Ex-Giants utility standout back on market again after Orioles' end-of-spring decision

Spring training is over and teams are whittling down their big league rosters to the best 26 players. Looking around MLB, some former SF Giants players made the cut while others were cut loose by their respective teams. Former Giants utility standout Thairo Estrada was one of the unlucky ones.

The Baltimore Orioles granted Estrada his release recently after he did not make the club's Opening Day roster. It did not come as a huge shock since Estrada had just two hits in 25 at-bats down in Florida. He is now back on the free agent market and is looking for a new team.

Former SF Giants Willie Mac Award winner back on the market

Baltimore brought Estrada in as a depth piece after the Orioles sustained some injuries to their infield. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg both got hurt so there was definitely an opening for Estrada to make the team if he got really hot at the plate.

Plus, with Craig Albernaz as the new manager of the Orioles, Estrada had someone in his corner who saw him when he was at his best on the Giants. Unfortunately it just did not work out.

It seems like a long time ago, but just a few years back Estrada was one of the best all-around players on the Giants. In 2023 he slashed .271/.315/.416 with 14 home runs and 49 runs batted in and 23 stolen bases across 120 games. He won the Willie Mac Award that season for the Giants.

Unfortunately, 2024 was a bit more of a struggle for him. He did not do well at the plate for the Giants and eventually he was demoted to the minors so the team could get a look at younger options like Casey Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald up the middle.

Estrada spent last season with the Colorado Rockies. He dealt with some injuries, but in 39 games he slashed .253/.285/.370 with three homers and 21 driven in.

Now he is going to have to figure out where to go. The Giants have plenty of depth up the middle so a reunion with San Francisco seems unlikely even though it was current president of baseball operations Buster Posey who pointed out to his predecessor, Farhan Zaidi, that Estrada was a solid player.

Maybe Estrada can go a similar route to Wilmer Flores who just signed with a Mexican League team. That might be Estrada's best bet at this point.