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

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As a team, the SF Giants have put together a disappointing season with a 61-62 record while sitting 5.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot. However, plenty of individual players still have something to prove, and in some cases, need to show more if they are going to be on the roster next season.

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

There are no assurances that any of the pending free agents including Wilmer Flores, Joc Pederson, or Brandon Belt will return. On the other hand, Carlos Rodón will almost certainly opt-out of his contract, whereas the Giants hold a $13 million team option on Evan Longoria with a $5 million buyout.

Next year's roster might look a lot different given the team's struggles and the organization's need for star power. However, there are plenty of holdovers that need to prove that they can carve out a role in 2023.

1. Outfield Mike Yastrzemski

This is the second straight disappointing season for Mike Yastrzemski at the plate. Last season, he posted a 106 OPS+ with 25 home runs in 532 plate appearances. In his brief major league career, that looked like an outlier in an otherwise strong track record.

He got off to a blistering start in 2022, slashing .302/.409/.476 with four home runs, 16 RBI, and 25 runs in 154 plate appearances in the first two months of the season. The power numbers were not quite there, but he was producing at such a high level that is seemed like he was poised to be an All-Star.

Since then, his performance at the plate has cratered. He has posted just a .162 batting average in 265 plate appearances since June 1. In total, Yastrzemski has slashed .211/.310/.687 (93 OPS+) with 12 home runs, 44 RBI, and 54 runs in 419 plate appearances.

More importantly, he has struggled to the tune of a .715 OPS against right-handed pitching in 2022. He just has not given the leverage that they desire in these matchups and that could hurt the left-handed bat if these numbers do not improve.

To his credit, the 32-year-old outfielder has been one of the better players on defense for a Giants roster that has struggled mightily with the glove. He has been worth +5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +2 Outs Above Average (OAA) in the outfield.

His numbers have been similarly strong (+3 DRS, +3 OAA) in center field. Outside of Yastrzemski and Bryce Johnson, the Giants do not have another true center fielder on the 40-man roster. That will help Yastrzemski in 2023, but his bat will need to produce as well. The good news is that he has three minor league options remaining, so he carries a lot of roster flexibility if he does not.

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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.

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San Francisco Giants v Colorado Rockies / Dustin Bradford/GettyImages

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.

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