The last pitcher on the SF Giants 40-man roster is getting a chance

The SF Giants have now given a chance to every pitcher on the 40-man roster. Spencer Bivens was the last pitcher on the 40-man roster to get a chance.

When the Giants were down big to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night, they had to lean on three relievers to finish the game. Logan Webb only managed to complete three innings, meaning that the bullpen had to finish the remainder of the game.

These types of games happen, especially at Coors Field. When it does happen, the hope is that teams can get by without needing to use any key bullpen arms.

That hope came true for the Giants, but only because they have few key relievers. Matt Gage, Ryan Walker, and JT Brubaker all threw in a 15-3 loss. They are not any less prepared if any of these pitchers are unavailable with the lead in the following game.

Spencer Bivens can do what many relievers in the SF Giants bullpen cannot do

This also reminded me that Friday night would have been a good spot for Spencer Bivens. Then I realized that he is the only pitcher on the 40-man roster not to throw for the club.

The Giants have had many spots like Friday night. Also, anyone who has watched the Giants this year knows they already have a shortage of reliable pitching options, so it is not as if they have to work through the depth chart to get to Bivens. Every reliever on the 40-man roster is pretty much in the same rung on the depth chart as Bivens.

Perhaps, the lack of opportunity has to do with the changing of the coaching staff. Bob Melvin used him in that low-leverage, bulk-innings role. Tony Vitello may not value that role as much.

Nevertheless, someone has to pitch those innings. For that role, pitchers need to soak up innings, throw strikes, and preserve the deficit. The Giants’ relievers did none of that on Friday. Three pitchers combined for eight earned runs while walking just as many hitters (five) as they struck out (five) in five innings of work. Admittedly, this is a harsh conclusion, but if a reliever cannot throw strikes when their team is down by more than a touchdown, then what value could they possibly have in a major league bullpen?

Spencer Bivens did fine in that role last year. He pitched to a 4.00 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, and a 2.44 SO/W rate across 81 innings. Being able to handle that type of workload has value in a bullpen, especially in a game like Friday night.

The right-hander reliever would also be making about $1 million less than JT Brubaker, which is another example of poor asset allocation. At best, Brubaker profiled as a middle reliever, which is fine but they already had plenty of options to fill that role, including Bivens.

Bivens has pitched to a 4.32 ERA in 50 innings for the Sacramento River Cats this year, which is solid production considering how live the Pacific Coast League is for hitters. He had a brief stint out of the rotation earlier in the season, but has returned to the bullpen recently.

The Giants must know by now that most of their current bullpen options are not part of the solution beyond this season. Could Bivens fill a role in the bullpen next year? Absolutely, which is why it is worth it to give him a look.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow