SF Giants move on from puzzling offseason move after designating veteran outfielder for assignment

Earlier this week, the SF Giants moved on from veteran outfielder Will Brennan after designating him for assignment. The transaction upends a puzzling offseason move.

The Giants signed the veteran outfielder just as spring training was getting underway. His deal was a split contract, which also meant that he occupied a spot on the 40-man roster. The Giants already had a couple of left-handed-hitting fourth outfielders in Drew Gilbert and Grant McCray, so this move added to a surplus.

Of course, Brennan brought a skill set that the Giants' front office covets. He has excellent contact skills, even if it comes with expanding the strike zone far too often. He demonstrated both of those traits, as he posted a 13.0 percent strikeout rate and 56.4 percent chase rate.

The problem with aggressive, high-contact hitters is that when they swing the bat, they often put the ball in play. That is often not a good outcome when a hitter swings at a pitch outside of the strike zone. In a way, this move felt like adding a left-handed version of Luis Matos. At the time of Brennan's signing, Matos was still with the club.

Veteran SF Giants outfielder occupied a spot on the 40-man roster despite subpar track record

While Brennan brings a skill the Giants like, he does not have the track record that should warrant a move on the 40-man roster. In parts of five seasons, he is hitting .263/.301/.365 (86 wRC+) with a 4.3 percent walk rate, 12.7 percent strikeout rate, and .103 ISO. The strikeout rate is great, but it comes with little value in terms of reaching base or hitting for power.

It would be one thing if Brennan had strong platoon splits, but had rough overall numbers due to overexposure against left-handed pitchers. To some extent, that is true, but he has a .700 career OPS against right-handed pitching, so it is not as if he offered valuable platoon leverage.

Brennan did have a minor league option remaining, so that was likely the basis of his appeal, even though the Giants had similar profiles already on the 40-man roster. On paper, he is a fringe option on the 40-man roster that the Giants committed to for over three months.

In his time with San Francisco, the left-handed bat tallied two hits in 23 at-bats. It was a minor move that did not have larger implications. However, it is a continuation of a trend of committing roster spots to players like Brennan, Ryan Borucki, or Jerar Encarnacíon when there have to be better options available. It is not a good indicator for roster management.

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