3 SF Giants players who are on the roster bubble for 2023

3 SF Giants players who are on the roster bubble for 2023

2. Middle infielder Tommy La Stella

It is not hyperbole to state that Tommy La Stella has been the worst signing since Farhan Zaidi took over the front office after the 2018 season. Prior to the 2021 season, San Francisco signed him to a three-year, $18.75 million pact, but that is a deal that has failed to deliver.

This has been due to his struggles at the plate as well as injuries. La Stella sustained a hamstring strain at the beginning of last season that forced him to miss considerable time. He underwent offseason Achilles surgery and the recovery from that has been slow.

In the second year of his contract, he has slashed .253/.286/.380 (86 wRC+) with just two home runs, 13 RBI, and 16 runs in 168 plate appearances. This includes a 4.2 percent walk rate against a 16.7 percent strikeout rate. The plate discipline that he demonstrated earlier in his career when he posted walk rates above 10 percent seems to have disappeared.

The left-handed bat was brought in to give the Giants leverage against right-handed pitching, but he has posted a 90 wRC+ against righties in two seasons with San Francisco. Similar to Mike Yastrzemski, if La Stella cannot perform against right-handed pitching, it is going to be tough for him to have a meaningful role.

The difference between the two is that Yastrzemski can make an impact on defense. La Stella has been limited to just 76 innings in the field in 2022.

One way or the other, the Giants will likely look at ways to bring in another left-handed-hitting middle infielder, so it is tough to envision that La Stella will finish out his contract in San Francisco. However, a strong finish to the season could give the front office a little extra confidence.

3 SF Giants players who are on the roster bubble for 2023

3. Relief pitcher Tyler Rogers

Every bullpen needs a reliever with a funky delivery and that is Tyler Rogers for the Giants. Since he debuted in 2019, the submarine-style reliever has quietly been one of the better bullpen arms in baseball.

That has not been the case in 2022. Rogers does not get a ton of swinging strikes, but rather he relies on contact to produce outs. That can be a great strategy and many pitchers have thrived with that approach, but it is tough to be successful with a Giants defense behind him that has struggled as badly as it has.

This is not to say that Rogers' struggles have been due entirely to the defense. He has been part of the problem as well.

On the year, the 31-year-old hurler has registered a 4.72 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 5.5 K9, 2.00 SO/W ratio, and a 55.8 percent ground ball rate in 54 appearances. He posted a 1.86 ERA in his first 10 appearances of the season, but he has struggled to a 5.32 ERA in 44 appearances since then.

On one hand, Rogers has done well to avoid hard contract as he has yielded an 84.5-MPH average exit velocity and a 1.7-degree launch angle. Hitters are not getting any lift against Rogers, but it feels like a lot of that soft contact has found holes. The defense has been an issue as well as it has generated -5 Outs Above Average (OAA) with Rogers on the mound.

However, his strikeout rate (5.5 K/9) and walk rate (2.8 BB/9) represent career worsts, which is not something you want to see from a pitcher who is already in his 30's.

The Giants will need to rebuild the bullpen this offseason. Rogers will likely be part of that equation given his track record and the fact that he has three minor league options remaining, but there should be no assurance of a spot on the active roster. He will need to prove that he can be a leverage reliever again.