Scrappy SF Giants utility infielder is simply wasting away on team's bench

The SF Giants have been playing a lot better as of late, but there are still a few players on the roster who are not that heavily involved. Christian Koss has barely seen any playing time for San Francisco so far which is a shame because he has proven that he is a solid, scrappy big league player.

Last season, Koss slashed .264/.309/.368 with three home runs and 23 runs driven in. He showed off a nice contact-first approach which is what president of baseball operations Buster Posey has wanted to see more of since taking over.

Koss has appeared in just four games this season and has only seven at-bats. His one hit on the season was a double which came in a loss to the Baltimore Orioles earlier this month. The infielder only got playing time in Baltimore because San Francisco’s everyday second baseman Luis Arraez got kicked in the hand and had to be removed from a game and then sat the following day.

Arguably the biggest contribution Koss has made this season was the scoreless inning he pitched on April 4 at the end of a blowout loss to the New York Mets before New York went on its tailspin. He at least preserved San Francisco' bullpen arms a little bit and unfortunately that may be the primary way he can help the team right now.

Christian Koss continues to get barely any playing time with SF Giants

Manager Tony Vitello has struggled at times to fully utilize his bench which is not entirely his fault, it’s more due to the way the roster is constructed. With over $300 million tied up between Matt Chapman and Willy Adames in the left side of the infield, those guys are going to start basically every day as long as they’re healthy. In fact, both guys have started all 24 of the team’s games so far this season.

Second base is the position that Koss played the most last year when filling in for injured players like Casey Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald, but now he is blocked by Arraez who has been an absolute revelation at the position with his stellar defense. Arraez has also been his typical self at the plate, hitting .300/.330/.356 so far.

That makes it really difficult for Koss to get much playing time at all. Vitello could maybe try to use him as a pinch hitter more in certain situations. Maybe he could pinch hit for Drew Gilbert late in games if he’s facing a left-handed pitcher and then Vitello could put Will Brennan in center or move Jung Hoo Lee over from right field and put Jerar Encarnacion in right. Or he could also try to utilize Koss’ above-average speed by using him as a pinch runner.

There’s no easy way to get him more involved with the way the team is constructed. It’s just a shame that Koss hasn’t gotten more opportunities because he’s an easy guy to root for and does a lot of little things right.

Injuries gave him more opportunities last season and while no one is hoping for that this year, there’s always the chance that he can fill in if someone goes down.

In the meantime, let’s hope the Giants start getting some 15-run leads so Koss can be brought in during the ninth inning and continue to shut opposing batters down on the mound. He’s still yet to allow a run as a pitcher in five innings of work the last two seasons so he may have even eclipsed Pablo Sandoval in terms of being the best position player who also pitches sometimes in blowouts across Giants history. 

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