2023 SF Giants Willie Mac Award winner has become a 2024 afterthought

Last year at the end of September, SF Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada was finishing up a solid season. He also received the high honor of being the annual Willie Mac Award winner. Now in 2024, he is a mere afterthought.

From 2021 to 2023 Estrada had established himself as a very solid second baseman for the Giants. His combination of solid hitting, good defense, and speed made him a valuable member of the team. Unfortunately, he was not able to continue that in 2024.

Injuries have certainly played a role in Estrada's decline this season. He dealt with a wrist injury that hindered him at the plate as evidenced by his .217/.247/.343 slash line with 9 home runs and 47 RBI. He still made contributions and had memorable moments, though. His go-ahead home run against the Chicago Cubs back in June was definitely a highlight.

Thairo Estrada's rough season is a stark contrast to the end of last season

That was basically the high point of his year as injuries and struggles followed. This all culminated in Estrada being placed on waivers and then being sent to Triple-A Sacramento and removed from the 40-man roster after no team claimed him.

This was a very uncermonious end to Estrada's tenure especially after he won the Willie Mac Award just last season. The award is voted upon by current and former Giants players as well as the coaching staff. It is meant to identify the most inspirational player on the team and is basically just an affirmation that you are a good teammate and probably a pretty good dude. It is really unfortunate that things ended this way but it has been important for the Giants to give young players like Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt opportunities at second base.

Farhan Zaidi recently spoke about the situation with Estrada in an interview with The Athletic (subscription required) and lauded Estrada for his professionalism despite the tough situation. It is yet another example of how Zaidi can be ruthless at times with roster construction, relying little on sentimentality. The Estrada move makes sense on paper, but at the same time you could argue that Estrada has earned at the very least the chance to finish his Giants career with the big league club. He has worn the jersey with pride and honor these last 4 years so he probably deserved better treatment.

Nonetheless, Estrada's career with the Giants is over. Where he is at now compared to where he was at the end of 2023 is a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in baseball. Let's hope that Estrada can find a good home next season and get back to being the ballplayer we know he is capable of being.