Veteran SF Giants outfielder now firmly on the hot seat after Wade DFA

The SF Giants moved on from veteran first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. by designating him for assignment, showing that the team is not afraid to get rid of fan-favorites. That is why outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is now firmly on the hot seat.

Yastrzemski has not been anywhere near as bad as Wade was offensively this season. In 191 at-bats, Yastrzemski is slashing .236/.333/.372 with five home runs and 17 runs batted in. However, in his last 15 games he has a .106 batting average and has not looked like the same guy who started off hot at the plate to begin the season and supplanted Wade as the leadoff hitter for a little while against right-handed pitching.

Veteran SF Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is now on the hot seat

In the flurry of roster moves the Giants made on Wednesday, they called up outfielder Daniel Johnson. The Vallejo native was hitting well in Triple-A Sacramento and he has gotten starts in his first two games since being promoted. He provided a much-needed spark for the team in Wednesday's comeback victory against the San Diego Padres.

This does not mean Yastrzemski has been relegated to bench duties entirely. However, it does mean the Giants recognize he is slumping and are willing to try a new face in the outfield.

Yastrzemski is the longest-tenured Giant on the team and he has endeared himself to fans over the years with the way he plays the game. He may not be the fastest, most powerful hitter with the strongest arm, but he does the little things right and he plays hard. He has been a valuable member of the team for years even though some fans have always demanded more out of him.

He still has time to turn things around, but the clock is ticking and Wade's DFA will only make it tick that much faster. If a young outfielder like Marco Luciano or Luis Matos starts to get hot in Triple-A, that is only going to make it more likely that the Giants will move on from Yastrzemski.

It is not something president of baseball operations Buster Posey would want to do and Yastrzemski would certainly be missed in the clubhouse, but if the Giants reach another point where their offense is struggling in a major way then Yastrzemski may end up being on the chopping block if he does not get the bat going.