Trio of SF Giants players from the 2022 team elect free agency

The offseason roster landscaping is already underway as a trio of SF Giants players from the 2022 team have become free agents. Lewis Brinson, Dixon Machado, and Andrew Knapp have all hit the open market, per the team's transaction log.

Trio of SF Giants players from the 2022 team elect free agency

That Sporcle quiz 10 years from now about the 2022 season is going to be a tough one as you try to remember as many of the players as possible who passed through the organization this year. All three players appeared briefly for the Giants and had reached six years of minor league service time, so the news about them becoming free agents was just a formality.

Machado came over to the Giants when the organization pretty much ran out of shortstops. Brandon Crawford and Thairo Estrada were on the injured list, so the Giants swung a trade with the Chicago Cubs to acquire the middle infielder in exchange for minor-league pitcher Raynel Espinal. The oddity of that move was that the Giants were in the middle of a series against the Cubs at the time of the deal.

The right-handed bat recorded three hits in 15 at-bats while flashing a good glove at shortstop in five games with the Giants. He was asked to be a stopgap at a premium position and he did just that before being removed from the 40-man roster when the incumbents returned.

Andrew Knapp and Lewis Brison joined the Giants at around the same time. Knapp was claimed off of waivers from the Philadelphia Philles, whereas Brinson was acquired in a minor trade with the Houston Astros.

Knapp recorded one hit with two walks in four at-bats with the Giants while filling in for Joey Bart, who was on the concussion list. He is local to Northern California, so it would not be surprising if he returned on a minor-league deal. Plus, he is a veteran catcher and hits from both sides of the plate.

The addition of Brison was likely the most intriguing of the three moves. He was considered a legitimate prospect not that long ago but he struggled to find any success against major league pitching.

He tallied six hits, including three home runs, in 39 plate appearances in a Giants uniform. This included an impressive series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in early September where he blasted all three of his home runs. That is one way to make a positive impression. The Giants placed him on waivers at the end of the year where he went unclaimed, but chose to finish the season with the Sacramento River Cats.

Given that the 40-man roster is full and that they will need to bring back eight players from the 60-day injured list, this is just the beginning of the roster landscaping.