What the SF Giants are getting with newly acquired infielder

The SF Giants swung a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays last week to acquire Osleivis Basabe in exchange for cash considerations. What are the Giants getting with their newly acquired infielder?

What the SF Giants are getting with newly acquired infielder

If the last name sounds familiar, it is because Basabe is a cousin to former Giants outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe. Basabe appeared briefly with the Giants in 2020 and brought some good energy during that time.

Interestingly, Osleivis Basabe is a cousin to current Giants outfielder Luis Matos as well. You can see the resemblance in swing mechanics as Basabe's setup and swing are similar to Matos.

The Rays designated Basabe for assignment at the beginning of the month but the Giants worked out a trade before clearing waivers. This front office is more deliberate with the roster additions they make. It does feel like if they acquire a player, they envision a role that he could fill. This is in stark contrast to the prior regime that aggressively churned the waiver wire to build depth by sneaking players through waivers. That approach had its successes.

Basabe was originally signed by the Texas Rangers out of Venezuela in 2017. He was shipped to the Rays in a six-player deal that sent Nathaniel Lowe to Texas.

Across six minor league seasons, the right-handed bat has slashed .301/.359/.420 with a 7.7 percent walk rate, 13.6 percent strikeout rate, and .119 ISO. He is not the most efficient base stealer, but he has swiped 80 bags in 108 opportunities in the minors.

The 24-year-old infielder ranked among the Rays' top prospects during his climb up the minor league ladder. He ranked as high as No. 8 according to Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs in 2023. Logenhagen sees Basabe's hit tool as the strength in his profile.

"Basabe finds all sorts of funky ways to put the bat on the baseball, usually in the form of high infield choppers and opposite-field line drives. We’re talking about a 91% Z-contact rate in 2022, a 70 on the scale"

Eric Longenhagen

For those who are unfamiliar with Z-contact rate, it is simply the rate at which a hitter makes contact on pitches in the strike zone. In 2024, the leaguewide Z-contact rate was 85.8 percent, so Basabe is well above that benchmark.

Basabe does not bring any power to the table as he swing is designed more for contact than lifting the ball. He can put some pressure on the defense by hitting against the shift and taking an extra base but he will not slug too many baseballs over the fence.

This does give him a relatively low ceiling. However, the contact-heavy approach could be a welcomed addition to a lineup that struck out 24.0 percent of the time in 2024 and was was especially feeble with runners in scoring position. Sometimes, putting the ball in play is just enough to move the line. Basabe did debut with the Rays in 2023 but struggled to a .587 OPS in 94 plate appearances.

Basabe has experience all around the infield. He does not have a ton of range to stick as shortstop but he can fill in as a spot starter. Though, the young infielder does have a strong enough arm for the left side of the infield but his best position is second base.

The Giants will have a few other infielders in camp along with Basabe. This includes Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt. Basabe does have one minor league option remaining, so he does give the Giants some roster flexibility and could fill in as a utility option if needed.