson, Dedniel Núñez, Dominic Leone, James Sherfy, Zack Littell, Silvino Bracho, Wandy Peralta
Longshot: Camilo Doval, Daniel Alvarez, Tyler Cyr, Yunior Marte, Rico Garcia

If Moronta is back to his pre-injury self, he immediately becomes a lock for the Opening Day roster and there are probably only two middle-relief spots left. Aside from that, this is where things are wide open. I’m listing the incumbents (Moronta, García, and Gott) as the favorites, but Rule 5 pick Dedniel Núñez or veteran minor-league free agents like Dominic Leone, Jay Jackson, James Sherfy, Zack Littell, or Silvino Bracho could all slot ahead of Gott depending on personal preferences. Leone, Jackson, and Bracho are my favorites (in that order).

With so many potential relievers in camp, Gott will need a strong spring to make the team. Moronta and García will have far more wiggle room, but less than many might expect. García has been a solid reliever over his career, and advanced numbers maintain skepticism of his ability to replicate the elite performance he had in 2020. Moronta has minor-league options remaining. Given the severity of his injury, don’t be surprised if he starts the season in minor-league camp to continue trying to regain his 2019 form.

Beyond the plethora of minor-league free agent signings, internal prospects like Tyler Cyr and Camilo Doval were on the cusp of big-league call-ups last season. Given the improved veteran depth, it’s hard to see them breaking through, but it’s far from out of the question. Cyr has been effective at every minor-league stop, and Doval has one of the world’s most electric pitch arsenals.