Buster Posey, importer-exporter
Rays 2, Giants 1 F/10
The Giants have the worst offense in baseball and are further under .500 than they were at any point last year. So, what now?
Apparently, it’s Bryce Eldridge time. No pressure, kid. Jesús Rodríguez, who the Giants received for Camilo Doval, is also reportedly joining the team.
The Giants’ complicated (losing) dynamic is about to get even more complex. Tony Vitello has hardly turned to his bench this year—the club’s 20 plate appearances by pinch-hitters are bottom five in baseball. They’ve used in a pinch-runner in two games.
So with a pair of prospects called up to presumably play every day, how does Vitello tell his nine-figure stars that they won’t?
Eldridge plays first base, and Rodriguez is a catcher who can supposedly play around the infield and outfield. (I’m skeptical too.) Casey Schmitt and Luis Arraez have been the team’s best hitters, so let’s assume they stay in the lineup.
Are we staring at a situation where Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Rafael Devers are about to have their playing time cut? It’s hard to believe. Then again, so is all of this.
Up next: No rest for the weary. The Giants return from Florida to face the 20-13 Padres. It’ll be Randy Vásquez against Trevor McDonald, fresh up from Triple A, at 6:45 pm.
Yep. Giants will be having an early fire sale. Time for a straight up rebuild.
I’m afraid they’re in over their heads for a “fire sale”. Nobody, I mean not even the Angels, would take on the contracts of the “big 4” (CALD) right now. Just my perspective, but the Vitello experiment is not going well. There are decisions around Gilbert that are flummoxing at best. Christian Koss proved himself quite adept last year as a major leaguer. Why would you leave Gilbert in yesterday to face the lefty when he has ZERO hits against lefties and Koss is available? Why would you bring Walker in in the 8th when you’re willing to pitch Kilian 2 innings (which he did) and then, with a man on 2nd base (10th inning) why intentionally walk the righthanded Caminero to get to the hottest left handed bat on the team against Kilian - a righty? It makes NO sense. That is one very small example of obvious places that Mr. Vitello cost the Giants that particular game on Sunday. I knew he had not played or managed in the Pros, but baseball, generally how you f’ing play baseball, can’t be THAT different in the big, bad SEC, right? Holy smokes. I’m embarrassed to wear my SF gear!! I’m afraid Buster and the ownership team may be way out over their skis and it’s gonna be painful watching for several years.