3 SF Giants players will enter camp with no minor league options remaining

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The SF Giants seem fairly set with their roster right now. And, there might not be many players who need to make the club out camp as they currently have three players on their roster with no minor league options remaining: LaMonte Wade Jr., Thairo Estrada, and Joey Bart.

3 SF Giants players will enter camp with no minor league options remaining

1. 1B LaMonte Wade Jr.

LaMonte Wade Jr. burst onto the scene for the Giants in 2021. His clutch hitting and solid defense made him one of the breakout stars on that miraculous, 107-win season. Wade was the poster child for the Farhan Zaidi approach to roster building in that the Giants acquired him in a minor trade, and he wound up being a diamond in the rough.

In 2022, Wade came back down to Earth partly due to injury but also due to struggles at the plate. He slashed .207/.305/.359 with 8 home runs and 26 RBI in 77 games.

2023 saw Wade bounce back at the plate as he slashed .256/.373/.417 with 17 home runs and 45 RBI in 135 games. He also did a solid job playing at first base, filling in after Brandon Belt left in free agency.

His spot on the roster is secure and the fact that he has no options does not impact his standing heading into spring training. He just happens to be one of the few who is out of options. Barring any unforeseen moves, he figures to be the starting first baseman against right-handed pitching.

Los Angeles Dodgers v San Francisco Giants / Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/GettyImages

3 SF Giants players will enter camp with no minor league options remaining

2. Thairo Estrada

Yet another Zaidi diamond in the rough find, Thairo Estrada's place as the everyday starting second baseman is secure to begin the year. Estrada has emerged as one of the best players on the team and one of its leaders.

Last season, Estrada slashed .271/.315/.416 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI in 120 games. He has turned into a really solid contributor for the team and is one of the only true threats on the bases as he stole 23 bases last year and 21 the year before.

While he is out of options, this has no bearing for his hold of a roster spot. He enters the 2024 season as the everyday second baseman. No questions about that.

3. Joey Bart

This is where things get interesting. Former first-round pick Joey Bart seems to be in limbo. With Patrick Bailey emerging as the catcher of the future for the Giants, Bart's time in San Francisco seems all but over. He has no minor league options remaining which is why it would behoove the Giants to trade him before the regular season so they can at least get something for him without just having to cut him.

The only problem is that Bart does not have a ton of trade value given his injury history and his struggles in the big leagues. The Giants may not be able to get a ton for him, but one would think a team would be willing to take a flier on him given that he seems to have the physical traits that would make him a solid big league catcher.

The Giants will likely do all they can to work out a deal with another team so they at least get a minor return on their investment. Perhaps, he begins the season on the Opening Day roster if the Giants sustain multiple injuries at catcher. That said, it bears mentioning that they currently have five players on the 40-man roster who can catch.

We will note that while details such as minor league options are publicly available, teams, at times, do occasionally get a fourth minor league option for a player who has missed substantial time due to injuries. That likely will not apply to any of the three mentioned above.

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