Should the SF Giants take a flyer on a Detroit Tigers platoon bat?

The Detroit Tigers signed Kyle Finnegan to a two-year deal. In a corresponding move, Justyn-Henry Malloy was designated for assignment. Should the SF Giants take a flyer on the platoon bat?

Should the SF Giants take a flyer on a Detroit Tigers platoon bat?

The Giants struggled badly against left-handed pitching in 2025. By the end of the year, anytime a southpaw pitcher was on the mound, Giants fans knew that it would be a long night.

Giants hitters put up a .214/.279/.351 line in those matchups. Their 78 wRC+ was tied with the Washington Nationals for the third-worst mark in baseball.

With a minimum of 70 plate appearances, Heliot Ramos (106 wRC+) was the only Giants hitter to put up a wRC+ over 100 against lefties last season. Matt Chapman (93 wRC+) and Wilmer Flores (88 wRC+) had generally put up solid numbers against lefties throughout their respective careers, but both struggled in 2025. Of course, Flores is no longer with the club.

I think the Giants' front office and coaching staff hope for improvement from players currently on the roster. However, hope is not a great strategy to address a glaring weakness. If the Giants are going to compete for a playoff spot next year, they simply cannot be so vulnerable against left-handed pitching. That will be exploited by opposing teams.

Justyn-Henry Malloy has excellent career numbers against left-handed pitching, so there is a fit for his bat on a team like San Francisco. In those matchups, he has slashed .250/.397/.423 (138 wRC+) with a 17.6 percent walk rate, 27.5 percent strikeout rate, and .173 ISO.

The strikeout rate is high, but the swing decisions are elite. Malloy has an understanding of the strike zone and does not chase out of the zone all that often.

As good as Malloy is against left-handed pitching, he has struggled badly in his career against right-handed pitching (61 wRC+), so it is not a well-rounded fit. The defensive fit is also an imperfect one, as he has graded out as a below-average glove in the outfield. He does have some experience at first base.

There could be a pathway to playing time at first base, DH, and some time in the outfield. Adding Malloy would be taking a flyer on his ceiling against left-handed pitching while also recognizing that he has flaws across the rest of his profile. For the Giants, it could be a chance at improving one of the many spots in the lineup against left-handed pitching.