3 SF Giants players who will not be back in 2023

3 SF Giants players who will not be back in 2023

2. Middle infielder Tommy La Stella

The SF Giants signed Tommy La Stella to a three-year, $18.75 million pact prior to the 2021 season with the hope that he could give them leverage against right-handed pitching but that idea just has not come to fruition.

The 33-year-old infielder battled a hamstring strain in 2021 and recovered slowly from offseason Achilles surgery last year. It is clear that he is not fully healthy as he has only tallied 76 total innings in the infield in 2022.

The results in the batter's box have not been much better. In total, La Stella has slashed .244/.295/.380 (85 wRC+) with just nine home runs in 433 plate appearances with the Giants. This includes a 6.5 percent walk rate against a 12.7 percent strikeout rate.

The Giants had hoped that La Stella would be a better on-base threat, but the walk rates above 10 percent that he posted earlier in his career has not carried over since signing with San Francisco.

Plus, he has posted an 89 wRC+ against right-handed pitching over the last two seasons, so it is tough to envision a role for him going forward. On top of that, he has accumulated just five plate appearances in nine September games as the Giants look at players who might be able to help them next season.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle noted La Stella's diminishing playing time recently as an indicator that a change of scenery might be needed for both parties. La Stella is aware of the situation, but he has not yet heard anything from the Giants about next season.