SF Giants are not doing themselves any favors by keeping young outfielder on major league roster

The SF Giants entered the season, hoping to form a platoon in right field between Mike Yastrzemski and Luis Matos. That idea is on hold for now as Yastrzemski has been too valuable to sit, meaning it is best to send Matos back to Triple-A.

SF Giants are not doing themselves any favors by keeping young outfielder on major league roster

This was not a great idea in the first place. Matos being used on the weak side of a platoon means he may only start one or two games a week. Similar to Yastrzemski, Jung Hoo Lee has become such a key member to this team's 17-9 start, so there is not much playing time in center field either.

I suppose the Giants could consider mixing it up in left field with Heliot Ramos slumping at the plate. At the end of the day, Matos just turned 23 and needs to be playing every day. That likely will not be on the major league roster anytime soon unless there is a major change.

This is a tough spot the Giants are in with Matos. He has one minor league option year remaining, and they would burn it if he spends more than 20 in the minors on an optional assignment.

The right-handed bat has registered a .443 OPS with one home run and one RBI in 39 plate appearances this season. He masde a really nice play at Yankee Stadium earlier in the year, but overall, he remains a below-average defender.

Matos' struggles highlight that the Giants still need a fourth outfielder. That is not a good role for him, nor should it be if they view him as an everyday player. Defensively, Grant McCray fits the mold of a fourth outfielder, but he has a .637 OPS through 110 plate appearances with the Sacramento River Cats.

It feels like it would be best for Matos to see everyday reps back in Sacramento. However, there has to be another side of that roster move, and no obvious replacement. They will probbably need to look externally to fill that role.

The Giants are off to a promising 17-9 start, so some roster wrinkles have not become problems yet. In this case, Matos has not provided much value in sporadic playing time, and the Giants are not doing any favors to his development by playing him twice per week.