Most random SF Giants player of the 2021 season
The SF Giants have been aggressive on the waiver wire and that has led to some surprisingly short and random stints with the Orange and Black. In 2021, Skye Bolt experienced an odd series of transactions as he began the year with the Oakland A's, then he was claimed by the Giants, and then the A's claimed him back.
Most random SF Giants player of the 2021 season
We do this exercise every year. For instance, do you remember that Justin Smoak collected six hitless plate appearances with the Giants in 2020? Or, were you there to remember the only at-bat that Aaron Altherr in a San Francisco uniform in 2019?
The process is not unique to this front office. Every year, fringe roster players get moved around aggressively as teams look at ways to improve the back-end of the 40-man roster. On top of this, previously-established players will join new organizations with the hopes of regaining what once made them a major leaguer.
For instance, Dontrelle Willis, who once won 22 games in a season, had two, separate stints with the Giants late in his career. The first came in 2010 where he completed 7.1 innings split between two affiliates, whereas the second came in 2014 as he completed just 0.2 innings in Triple-A.
In 2021, it was Skye Bolt. The A's and Giants do not typically make trades with each, but Bolt was the exception as he was traded to the Giants from the A's in exchange for cash at the beginning of the 2021 season.
Bolt served as minor league depth in his brief tenure with the Giants, but he did manage to get into a game as well. He struck out in his lone appearance before being sent back to the A's. It was a tough season for the 27-year-old outfielder as he slashed .088/.103/.158 with one home run and four RBI in 60 plate appearances. Of course, 59 of those plate appearances were in an A's uniform.
Despite these struggles, he managed to finish the season on the A's 40-man roster as he offers just enough utility to stick. Bolt is a speedy outfielder who hits from both sides of the plate, so he offers enough functionality to remain on the 40-man roster.
It was a random moment for Bolt to put on a Giants uniform as he was on the move a bit to start the year, but he remained local the entire time. There will definitely be more random Giants players in the future, but Bolt made a cameo appearance for a team that went on to win 107 games.