SF Giants power-hitting prospect among trio of nonplayers reassigned to minor league camp

Victor Bericoto put together a strong showing in spring training, but he will not break camp with the club. Bericoto, along with Gregory Santos and Osleivis Basabe, were reassigned to minor league camp, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

SF Giants power-hitting prospect among trio of nonplayers reassigned to minor league camp

Bericoto was not only one of the better hitters in Giants camp, but one of the best hitters in the Cactus League. He slashed .429/.432/.714 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 44 plate appearances. He led the Giants in RBI and was tied with Matt Chapman for the team lead in home runs.

The 24-year-old outfielder has spent the past few seasons in Double-A, but he does have 11 games at Triple-A to his ledger as well. He has put up a .741 OPS in parts of three seasons with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, including a .784 OPS with 12 home runs and 49 RBI in 393 plate appearances last season.

While Bericoto made a compelling case to make the club, there are quite a few players ahead of him currently on the depth chart. This includes Jerar Encarnación and Luis Matos, both of whom are out of options.

This is a good reminder that it is not always the best 26 players from spring training that make the Opening Day roster, but it is often the group geared toward preserving as much organizational depth as possible for a long season.

If Encarnación and Matos make the roster, that does not necessarily mean they will finish the year with the club. If the puzzle piece does not fit, then they can make a move, but teams like to have as much of an evaluation as possible before they trim depth. Encarnación and Matos' roles will depend largely on how they perform. If they did not produce much early on, then the Giants will look to make a move.

The Giants will need to work through some depth options before Bericoto even becomes a viable option. This will also depend on how he performs during the minor league season.

Gregory Santos and Osleivis Basabe will join Bericoto in minor league camp. Santos appeared in four games, allowing two earned runs in 3.1 innings while flashing premium velocity. On the other hand, Basabe put up 1.051 OPS with zero home runs and four RBI in 32 Cactus League plate appearances.