Podcasts about rotographs

Show No. 35 is a Friday Full Edition featuring a two-part interview with Paul Sporer, from Rotographs, and the Sleeper and the Bust podcast... in Part 1 (2:35), Paul and PD discuss dropping Adley Rutschman, how the move to Sacramento will affect A's players' fantasy values, and more player observations from that real 2025 draft that started in August... and in Part 2 (1:27:45), Paul tells PD about pitchers for the stretch run and his Boons and Banes for 2025... In the Market Watch player news report, PD and Ray Murphy discuss hitter and pitcher news from the AL (47:40) and the NL (1:05:00)... In the Frequent Flyer (1:57:25), BaseballHQ analyst Alex Beckey looks at BOS 2B Kristian Campbell... And in Extra Innings (2:00:30), PD looks at a wrapup of our 2024 podcast season... Runs 2:09:15

Show No. 33 is a Friday Full Edition featuring a two-part interview with Jeff Zimmerman, from Rotographs, the Launch Angle podcast, and The Process fantasy baseball manual... in Part 1 (2:40), Jeff and PD discuss his background in baseball research and his yearly fantasy manual The Process... and in Part 2 (1:12:35), Jeff tells PD about a Bizarro fantasy baseball format, and player discussions including Jake McCarthy vs Victor Robles, Junior Caminero, Zebby Matthews, Bubba Chandler, Grant Holmes, Tanner Houck and Paul Skenes, plus his Boons and Banes for the RoS... In the Market Watch player news report, PD and Joe Orrico discuss hitter and pitcher news from the AL (36:55) and the NL (0:56:15)... In the Frequent Flyer (2:00:40), BaseballHQ analyst Alex Beckey looks at LA RHRP Edgardo Henriquez... And in Extra Innings (2:04:05), PD looks at Joey Votto's Hall of Fame candidacy... Runs 2:13:15

Show No. 21 is a Friday Full Edition featuring a two-part interview with Jeff Zimmerman, from Rotographs, the Launch Angle podcast, and The Process fantasy baseball manual... in Part 1 (2:30), Jeff and PD discuss the effects of rest days on hitters and applying pitch modeling to fantasy baseball... and in Part 2 (1:33:45), Jeff tells PD about hitters he's been watching, including Kyle Manzardo, Jarred Kelenic, and big-money target Masataka Yoshida...and pitchers including Reid Detmers, Joey Estes, and a lefty-specialist opener strategy in MIL... In the Market Watch player news report, PD and Ray Murphy discuss hitter and pitcher news from the AL (41:15) and the NL (1:12:15)... In the Minor League Minute (2:12:35), BHQ Minor Leagues analyst Rob Gordon updates six prospects, including ARI SS Jordan Lawlar and NYY OF Jasson Dominguez... In the Frequent Flyer (2:17:15), BaseballHQ analyst Alex Beckey looks at ARI C Jose Del Castillo... And in Extra Innings (2:20:35), PD looks at the slow decline of the four-seam fastball... Runs 2:28:40

Sweeping a team isn't easy, especially on the road and in Denver, but it would've gone a long way for the San Francisco Giants, who entered their series against the Rockies in the midst of a 1-6 road trip. The Giants leave Colorado having won two out of three, but they missed a chance to sweep in the finale. Instead of a 4-6 trip, the SF Giants come home having gone 3-7. Nevertheless, it was important to win the series and the SF Giants got that done. They have to start playing better baseball overall, and that was on display in the first two games against the Rockies. Kyle Harrison was brilliant in the first game, and Jordan Hicks and the Giants' offense got things done in Game 2. Keaton Winn continued his recent stretch of struggles in Thursday's loss, putting further pressure on Blake Snell to return. Per Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle, Snell will throw a bullpen session Thursday and begin a rehab assignment at Single-A San Jose on Sunday. Despite Snell's early-season struggles, his return to the Giants' rotation will be key if the Giants want to start stringing together more wins and vault themselves back into contention.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants needed a spark badly, and they got it from 22-year-old rookie Kyle Harrison. Harrison dominated the Rockies over seven shutout innings in Denver, becoming one of only a handful of SF Giants pitchers to have such a good outing at Coors Field. Harrison's early-season performance has been one of the best stories of the year so far for the Giants. His ERA now sits in the low 3.00s. LaMonte Wade Jr. has been another great story, as he had a huge night in the 5-0 win, upping his walk rate and on-base percentage to the best in MLB (min. 100 plate appearances). Elsewhere, Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi spoke on the team's very disappointing early-season struggles. Zaidi's comments, given to the San Francisco Chronicle, are discussed and analyzed.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants are suddenly playing awful baseball. After losing two of three in Boston, the Giants were swept in a four-game series in Philadelphia. The SF Giants' offense can't get anything going, and they continue to allow way too many runs. It doesn't help that the Giants lost both of their catchers in this series. Patrick Bailey—arguably the Giants' best position player—is on the concussion IL. The day after Bailey's injury, Giants catcher Tom Murphy sustained a knee injury. Blake Sabol and Jakson Reetz took over as the catchers on the Giants' roster. Mason Black was also added to the SF Giants' roster in a much more positive development. He started today's game and was crisp early on before losing command and giving up several runs later in the outing. Nevertheless, it was a debut with some positives for Black, but a series to forget—and a costly one at that—for the reeling San Francisco Giants.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Something's gotta give when two teams playing awful baseball match up, and that's exactly what we have in store tonight as the San Francisco Giants begin a three-game series in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. The Giants are 1-6 on their current 10-game road trip, so this has a chance to be a complete disaster if they don't turn things around against Colorado and win at least two out of three. A sweep would be great, but that is far from a guarantee given how poorly the SF Giants have played as of late.On paper, the San Francisco Giants are much better than the Rockies. They have better pitching and a better lineup. The Giants just haven't played up to their capabilities, whereas the Rockies are a team that, on paper, projected to be one of the worst in the NL—and that's exactly what they have been. Kyle Harrison gets the start tonight, to be followed by Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn. The Giants should have the advantage in every game given their superior roster, but baseball is a crazy game and Coors Field makes it even crazier.Predictions for the series are made, and discussion is had about how something has to give. Will the Giants turn things around and break out offensively in the most lively offensive park in the sport? Or will the SF Giants' struggles continue and will they be the first team to lose a series to the Rockies in 2024? For the Giants' sake, things have gotten so ugly recently that they need to play better with a sense of real urgency and timeliness.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants had so many opportunities to win last night's game. But time and time again, the Giants sustained self-inflicted wounds and lost by one run to the red-hot Phillies. Jorge Soler, in particular, failed to come through in two huge bases-loaded situations. Soler's season-long struggles have certainly cost the SF Giants, and the offense as a whole just hasn't been able to get things going. Many Giants players, like Soler, aren't performing up to career norms as of yet. Meanwhile, the SF Giants' defense was also costly last night. Matt Chapman made a couple of rare mistakes, and catcher Tom Murphy, replacing Patrick Bailey—who exited the game with blurry vision—dropped what should've been strike three to end the inning and allowed Trea Turner to advance two bases and score from second on the passed ball.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Today's win in Boston was huge for the San Francisco Giants. After losing the first two games of the series, the Giants needed a win to avoid a sweep to begin this 10-game road trip, and Kyle Harrison, the bullpen, and the SF Giants' defense delivered. Ryan Walker, Erik Miller, Tyler Rogers, and Camilo Doval each gave the Giants clean, stress-free innings. Jung Hoo Lee and Nick Ahmed made sensational plays.And SF Giants rookie Kyle Harrison continued to establish himself as a reliable force, dare we say, in the middle of the Giants' rotation. Harrison worked his way into and out of trouble. He walked five but struck out seven, and the 22-year-old has an ERA of 3.79 on the season. Logan Webb, Harrison, Keaton Winn, and Jordan Hicks have all been real positives for the Giants in 2024, and each is under team control for 4-6 seasons.League average offense is down, and it's worth pointing out in the context of the San Francisco Giants' offense. The league average batting average entering today? It was .239—exactly the same as the Giants' .239 batting average entering play. It's critical to know what league average is before we can make any effort to evaluate a team or a player (and batting average is far from the most important offensive statistic anyway). Lee's unlucky season—which continued today with a crushed ball to center being caught—is also discussed.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Blake Snell is currently on the San Francisco Giants' injured list, yet the Giants aren't relying on one of their top young starters to fill his place. Daulton Jefferies got lit up in the first series of the year and appears poised to pitch tonight. Sean Hjelle is also on the active roster, while Black continues to dominate in Triple-A. Should the Giants add Black to the roster—forcing a 40-man move—instead of relying on the likes of Jefferies and Hjelle? Switching gears, Tom Murphy has been the SF Giants' least productive player thus far. Is there any cause for concern? Was his two-year deal a mistake?Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Losing Blake Snell to an injury was ominous, but the San Francisco Giants' rotation has more than picked up the slack. Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn, two of the Giants' young starters, made excellent starts and helped propel the SF Giants to back-to-back series wins. Meanwhile, the Giants' offense has continued to struggle to find its groove, with key players like Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler yet to fully get it going, but some others have picked up the slack in the meantime. Mike Yastrzemski, for example, has been hot as of late. He homered in the SF Giants' win on Sunday, and he heads back to Fenway Park for the second time in his MLB career as the Giants take on the Red Sox starting Tuesday night in Boston.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The fireworks show started early for the San Francisco Giants. In a scoreless game in the bottom of the ninth, SF Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, fast becoming a mainstay in this league and perhaps even a legitimate star, blasted a three-run home run off Pirates closer David Bednar to deliver an exhilarating win for the Giants. This followed what was obviously a great pitching performance all the way through for the Giants. Kyle Harrison was excellent over six shutout innings in what was his best start of the season. Him stepping up in the absence of Blake Snell would go a very long way for the Giants. SF Giants relievers Ryan Walker and Camilo Doval escaped huge jams in the late innings to keep the game tied at zero-zero. Walker loaded the bases with two outs but got out of it on a strikeout that hit the foot of the hitter. Doval allowed runners to reach second and third with no outs and he managed to escape with a strikeout and a 1-2-3 double play. Overall, it was a huge, explosive win for the San Francisco Giants.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants looked like they had the makings of one of the best starting rotations in baseball. Logan Webb finished second in Cy Young voting in 2023 and is on a career-best run. Blake Snell, last year's NL Cy Young winner, sat right behind Webb in the Giants' rotation. But Snell is injured—a left adductor strain—and suddenly the Giants' rotation, already without Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray, is much thinner than it was. Hopefully Snell doesn't miss too much time, otherwise the SF Giants could endure more rough stretches than anticipated from their staff. Overall, pitching has actually been the SF Giants' biggest issue in 2024, so this news doesn't bode well. The position player group has been healthy and solid, Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, and Keaton Winn have been very good—and Kyle Harrison has huge upside—but it's unclear if the Giants' pitching will keep the team afloat until players return from injuries.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants squared off against a hot Mets team on Monday night with their No. 5 starter on the mound, and the Giants looked every bit the part of a team that can play with anyone. SF Giants starter Keaton Winn dominated New York over six innings, lowering his ERA to 3.54. The SF Giants have somewhat struggled out of the gates in 2024, but they're starting to play much better baseball. The Mets were a good test, and the test was passed in Game 1. The Giants' bats, cold to start the season, got to Jose Quintana and the game was mostly one-sided until things got slightly weird with Camilo Doval in the 9th. Speaking of Doval, the Giants' bullpen is new-look these last two days. Nick Avila was optioned as Luke Jackson returned from the IL, and today Mitch White was officially added to the 26-man roster with Landen Roupp being optioned to clear space.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants' series against the Arizona Diamondbacks was full of ups and downs, much like the Giants' 2024 season to date. There was good and there was bad. Ultimately, the SF Giants need to start winning home series and to crawl above the .500 mark if they want to be truly competitive, which should come with time. Logan Webb dominated in the first game of the series, and the Giants played a clean game in Game 3. In between, there was an ugly 17-1 loss and a loss in the finale that could've been won. The Giants traded for pitcher Mitch White and placed Alex Cobb on the 60-day IL after he experienced another setback. White was once quite good for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he is expected to join the active roster, which will require a corresponding move (perhaps optioning Sean Hjelle).Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Defense has been a problem for the San Francisco Giants the past couple of seasons, and it was addressed in several ways this offseason. With that in mind, what do the early numbers say about the 2024 SF Giants' defense? Among the other questions asked and answered on today's edition of the Locked On Giants podcast are: When is the Yaz/Slater experiment ending? Is Luis Matos still the default call up for an injured outfielder? Heliot Ramos has been tearing it up in AAA, and Bob Melvin seemed to like him a lot in spring training. What are your thoughts on Jung Hoo Lee's potential of a .300 batting average? What have you seen that's positive about Blake Snell? How does Tyler Fitzgerald compare to other utility players around the league? Specifically former Giant Mauricio Dubon and Tommy Edman who you expressed interest in trading for in the past.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

This was a series that the San Francisco Giants really needed to win. Not necessarily in terms of making or breaking whether they'd make the playoffs, but for early-season morale. Nearly 20 games into the season, the Giants were still searching for their first series win.The Marlins, meanwhile, have been a team in free fall. And the SF Giants made sure that they kept them in their place. Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn, two young Giants starters of the future, put the Giants in position to win the series.The SF Giants' bats remain relatively cold, but sooner or later they will wake up. In the meantime, every night the Giants have a chance to win with their starting pitching. And that's before the likes of Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray return from injuries. Meanwhile, a big series against the division rival D-backs looms.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants would've probably been okay had they not won last night's game, but it sure felt like a big momentum swing type of win because of he way they came back. The Giants' offense has largely struggled in the early season, and after falling behind 3-0, it seemed like the SF Giants were destined for another loss and an ugly 6-11 record. But Thairo Estrada, Jung Hoo Lee, Wilmer Flores, and others came up huge for the Giants when it mattered most. Meanwhile, starting pitching Kyle Harrison kept the Giants in the game despite giving up a few runs, and the bullpen shut it down. There was confusion with Bob Melvin summoning Camilo Doval—who wasn't warming up—and that led to the Marlins manager's ejection. But Doval got loose in a hurry and recorded a much-needed four-out save for the Giants.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants are not the third-worst team in the National League. Their 6-10 record may be, but the talent on the team would seem to make the SF Giants fairly easily one of the top half of teams in the NL, or at the very least middle of the pack. No, the Giants aren't off to the start they hoped for, but no, it doesn't mean these 16 games define them whatsoever.Hitters like Matt Chapman, Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski, and Austin Slater are producing at far below their career averages. Jung Hoo Lee and Chapman have been particularly unlucky (their expected numbers are way better than their actual results). Quite simply, 16 games is not nearly enough to judge a baseball team. The same goes for certain SF Giants pitchers.Blake Snell was lit up in his return to Tampa, and after two Giants starts, his ERA sits near 13.00. Obviously, that's not who Blake Snell is. When all is said and done, his season ERA might end up about 10 points lower. It's worth pointing out that last season Snell had a 5.40 ERA through his first nine starts/45 innings of the season, then he went on to have a 1.25 ERA over his final 23 starts en route to a near unanimous NL Cy Young Award. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants have generally struggled out of the gates, although they've had their moments. Several veteran players have yet to hit their stride at the plate, and multiple pitchers, including staff ace Logan Webb, haven't found their normal performance yet. Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater are often brought up as candidates to come off the team in order to make room for younger players like Luis Matos and/or Heliot Ramos. How long is the leash for a struggling Yaz/Slater? And what about Nick Ahmed vs. Marco Luciano? Speaking of players not playing to their full potential, what's going on with Giants catcher Patrick Bailey? His throws have been wildly inaccurate in the early season. Is he still and elite defender? Finally, with SF Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks successfully transitioning to the rotation thus far, what will the Giants' pitching staff look like once/if everyone is fully healthy?Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants continued to inexplicably struggle against the Washington Nationals in their latest series, losing two out of three at home. However, if you're going to win one game in a series, it's best to make it the last one—especially with a day off coming up. Jordan Hicks continued his red-hot start to the season, and his seamless transition to a starters' role. The SF Giants have won all three of Hicks' starts, and he's pitched six, seven, and six innings, respectively, in his outings. Hicks has been exceptionally efficient in those outings as well. And importantly, the Giants' offense broke out in the finale against the Nationals. Nick Ahmed and Tyler Fitzgerald were six for six from the bottom of the lineup, and the SF Giants also stole their first bases of the year in the game. This was in stark contrast to the Giants' recent offensive struggles, which came to a head with San Francisco failing to capitalized on a bases-loaded, no out situation in the bottom of the ninth in a two-run loss to the Nats on Tuesday night.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Blake Snell's San Francisco Giants debut didn't go as planned. Snell himself was not at his best, although his strikeout and walk rates were roughly in line with what Giants fans should expect. But Snell threw far too many pitches and only lasted three innings, while the Nationals' pesky offense, which has haunted the Giants in recent seasons, put hits and runs on the board. Blake Snell's Giants debut is discussed in detail with Locked On Giants POSTCAST host Erik Engle and Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick.Afterwards, the SF Giants' rough 4-7 start is discussed. The Giants' offense has been MLB's worst by wRC+ ever since their series in Los Angeles started about a week ago. On the season, the San Francisco Giants haven't really pitched or hit well. There are a few exceptions, such as Jordan Hicks, Ryan Walker, Michael Conforto, and some others, but all-in-all the Giants rank near the bottom in most pitching and hitting categories. It is a small sample but one the SF Giants should be able to fix against a team like the Nationals, but it hasn't worked out that way ... for years.The Nationals have been a different team vs. the Giants than they have been vs. everyone else since the start of the 2022 season. Most notably, the Nats have better than a .350 average on balls in play vs. the Giants since 2022, whereas it's .291 vs. the rest of the league. As such, Washington has a 120 wRC+ vs. the Giants since '22 and a 91 wRC+ vs. every other team. It's an inexplicable trend that seems more fluky than anything. The beauty of baseball, especially early in the season, is that every day is a new opportunity to get back on track. The Giants could still win this series and come away feeling good if they can put together a couple of wins to close out this homestand.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

It absolutely was not pretty, but the San Francisco Giants took two out of three from the Padres and ended up going 4-6 through a tough opening stretch to start the 2024 season. The Giants went 4-3 against the Padres and 0-3 against the Dodgers to start the year. In this series, despite winning two of three, the Giants made mistakes in every series that could've cost them the game.Michael Conforto got overly aggressive on the bases (again) and took the SF Giants out of a rally in the series opener. Jordan Hicks, who was otherwise brilliant over seven innings, threw a ball into center field on what should've been an inning-ending double play but instead led to a run. Jung Hoo Lee started off the middle game of the series by letting a routine fly ball drop in front of him as he lost it in the sun.But the Giants rallied for a walk-off win in the home opener, courtesy of a struggling Thairo Estrada, and they pieced together an ugly but effective rally in the bottom of the eighth in the finale. Wilmer Flores had a huge pinch-hit single (what else is new?), Tyler Fitzgerald went first to third on a bloop hit to right by Jorge Soler, testing the cannon of Fernando Tatis Jr., and Fitzgerald scored on the second costly error of the game by Ha-Seong Kim on what should've been a rally-killing, inning-ending double play.Overall the SF Giants' offense has struggled to start the season, but track records and things like a low team batting average on balls in play suggest that better results will come soon enough. After facing two really tough teams in their first 10 games, the Giants now welcome the lowly Washington Nationals into town. Hopefully the Giants are able to take advantage, and it certainly helps that they start the series with Blake Snell making his San Francisco Giants debut on Monday night.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants had a nice opening series against the Padres, splitting the four-game set while exhibiting strong offense and starting pitching performances (outside of the blowout finale). Now, the Giants and Padres are set to meet again as the SF Giants kick off their home schedule. Locked On Giants and Locked On Padres recap the series that was and the series that's to come.What have we learned about these two teams so far? The Giants were swept in LA following their solid series in San Diego, so things aren't looking as rosy as they enter their home opener with an unsightly 2-5 record. But, as discussed on yesterday's episode, there's no reason to panic and the Giants only figure to get strong as the season goes along, with Blake Snell returning Monday, Alex Cobb likely shortly after that, and Robbie Ray lurking around the All-Star break.What will happen when these two teams square off in San Francisco for the second time in three series (before not meeting again until September)? Jordan Hicks, Keaton Winn, and Logan Webb will face off against the back three in the Padres' rotation, and the SF Giants, playing in front of their home fans for the first time, should have the edge in the series and both hosts predict San Francisco taking two out of three. This on the heels of Locked On Padres host Javier Reyes boldly and completely incorrectly predicting the Padres would sweep the Giants in the opening series.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants' 2024 season started out promisingly with the Giants winning two of their first three games. The Giants were then blown out in the series finale in San Diego, and ultimately swept in LA by the absolutely loaded Dodgers. The SF Giants lost three winnable games on this trip: Opening Day (when they took a lead into the bottom of the seventh) and the final two games in LA, both 5-4 losses.So far in the young season, the SF Giants pitching staff is pitching at unsustainably poor levels. Part of that simply is a byproduct of facing two potent offenses on the road. Part of it is just randomness. One this is certain, though: a 2-5 road trip is not ideal, but it's not cause for alarm or panic. The Giants' offense was steady and solid, scoring four runs or more in all but one of their first seven games. However, the pitching allowed 6.6 runs a game on average, and that's going to make things tough no matter what.Down on the farm, Marco Luciano and Luis Matos have started out the season hot, which is a great sign. Both Luciano and Matos are potentially huge parts of the  San Francisco Giants' future (and perhaps present sooner rather than later), so it's good to see them start their respective seasons on the right foot. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

A role reversal in Los Angeles added up to the San Francisco Giants' third straight loss on this season-opening Southern California road trip. Logan Webb was touched up by the Dodgers' potent lineup, and this time it was the SF Giants' bullpen that pitched well. The Giants needed a better start from Webb in order to win, but it was a good sign to see the likes of Landen Roupp perform well against LA's loaded lineup.Once again the San Francisco Giants couldn't get the big hit despite having several chances. The Dodgers defense, to their credit, made some big plays in some big moments. Jorge Soler homered and the Giants scored four runs, but they haven't been able to break through over these past few losses. All in all, the SF Giants have lost two winnable games so far, so they could easily be 4-2 or 3-3 instead of 2-4. No need to panic—at all—with just six games in the books.The Joey Bart era is officially, officially over in San Francisco. The Pirates jumped the waiver wire by agreeing to trade 2023 draftee Austin Strickland to the Giants in exchange for Bart, the 2018 No. 2 overall pick. Bart's struggles aren't this front office's fault, as some have suggested. There's certainly no guarantee he would have been their choice at No. 2 overall, and so many top draft picks don't pan out. Even looking at that draft specifically, it's basically been bust after bust after bust so far with a few gems sprinkled in. All the best to Bart in Pittsburgh, where he'll get a shot at more playing time.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Teams playing the 2024 Dodgers basically have to play perfectly in order to win. In the San Francisco Giants' first game against the rival Dodgers this season, the Giants did not play perfectly and so they lost. The Giants stranded a ton of baserunners and were sorely lacking the big hit. The SF Giants' bullpen continued to struggle overall, with young players failing to establish themselves and even the likes or Tyler Rogers—ground ball and home run prevention machine—allowing a 430-foot three-run blast that broke the game open.The Giants are allowing over seven runs per game on average through five games this season. That's obviously way too many, and it's actually impressive that they've managed to go 2-3 despite allowing so many runs. What's startling is that SF Giants starters Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, and Jordan Hicks combined to allow just four runs in 17 innings, while Keaton Winn added a respectable three runs in five innings against the juggernaut Dodgers lineup. It was Daulton Jefferies' start and the bullpen that has been the run prevention culprit. Thankfully, there are several sustainability/"luck" indicators that strongly suggest that the Giants will improve at preventing runs. Their HR/FB ratio, left-on-base percentage, and BABIP allowed are all unsustainably bad and will improve.Another way the SF Giants will improve is by getting Blake Snell into the rotation, and the Giants say he will make his season debut on Monday at home against the Nationals. Alex Cobb doesn't seem to be too far behind Snell, and once he's ready to go, that could push Keaton Winn into a long relief role, making the bullpen that much better and deeper. Winn flashed excellent stuff in his outing that was better than the ERA over 5.00 would suggest.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

With one series the the books, the San Francisco Giants held their own in hostile territory, splitting a four-game series with the San Diego Padres despite being blown out in the series finale. The offense showed up for the most part, and Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, and Jordan Hicks—the starters for the first three games—each gave the Giants an excellent chance to win. The Giants' pitching ran thin, however, as Daulton Jefferies, called up to start Sunday's game, and the bullpen were far more shaky overall.Jung Hoo Lee had an excellent first series in the majors, walking several times, collecting lots of hits, and even hitting his first MLB homer against a left-handed pitcher. Matt Chapman was as advertised defensively, and he also had some huge hits in the Giants' series split, including a two-homer game in the SF Giants' first win of 2024.At long last, Joey Bart's time with the Giants appears headed to a close. The San Francisco Giants designated Bart for assignment in order to add Jefferies to the roster. There was no way the Giants would carry Bart, who's out of minor league options, on the major league roster for long, particularly because it meant the GIants were extra thin on the pitching side. Blake Snell is on the roster but hasn't been able to pitch yet, and Sunday's blowout loss was a prime example of how the SF Giants started the season thin on pitching, in part because they opted to carry three catchers, including Bart.The Giants will hope to find a trade partner for Bart, but if they can't, he can be claimed off waivers by any team, who'd have to have him on their MLB roster. If Bart clears waivers, which seems unlikely, the SF Giants could outright Bart back to the minors without his consent and he would be off the 40-man roster. A player can only be outrighted once in their career.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants fell to the Padres on Opening Day, but there were real positives to take away from the game. Logan Webb shook off a horrid spring and had a fantastic first start of the season, pitching six innings and allowing just two runs. The SF Giants' offense and defense flashed signs of life as well, with Matt Chapman, Nick Ahmed, and Thairo Estrada making impressive plays and Michael Conforto and Ahmed leading the way offensively.Unfortunately for the Giants, they let a seventh-inning lead slip away from them with a disastrous inning from Luke Jackson that included a throwing error by catcher Patrick Bailey. The SF Giants' one-run lead quickly became a three-run deficit, and that was basically all she wrote outside of Conforto's ninth-inning solo homer that pulled the Giants to within two runs.A number of players were making their Giants or MLB debuts, and for the most part so far so good. Jung Hoo Lee notched his first hit and hit a sac fly, although he was picked off immediately after singling. Erik Miller, a lefty reliever making his MLB debut, pitched an impressive eighth. Chapman was as advertised defensively and collected a hit, and Ahmed had a clutch hit as well. Now the Giants will turn to Kyle Harrison as they try to collect their first win of 2024, with Blake Snell unavailable for at least his first turn through the rotation. The SF Giants really ought to do their best to win a couple in San Diego, as things get tougher after that with a road series against the loaded rival Dodgers next.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Opening Day is finally here! The San Francisco Giants take on the Padres today in a game that really counts, and Logan Webb will be on the mound. That's no surprise, but it doesn't mean the SF Giants' official Opening Day roster didn't have a few surprises. Most surprisingly, perhaps, is the fact that Joey Bart made the team. Bart is out of options and can't be sent to the minors, so the Giants elected to carry him, along with their two main catchers Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy, rather than designating Bart for assignment. Pretty soon the Giants will have to make a move because they can't carry three catchers (and 14 position players) for long.Other noteworthy decisions included the fact that Nick Ahmed made the Giants and was added to the roster. He's in the Opening Day lineup and playing shortstop. Marco Luciano was optioned to Sacramento. Luis Matos was more of a snub, as he was also optioned by the SF Giants with Austin Slater apparently healthy enough to start the season. This move will be unpopular with some fans, but rest assured that Matos and Luciano should get tons of opportunities this year and the Giants are by no means giving up on either one. It's all about protecting inventory in this case, and Slater and Yastrzemski are underrated big leaguers.On the pitching side, a few players will be making their major league debuts if they get into a game. Left-handed reliever Erik Miller joins the Giants' staff as the second lefty in the 'pen after Taylor Rogers. Landen Roupp also made the Giants thanks to a killer breaking ball that could make him a real weapon. Blake Snell is on the roster even though he won't start in the Giants' series against the Padres. And Michael Conforto is starting in left, becoming the SF Giants' 18th consecutive different Opening Day left fielder, with a 19th likely next year.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants' 2024 season kicks off this Thursday, yet there are still several burning questions ahead of Opening Day. Most notably, perhaps, is the question of whether Nick Ahmed or Marco Luciano will crack the roster as the Opening Day shortstop for the Giants. Ahmed has been great for the SF Giants all spring, but Luciano has come on very strong as camp has wound down. The Giants could add Ahmed to the roster and option Luciano. It's possible Ahmed could opt out of his SF Giants deal if he doesn't make the Opening Day squad. That might make optioning Luciano more likely, otherwise going with Luciano and having Ahmed in Triple-A could be appealing as well.Another key situation is what will happen with Luis Matos. Matos came into camp for the Giants having put on over 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, and he's had a torrid spring. A lot of fans understandably want Matos on the Opening Day team, but the Giants' outfield is crowded. Austin Slater's elbow, however, could open the door for Matos. Slater had surgery in October but has been limited this spring and has trouble bouncing back after games. If he can't start the season with the Giants, Matos will get a real shot right out of the gates (in a limited role to start).Finally, there are several open spots up for grabs on the pitching staff, particularly with Blake Snell, Alex Cobb, and Robbie Ray out to start the season. Snell and Cobb should be back not too long from now, but they won't start the season with the Giants. Juan Sanchez appears likely to make the team as the Giants' second lefty reliever. Keaton Winn, Mason Black, and Landen Roupp appear to be the most likely candidates to round out the San Francisco Giants' Opening Day pitching staff. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Show No. 8 is a Friday Full Edition featuring interviews with Paul Sporer, from Rotographs and the Sleeper and the Bust podcast ... in Part 1 (2:15), Paul and PD discuss fantasy pitcher breakouts, including George Kirby, Hunter Brown and Yu Darvish ... and in Part 2 (1:43:05), Paul tells PD about fantasy hitter breakouts, including Oneil Cruz, Anthony Volpe and Jackson Merrill ... In the Market Watch player news report, PD and Ray Murphy discuss hitter and pitcher news from the AL (42:00) and the NL (1:11:40) ... In the Frequent Flyer (2:24:00), BaseballHQ analyst Alex Beckey looks at STL OF Victor Scott ... And in Extra Innings (2:27:20), PD looks at the worst Gold Glove award in baseball history ... Runs 2:35:45

It's no secret that the San Francisco Giants' on-field product has been subpar to the point of bordering on boring in recent seasons. However, the same could be said about the Giants' in-game entertainment experience at Oracle Park. The SF Giants have been featuring essentially the same program during games since 2010. The Giants continue to play either Don't Stop Believin' or Lights during every game. There's the 'Kiss Cam.' While still moderately entertaining, there certainly hasn't been major change or innovation. Until now.The Giants have significantly upgraded the in-game experience at Oracle Park entering the 2024 season, finally adding LED lights that are essentially capable of putting on light shows during games. Many other teams have been utilizing this technology for years, while the Giants lagged behind and seemed stuck in their ways, insistent on reliving the early 2010s for all eternity. It's a new era of Giants baseball now, and the improved lights will also be paired with a much-needed and much-improved sound system that will enhance the experience for both fans and players, per the Giants' press release. Which speaks to the players not being happy with how quiet/unintelligible the sound system was at Oracle.Paired with the Giants' huge offseason, these upgrades should go hand-in-hand with a far more entertaining product on the field. A better team plus a better in-game experience at the ballpark should help make games far more entertaining to attend, and hopefully will contribute in bringing people back to the ballpark. These changes, both on the field and off, were far overdue for the San Francisco Giants. But better late than never. Now, there's reason to get excited about the Giants and attending Oracle Park again.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Blake Snell to the San Francisco Giants is official. Snell passed his physical and the deal was announced by the SF Giants on Tuesday night, capping a monster offseason for the orange and black. How exactly were the Giants able to land Snell to such a team-friendly deal? What made the SF Giants' Snell's choice in the end?And how does the Giants' signing of Blake Snell impact the NL West? Just a few weeks ago, the Locked On hosts from the NL West got together and Millard Thomas of Locked On D-backs said the Giants could possibly be a last-place team. Now, Millard questions whether the Giants may actually be the second-best team in the division.Ben from Locked On Giants and Millard from Locked On D-backs compare Blake Snell to other pitchers in the NL West, including Logan Webb, Zac Gallen, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and many others. How does Snell compare? Coming off a Cy Young award, is the new Giants ace the best pitcher in the division? Listen to find out.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Blake Snell will be wearing orange and black in 2024. The San Francisco Giants and Blake Snell have agreed to a two-year, $62 million deal with an opt out after the 2024 season, according to multiple reports. The Giants now have the reigning Cy Young Award winner in Snell atop their rotation, followed by last year's runner-up, Logan Webb.The Giants have been linked to Snell all offseason, and a deal finally came together tonight. Blake Snell's two-year guarantee is far lower than anyone would have predicted when the offseason began, and the SF Giants are the beneficiaries of patience. The Giants also signed Platinum Glover Matt Chapman to a somewhat similar deal just a couple of weeks ago. Since the start of the 2022 season, among all pitchers with at least 300 innings pitched, Blake Snell is second in ERA and second in strikeout percentage. He also has the highest walk rate in the major leagues over that span, but the Giants will live with the walks if it comes with elite run prevention. In totality, the San Francisco Giants have had a monster offseason capped off with the signing of Snell. More details on the Giants' offseason and signing of Snell on tomorrow's full-length edition of the Locked On Giants podcast.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants needed to have a huge offseason, and they've done it. Capped by the reported addition of reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell—which is pending a physical—the Giants have made numerous meaningful improvements that vault them firmly into the mix for a playoff berth and make them a potentially scary team to have to face in October.Blake Snell is second in MLB in ERA and strikeout rate since 2022 (min. 300 innings). He's a power lefty with a mid-90s fastball that he pairs with a devastating curveball, a changeup, and a slider. Blake Snell and Logan Webb give the SF Giants one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. The SF Giants have shot well past the first luxury tax threshold with this signing, so they're exceeding the tax for the first time since 2017. The Giants' luxury tax payroll ranks sixth in MLB, per RosterResource.In totality, with Snell, Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler, Jordan Hicks, and Tom Murphy, the SF Giants have easily had an 'A' offseason. It's pretty remarkable how good their offseason looks considering they missed out on their two top targets in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both of whom signed with the rival Dodgers. Outside of the Dodgers and Braves, the National League should be quite a battle when it comes to the three wild card spots. But with all of their moves combined, the SF Giants appear to have as good of a shot as anyone of playing postseason baseball, and if they make it there, they could be a very scary opponent.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Renel Brooks-Moon is as synonymous with San Francisco Giants baseball as anyone outside of perhaps Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. Despite that fact, the Giants sent out a press release this morning, misleadingly titled "Ahead of the 2024 Season, Giants Name Renel Brooks-Moon Public Address Announcer Emeritus," in which they described that after months of negotiations, they were not able to agree to a new contract with Brooks-Moon, whose contract had expired in December 2023.Despite the press release stating that the SF Giants and Brooks-Moon had "mutually and amicably agreed to part ways," both Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area and Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle detailed that Brooks-Moon wanted to return, with Killion going so far as to say that a close friend of Brooks-Moon said that she was being "forced out." This is the latest in a years-long series of off-the-field blunders for the Giants, and Renel's presence in the booth will be greatly, greatly missed.In other news, Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote over the weekend that the Giants are looming as the "favorites" to sign reigning NL CY Young Award winner Blake Snell, after the Astros balked at his asking price of at least two years and $60 million with an opt out after 2024. That seems like a very reasonable dial for Snell, and it's a shock that no one has jumped at it. Jon Heyman of MLB Network also tweeted yesterday that the SF Giants were still in pursuit of Snell. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

We've been talking for weeks about how the San Francisco Giants are poised to enter the season with one of the more inexperienced pitching staffs in recent memory. One of the consequences is that several players who look like they're going to make the Giants' Opening Day roster will need to be added to the 40-man roster, which currently stands at 39. When all is said and done, the SF Giants may need to make a surprising DFA or two, or trade(s), to clear some room.Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:Who on the Giants do you see making the biggest offensive improvement from last year?How come our shortstop, Marco Luciano, can't hit the ball?Are there any Vaun Brown progress updates?Is Mason Black going to be on the Opening Day roster?If the SF Giants don't sign Blake Snell for whatever reason, could they still trade for a veteran shortstop (because I hear Luciano isn't ready), or sign another veteran pitcher like Mike Clevinger or Michael Lorenzen?Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Twenty-two-year-old San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Luis Matos held his own in the majors last season as a 21-year-old rookie. Matos then added over 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason and has slugged all spring. With new center fielder Jung Hoo Lee in the fold, Matos can focus on corner outfield, where he profiles better as a defender. However, Matos may still find himself on the outside looking in of the SF Giants' roster on Opening Day.Michael Conforto, Lee, Mike Yastrzemski, and Austin Slater all hold positions over Matos for various reasons. Most importantly, it's a matter of protecting inventory. A baseball season is a battle of attrition. Guys get hurt and replacements are needed constantly. Matos figures to hear his name called as soon as there's any injury in the outfield. But until then, he may have to wait his turn, unless the Giants make a surprising move such as trading a veteran with an established track record like Conforto.Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres made yet another big splash, acquiring starting pitcher Dylan Cease in a trade with the White Sox. The Padres are not afraid to make moves, though those moves have frequently backfired or simply not led to great results. Still, there's no doubt that Cease makes the Padres better, and by doing so, hurts the Giants' playoff odds. If the Giants want to add premier pitching, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery remain on the free-agent market.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

In just over two weeks, the San Francisco Giants will open the 2024 season on the road against the rival Padres. Who, exactly, will be the 26 Giants that line up on the chalk to kick off the season? The SF Giants' probably Opening Day roster is broken down in detail, starting with two notable omissions. At shortstop, Marco Luciano seems to have lost the job (for now, at least) to veteran Gold Glover Nick Ahmed. In the outfield, there simply isn't room for Luis Matos. Both have minor league options and appear headed to Triple-A to start the season—barring any injuries.Elsewhere on the diamond, Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy are the catching duo that will start the Giants' season, with Joey Bart out of options and destined for another team before the opener. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores form a strong platoon at first. Thairo Estrada, Matt Chapman, and Jorge Soler are everyday presences at second, third, and DH, respectively. In the outfield, Michael Conforto (left), Jung Hoo Lee (center), and Mike Yastrzesmki/Austin Slater (look like the go-to group), with Tyler Fitzgerald sneaking into the last spot on the roster as a super-utility player.The pitching is way less clear. We all know Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Camilo Doval, the Rogers twins, Ryan Walker, and Luke Jackson will take up eight of 13 spots among the pitching group, but what about the other five? The Giants need two more starters, and those are likely to be Keaton Winn and Mason Black at this point in time. In the bullpen, a mix of lesser-known names such as Ethan Small (lefty), Spencer Howard, and Daulton Jefferies could round out the staff.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Show No. 5 is a Two-Tout Tuesday Edition featuring interviews with Jeff Zimmerman, from Rotographs, the Launch Angle podcast, and The Process fantasy baseball manual, and Jock Thompson, team analyst at BHQ.com... in our first expert interview (2:20), Jeff and PD discuss player analysis including a "modern lineup" in HOU, the possibility of Esteury Ruiz as a power source, and a new view of roster management in DET ... 2024 batter breakouts including Luis Robert and Maikel Garcia ... and the 2024 "Appendix Edition" of The Process fantasy baseball owners manual... plus some Boons and Banes ... and in the second expert interview (1:14:40), Jock tells PD about how he pans the river of baseball reporting to find gleaming nuggets of actionable news, as well as some key players and Boons and Banes in the AL West  ... And in Extra Innings (1:51:40), PD looks at very recent news on injuries affecting two key fantasy pitchers ... Runs 1:59:25

The San Francisco Giants and J.D. Davis' agent, Matt Hannaford, are engaged in a war of words after Davis was released by the Giants on Monday, leaving Davis with just a fraction of his non-guaranteed $6.9 million salary. Did the Giants do something wrong, or did Davis' agent overplay his hand?All of the details and public comments are discussed and analyzed. In essence, both parties claim that the SF Giants came in with an offer that was, according to Hannaford, "several hundred thousand" below the SF Giants' $6.55M filing number within an hour of the deadline to exchange figures. Giants president of baseball operations responded very specifically, saying that the Giants' offer was for just under $6.4M. Regardless, the key point is that had Davis' representation accepted the Giants' offer, that money would be guaranteed. If they passed on the offer and the deadline to exchange figures arrived, which it ultimately did, then Davis would go to an arbitration hearing fighting for non-guaranteed money.Any way you look at this, it seems like Davis' agent did a poor job helping his client. The SF Giants were linked to Matt Chapman all offseason. Davis himself commented publicly on the possibility of the Giants signing Chapman before it happened. So there's absolutely no reason Davis should've let this go to an arbitration hearing, knowing that the money would not be guaranteed if it did—whether they won or lost the hearing.What ended up transpiring was that the Giants did indeed sign Chapman, clearly making Davis the odd man out. Davis' agent should've known that would be the case—it was immediately discussed on Locked On Giants once the Chapman deal was reported. The SF Giants looked for a trade partner for Davis, were unable to find one, and put him on outright waivers. Any team could've claimed Davis and his $6.9M (non-guaranteed through Opening Day) salary, and every team passed. At that point, the Giants were left with no choice but to release Davis, leaving him with just 30 days pay, or just over $1.1M. All in all, this looks like a major blunder by Davis' representation and not really something that the Giants did wrong. It stinks for J.D. Davis nonetheless and hopefully he lands on his feet. Davis ultimately made north of $6M in his 1 1/3 seasons with the Giants.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Two rain-outs in two days—in Arizona?! Things are weird in the Cactus League and the San Francisco Giants' spring schedule has been victimized. Fans were also robbed of two rare televised SF Giants spring games. However, we did get to see two innings of Giants young lefty starter Kyle Harrison dominating the Dodgers' (admittedly 'B') lineup. The SF Giants' offense and defense also shined in the two-inning game. It's a bit of a stretch to say that the offense shined, given that they didn't collect a single hit, but almost every plate appearance was a grind and they really made Dodgers starter James Paxton work in the first after he got the first two outs. Jung Hoo Lee, Wilmer Flores,  Michael Conforto, Jorge Soler, and Matt Chapman were all selective and looked like tough outs. Nick Ahmed also saved a run on defense with a diving play, and he's looking more and more like the likely Opening Day shortstop, with Marco Luciano potentially ticketed for Triple-A.With the Giants' offense and defense looking significantly improved, there's a big elephant in the room. Yes, Kyle Harrison has ace upside. Yes, Logan Webb already is an ace. But in Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and whoever else is projected to round out the SF Giants' rotation, they seem to be missing a top-end veteran addition like Blake Snell. Alex Cobb is progressing well and is ahead of schedule, so that could play a role in the Giants' decision making, but adding the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner certainly wouldn't be a bad thing for a team that otherwise looks ready to win now.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Marco Luciano came into spring training as the San Francisco Giants' presumptive Opening Day shortstop. A couple of weeks into games and the thinking may start to be shifting. Luciano has struck out in over 50% of his plate appearances, which is a continuation of a high-strikeout tendency Luciano displayed in the SF Giants' Triple-A and major league levels in 2023. With veteran Gold Glove winner Nick Ahmed in camp, in addition to other shortstop options like Tyler Fitzgerald, Casey Schmitt, and others, it's certainly possible that the Giant send Luciano to Triple-A to start the season where he can look to get hot and eventually claim a starting role in the majors. There's no reason for the Giants to rush the 22-year-old Marco Luciano.Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:What do you think Casey Schmitt's future looks like now with Matt Chapman signing and a logjam at SS? Do you think they'll keep him around for when/if Chapman opts out or is he on the trade table?How come Joey Bart hasn't been traded yet? Can the Giants package J.D. Davis and Bart and get something back? It would be nice to sign Blake Snell and then get Bart and Davis off the books.Any Pablo Sandoval sightings? Haven't heard of any AB'sWhat are we going to do about the pitching dilemma? We need to add two starters in my opinion. Snell/Jordan Montgomery and a starter via trade (Jesus Luzardo, Shane Bieber, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert)Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

At this point in the offseason, with spring training well underway and the regular season on the horizon, things have to be getting pretty uncomfortable for Blake Snell. He must remain on the San Francisco Giants' radar, and they legitimately could strike at any time. What kind of contract will Snell ultimately land? What number should make SF Giants fans feel like it's a wise investment? Will Snell's next deal be short- or long-term?Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:How would you grade the Giants' offseason with the moves currently made? And if they signed Snell, what would their grade be?Could we make the roster work while keeping J.D. Davis? Bench could look like J.D., Murphy, Wilmer, Slater. Could Chapman, Thairo, and Wilmer fill in at shortstop when necessary behind Ahmed (assuming he wins the starting job)?NL West projections as currently constructed?I'd like to see an exploration of a trade for Dylan Cease. I think the Giants would have to give up too much, but some folks like Marty Lurie think it would be a great move.What SS do you think the Giants could get if they offered in a trade: Marco Luciano, Mason Black, J.D. Davis, and Joey Bart?Do Mike Clevinger or Michael Lorenzen make more sense for a fit if they're able to move off of Davis's contract in a trade of some sort? Is Madison Bumgarner coming back? Odds?Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants' addition of Matt Chapman certainly made things awkward for incumbent Giants third baseman J.D. Davis. With the SF Giants adding Chapman to the fold, it's hard to see how J.D. Davis cracks the roster. Chapman is here to play third base; shortstop is not going to happen. The DH spot is occupied by Jorge Soler. Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. take up first base for the SF Giants. That leaves J.D. Davis without a starting job and without a spot on the bench.Another player who seemingly needs to be dealt is Joey Bart. For both players, the only way they'd seem to stick on the roster would be in the event of an unfortunate injury. Chapman, Soler, or Flores getting hurt could keep Davis around. For Bart, an injury to Patrick Bailey or Tom Murphy—signed to a two-year deal this offseason to be Bailey's backup—could keep him around, although Blake Sabol may even make the team ahead of the out-of-options Bart even though Sabol can be optioned.If the Giants want to add one more big-name starter (either Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery), they'd have to clear some payroll or else go over the first luxury tax threshold. One player the Giants could trade in order to do so: Michael Conforto. Luis Matos seems deserving of a role in the majors, and Conforto is standing in his way. And his $18M salary could stand in the way of the SF Giants signing one more big-name pitcher, something they need with an inexperienced rotation that continues to get bit by the injury bug. The latest casualty is Sean Hjelle, who will be shut down and re-evaluated in two weeks with an elbow strain.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Platinum Glove third baseman Matt Chapman is officially a member of the San Francisco Giants. The Giants and Chapman were long thought to be a perfect match, and on Sunday, the three-year, $54M deal with opt outs was officially announced. Matt Chapman's deal with the Giants also includes a previously-unreported $20M fourth-year mutual option with a $1M buyout.What is Chapman's impact on the Giants? How do the SF Giants now stack up in a National League with quite a bit of parity outside of the top two and bottom two teams. Do the Giants need to make one more move, namely for a starting pitcher? Their starting rotation outside of Logan Webb has upside and is intriguing, but it's a largely unproven group and it's already taken some injury hits.Is Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery the answer? Probably so. Will the San Francisco Giants be willing and able to land either player? The Giants' addition of Chapman pushes them close to the first luxury tax threshold of $237M. J.D. Davis doesn't really fit the roster anymore and may very well be traded, which would free up $6.9M (if a team assumed his whole contract). Michael Conforto is another under-the-radar trade candidate given his $18M salary and the SF Giants' potential desire to clear payroll space in order to add a frontline starter that they appear to need in order to complete what would be a fantastic offseason.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants are signing platinum glove third baseman Matt Chapman. It's a three-year, $54 million contract with opt outs after each of the first two years, which looks like a total steal for the Giants. Chapman has also never been a below-average hitter in his career. The SF Giants did very well here, but there could be more on the horizon. Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle tweeted that the Giants' signing of Chapman does not preclude them from signing Blake Snell. In fact, she said, the SF Giants are very much still involved with Snell...Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

Have the San Francisco Giants lost their way? Or was Brandon Crawford not adequately reading the situation? Those are questions that arose while reading The Athletic's piece today in which Andrew Baggarly talks to both Giants legendary shortstop Brandon Crawford and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.Crawford told Baggarly that he expressed to Zaidi a desire to return to the Giants, and that he had no playing time expectations and wanted to be a  reserve player—even a versatile one—who also mentored young players like Marco Luciano, Casey Schmitt, and Tyler Fitzgerald. However, over the last two seasons, Crawford has been abysmal at the plate and declining in the field. He'll be 37 years old this season.There's a blatant lack of honest communication from Zaidi to some Giants players, now including Crawford twice (last year Crawford wasn't told about the plan to move him off short to accommodate Carlos Correa until after news of the signing got out). When all is said and done, however, the writing was on the wall that Crawford's time with the SF Giants was over, and it's just sad and unfortunate that Crawford didn't see things the same way.In other news, a bulked up Luis Matos hit two home runs today, and Giants pitcher Tristan Beck has elected to have surgery to address his upper arm aneurysm on Monday at Stanford.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

The San Francisco Giants have been lurking all offseason. The Giants have made solid move after solid move, and on Friday night, they snagged the best position player left on the market, Matt Chapman, to a deal that's worth two to three times less than what the industry initially expected him to land. The SF Giants and Chapman agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract with opt outs after the first two seasons. Most in the industry expected Chapman to sign for somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-6 years at $25M per year, so $100M to $150M. Chapman brings a plus-plus glove to the Giants at third base. He brings instant credibility to the lineup and defense, as well as in the clubhouse. He helps fill the leadership void after the departure of Brandon Crawford to St. Louis. Matt Chapman is also no slouch at the plate, although he can be streaky. Overall, he's been much better per plate appearance than J.D. Davis both in his career and in the last three years. So Chapman represents a significant third base upgrade for the San Francisco Giants.There appears to be no more room for Davis on the roster, so a trade seems likely. Something else that could perhaps be likely is the SF Giants signing Blake Snell. Both the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser and NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic mentioned that the Giants are still in on Snell, with Slusser saying they're still very much involved and Pavlovic going so far as to say there's been optimism about a potential deal. Signing Snell would be the icing on the cake of a great offseason for the Giants.Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms: