SF Giants bolster infield depth, reportedly add versatile utility bat on minors deal

The SF Giants look to be bolstering organizational depth in the upper minors. They have reportedly signed versatile middle infielder Sergio Alcántara to a minor league deal according to Francys Romero.

SF Giants bolster infield depth, reportedly add versatile utility bat on minors deal

Romero confirms that the deal includes a camp invite as well. This marks the second minor league signing they have made this week. The first was adding veteran minor league catcher Logan Porter. which included a spring training invite as well.

Team president of baseball operations Buster Posey is in San Antonio, Texas, for the general manager meetings. It will mark his first trip as a front office executive. The legwork for contracts and trades usually kicks off around this time of year, but there are plenty of smaller deals that can be completed as well.

Posey has been busier on the minor league front so far. It has been a bit baffling in recent seasons how light the Giants have been on middle infielder depth. This has led them to go out and get players like Dixon Machado and Johan Camargo when the need arose. At the very least, Alcántara is serviceable with the glove up the middle.

The middle infielder was originally signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent. He was shipped to the Detroit Tigers by the Diamondbacks in a four-player deal that sent J.D. Martinez to Arizona in 2017.

Across 10 minor league seasons, the switch-hitter has slashed .261/.354/.344 with a 12.2 percent walk rate, 18.1 percent strikeout rate, and .083 ISO. This includes a solid 2024 campaign in which he posted an .804 OPS with eight home runs and 58 RBI in 492 plate appearances split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliates.

Alcántara has also appeared in parts of three major league seasons with the Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Tigers, and San Diego Padres. He has struggled to the tune of a .624 OPS during that time. The 28-year-old infielder has solid contact skills, sprays line drives from both sides of the plate with occasional pullside power from the left side, but low power output.

That said, he has a quality track record in the infield, especially at shortstop. The Giants are signing him as a depth option and that need may not arise. Though, he has the type of defensive versatility you would like to see from a utility player.