SF Giants option LaMonte Wade, reassign veteran starters

According to a Tweet by Bay Area News Group SF Giants beat writer Kerry Crowley, the team optioned outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr to the minor leagues on Sunday. Wade, also capable of playing first base, was acquired from the Minnesota Twins for Shaun Anderson last month. Per Crowley, the organization also reassigned veteran pitchers Scott Kazmir and Shun Yamaguchi to minor-league camp.

While there are some obvious reasons to be excited about Wade’s potential, he has hit just .182/.302/.318 this spring. Granted, Wade had a minor-league option remaining, enabling the Giants to option him to the minors without exposing him to waivers all season. Assuming all stays on track, Wade projects to start for the Sacramento River Cats at Triple-A. If the Giants big-league team suffers an injury, he remains one of the first in line for a promotion.

The SF Giants optioned LaMonte Wade Jr, reassigned Scott Kazmir, and reassigned Shun Yamaguchi on Sunday.

The Giants signed Kazmir after the beginning of spring training to a minor-league deal. At 37, the veteran is attempting the second comeback of his 12-year MLB career. Kazmir has been selected to three All-Star games but is far removed from any big-league success. Last year, he did pitch in an Independent League. He continued working out throughout the offseason and held a showcase for scouts, where his fastball reportedly reached 93 mph and sat between 90-92 mph.

Yamaguchi came stateside last season after a decade-long career in Japan. He worked exclusively out of the bullpen for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020 but finished with an 8.06 ERA (6.42 FIP) and a 1.53 SO/W ratio across 25.2 innings. Toronto released him at the end of the season. This spring, the Giants added him on a minor-league deal and plan to give him an opportunity to start, like he did in Japan.

The SF Giants are now just a few days away from starting the regular season. To help get their roster down to 26, the organization optioned LaMonte Wade Jr, reassigned Scott Kazmir and Shun Yamaguchi. All three could see time at Oracle Park later this year, but not on Opening Day.