San Francisco Giants - 2052 and beyond...

[benp28]

Year two of the Stewart-Giants project is ahead of schedule as the Giants defeat the Mets in a Game 7 to win the National League pennant (25th all time) and head to the World Series. This 2053 World Series will very much be the Stewart World Series as the Giants will come up against the Kansas City Royals juggernaut that Stewart built! The Royals will be seeking their 7th World Series in 11 years, with the Giants looking for their 10th all time, and first since 2036.

The Royals, who won the regular season series 2-1, will be overwhelming favourites as the best team in baseball in the regular season. They had the best offense in baseball but only the 6th lowest runs allowed, with several missing parts of the season with injury.

The position players are very well known to Stewart, with everyone in the starting line up either having played for, traded for, or draft by Stewart. Two players averaged over .300 in Juan Montelongo and Bernalldino Igrejas although neither managed 100 G due to injury. Mike Gronkiewicz batted .287 with 102 RBIs and 26 HRs while managing 98 SBs to shatter Jorge Corujo’s KC record. A.J. Terry led the team in HRs, with 31, and 96 RBIs while C Nelson Saiz matched Gronkiewicz’s .287 average.

Braden Montalbano is the undoubted ace of the pitch staff, and is the only LHP. Steve Mondie remains from Stewart’s last staff, an injury-hit season leading to a 5.17 ERA and the rotation is rounded out by David Conforto and trade acquisition Luis Rosa. The Royals will be missing Rob Cope and Randy Wambolt. In the bullpen, Jared Baynes had 37 SV with a 1.82 ERA, Chris Kelley (2.58), Pete Acors (2.04) and Eric Chaney (0.71) all had ERAs under 3.00. With 3 LHP in the bullpen, the Royals have a good balance of arms.

Game 1 in Kansas City: Andy Frederick vs Braden Montalbano (2049 Trade SEA)

• Kansas City wins 5-4
• Montalbano: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R
• Frederick: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R
• Pete Acors (W): 1.1 IP,1 H, 0 R
• Juan Peralta (L)(BS): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R
• Jared Baynes (SV): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• San Francisco HRs: Juan Zetino (7th, 2R), Nevio Clinton (7th, 2R)
• 1-0 Kansas City

Game 2 in Kansas City: Juan Montoya vs Steve Mondie (2050 Trade PHI)

• San Francisco wins 7-4
• Montoya: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R
• Mondie (L): 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R
• Jong-hun Hong (W): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Rickey Martino (SV): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• San Francisco HRs: Kevin Dobbs (5th)
• POTG: Kevin Dobbs (SF) 3-4, HR, BB, 3 RBI
• 1-1 Series Tied

Game 3 in San Francisco: Jesus Barbosa vs David Conforto (2046 Scouting Discovery)

• Kansas City wins 13-6
• Conforto (W): 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R
• Barbosa (L): 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R
• San Francisco HRs: Sergio Ibarra (6th, 3R)
• Kansas City HRs: Mike Gronkiewicz (6th, 2R)
• POTG: Mike Gronkiewicz (KC) 4-6, HR, 8 RBI, Cycle
• A.J. Terry (KC) ties KC playoff record with 4 R, 4 BB
• Mike Gronkiewicz (KC) ties AL playoff record with 8 RBI
• 2-1 Kansas City

Game 4 in San Francisco: Cason Willard vs Luis Rosas (2053 Trade BAL)

• San Francisco wins 7-3
• Willard (W): 7.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R
• Rosas (L): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R
• Martino (SV): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R
• San Francisco HRs: Steve Boyd (8th)
• Kansas City HRs: Juan Montelongo (9th)
• POTG: Steve Boyd (KC) 3-4, HR, 4 RBI
• 2-2 Series Tied

Game 5 in San Francisco: Frederick vs Montalbano

• Kansas City wins 10-0
• Montalbano (W): 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R
• Frederick (L): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R
• Kansas City HRs: Gronkiewicz (4th, 2R), A.J. Terry (6th, 2R), Nelson Saiz (7th, 2R), Bobby Nickelberry (9th, 3R)
• Mike Berger (SF) INJ running bases DTD 4 day
• 3-2 Kansas City

Game 6 in Kansas City: Montoya vs Mondie

• Kansas City wins 14-3
• Mondie (W): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R
• Montoya (L): 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R
• Kansas City HRs: Nickelberry (5th, 3R), Saiz (7th, GS)
• POTG: Nelson Saiz (KC) 3-4, GS HR, BB, 5 RBI
• 4-2 KANSAS CITY WINS

Series MVP: Mike Gronkiewicz (KC) 9-24, 2 HR, 13 RBI

An amazing postseason run comes up just short for the Giants as the Kansas City Royals win their 9th World Series to draw level with San Francisco. The Giants took the only two games the Royals lost in the postseason but ultimately, they couldn’t keep the Royals bats quiet as Kansas City outscored San Francisco 49-27, helped by their Game 5 shut out in San Francisco that turned the series decisively in their favour.

This was an overachieving season for the Giants though, with a .500 record the hope at the start of the season with predictions of a losing record from the computers. Stewart is unlikely to think the core of his team is in place but there are certainly signs of players that can contribute in the future.

[benp28]

The Royals only drop two games on their way to their 7th World Series in 11 years, and second since Colin Stewart resigned. The Giants appearance in the World Series was a welcome shock but their defeat means Stewart misses out on getting his World Series to .500, falling to a 4-6 record in his 10th World Series appearance.



The majority of the Giants bats were hot in the postseason, helping fuel the pennant-winning performance. Kevin Dobbs, Steve Boyd and Wilfredo Polo were particularly impressive while Jesus Castro, Juan Zetino and Germains Castro were the only major disappointments, although no one who watched the Giants this year was surprised by Zetino’s struggles. Sergio Ibarra was called up in difficult circumstances so can’t be blamed for struggling having not played in the big leagues all year.



When the going got tough, the Giants pitchers got rocked. With the exception of Cason Willard, none of the starting rotation managed a FIP- below league average, putting pressure on the bullpen and the hitters in nearly every game. Rickey Martino was joined by Juan Peralta, Joe Manley and Donte Lebeaux in posting a better than league average FIP-, although even then only Peralta managed a positive SD:MD ratio.

Minor Leagues



Postseason

Sacramento River Cats [AAA] lost in the Championship.
Richmond Flying Squirrels [AA] missed the playoffs by 20 games.
Eugene Emeralds [A+] won the Championship (back to back).
San Jose Giants [A] lost in the 1st Round.
San Francisco (ACL) Giants Orange [R] missed the playoffs by 9 games.
San Francisco (DSL) Giants Orange [R] lost in the 2nd Round.

The Giants organisation can celebrate another title as the Emeralds go back-to-back as Champions, with four of the six minor league teams joining the Giants in the postseason.

Owner Goal Review



Team Record:
That was a heart-wrenching loss in the finals, right? Oh, to come so close but have victory snatched from you! But we'll get them next year. Be proud of the team you put together.

Improve team stats:
Great work in improving our Bullpen ERA. That was important to shore up, and I'm thrilled that you accomplished that. Good Job!

Acquire a player:
When I asked you to find a better Most Valuable Player Award winner, I didn't have Ernesto Pantoja in mind. He's not bad, but I was hoping for a slightly better upgrade. Don't be afraid to keep looking.

Increase Attendance:
Attendance numbers look fantastic. I guess I obviously gave you too much time to complete this task. Well done!

Improve Team Chemistry:
You did a great job at building a real team. Well done!

Improve your fan interest:
I'm pleased with the uptick in fan engagement. But there's still room for improvement.

Long Term:
I'm very happy that you completed this challenge. I hope we continue to have a long and fruitful relationship.

I am delighted with your performance in accomplishing the goals I have given you. I feel similarly about your handling of the team's on-field and front office management.

International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them:

Rossano Chartrand, 16 year-old 1B out of Venezuela
Rossano Chartrand is a big 6-foot-3 , 205-pound first baseman from Tucupita, Venezuela. He projects to hit for .250 batting average because of his above average contact potential. He has a right-handed swing that can hit 20 home runs each year. Chartrand needs more seasoning against quality pitching before getting a shot in the majors.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Frank Cervantez, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Frank Cervantez hails from San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. His eye grades out as plus. He has decent power now and has the chance to have above average power in the future. He has above average foot speed. Cervantez has good potential and a very promising future.

Arturo Cardenas, 16 year-old LHP out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Arturo Cardenas hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He projects to have a repertoire that include an off the charts cutter and a nasty forkball. His stuff is projected to become elite once he fully matures. Cardenas will likely have setup duties and use his firepower when emergencies arise.

[benp28]

Prospect Review

MLB Farm Ranking

The Giants start the offseason with the second best farm in baseball. The top of the system has taken a hit with injuries likely leading to Burgos and Lamar dropping out of the top ten but four in the top 50 plus Wartel at 52 is a good haul.

The Royals farm drops outside of the top ten as Stewart’s farm building begins to graduate from the minor leagues.



San Francisco Prospects

It was a strong season most of the Giants prospects, with four of their top 20 ending the season at AAA and pushing for a shot to make the opening day roster in 2054. The top OFs Gianvito Heaton (2050 1st Round) and Frank Calleja (2052 Trade) headline that group and, with Zetino’s performance in 2053, there is certainly going to be at least one spot up for grabs.



Personnel

The Giants saw goodbye to four of their personnel whose contracts expire with no extension being offered. The harshest decision is probably at Bench Coach, where Carson Sands is let go despite being part of the World Series-reaching staff. His smallball philosophy, however, does not align with Stewarts, so the two part ways.

In addition, Managers Graham Spraker (AAA) and Kevin Perez (DSL) move on, along with DSL Pitching Coach Drew Beam.

The opening at AAA saw several internal promotions by GM Stewart:

• AAA Manager – Steve D’Amico from AA
• AA Manager – Giovanni Lopez from A+
• A+ Manager – Tanner Allison from Rookie (ACL)

Post promotions, the following positions remain open for external recruitment:

• MLB Bench Coach
• Rookie (ACL) Manager
• Rookie (DSL) Manager
• Rookie (DSL) Pitching Coach

Retirements

Boston Red Sox: LF Chris Albright retired from professional baseball.
Philadelphia Phillies: SP Ethan Chafin retired from professional baseball.
Texas Rangers: SP Chris Kuehn retired from professional baseball.
SP Ben Lane retired from professional baseball.
Toronto Blue Jays: SP Danny Mueller retired from professional baseball.

Arizona Diamondbacks: RP DeMario Arroyo (AAA Reno) retired from professional baseball.
Arizona Diamondbacks: SS Kevin Barlow retired from professional baseball.
Atlanta Braves: CL Jonathan Clark retired from professional baseball.
Baltimore Orioles: RP Esteban Valcarcel (A Delmarva) retired from professional baseball.
Baltimore Orioles: RP Julio Pesina retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: 2B Jeff Abbott retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: C Andres Mora (AA Portland) retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: LF Laurente Savoldelli retired from professional baseball.
Chicago Cubs: 2B David Maldonado retired from professional baseball.
Chicago Cubs: RP Jeff Stover (AA Tennessee) retired from professional baseball.
Chicago White Sox: 1B Phil Martinson (AA Birmingham) retired from professional baseball.
Cincinnati Reds: SS Clifton Mendelson retired from professional baseball.
Cleveland Guardians: C Greg Sterling (AAA Columbus) retired from professional baseball.
Cleveland Guardians: RP Arturo Pasten (AAA Columbus) retired from professional baseball.
Cleveland Guardians: SS Julio Lujan (R Cleveland (ACL)) retired from professional baseball.
Colorado Rockies: RP Deshawn General retired from professional baseball.
Los Angeles Angels: RF Davon Madkins (AA Rocket City) retired from professional baseball.
Miami Marlins: C Alex Eberhard (AA Pensacola) retired from professional baseball.
Miami Marlins: C Sergio Morales (AA Pensacola) retired from professional baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers: 1B Won-sub Kim retired from professional baseball.
New York Mets: C Chad Pinkerton (AA Binghamton) retired from professional baseball.
New York Yankees: RP Juan Verdin (AAA Scranton WB) retired from professional baseball.
Pittsburgh Pirates: 3B Zach Jochimsen retired from professional baseball.
San Antonio Avalanche: RP Jorge Quintero (AA Midland) retired from professional baseball.
San Diego Padres: 2B Santiago Castaneda (R San Diego (ACL)) retired from professional baseball.
San Diego Padres: RP David Morales retired from professional baseball.
St. Louis Cardinals: 3B Sergio Aleman retired from professional baseball.
St. Louis Cardinals: RF Ken Knuckles retired from professional baseball.
St. Louis Cardinals: RF Zaire Prattis retired from professional baseball.
Texas Rangers: 2B Erik Sloat (AA Frisco) retired from professional baseball.
Texas Rangers: SS Harlan Moores (AA Frisco) retired from professional baseball.
Toronto Blue Jays: 3B Luis de los Santos (AA New Hampshire) retired from professional baseball.
Toronto Blue Jays: SP Jim Heiser retired from professional baseball.
1B Jim McCarthy retired from professional baseball.
2B DeMario Salazar retired from professional baseball.
3B Ben Lowe retired from professional baseball.
3B Juan de Alba retired from professional baseball.
CF Jon Sheriff retired from professional baseball.
LF Chris Cook retired from professional baseball.
LF Lupe Moscoso retired from professional baseball.
RF Chris Kosch retired from professional baseball.
RP Aubrey Vickerson retired from professional baseball.
RP Chris Unruh retired from professional baseball.
RP Luis Olvera retired from professional baseball.
SP Dave Drury retired from professional baseball.
SP Jimmy Robinson retired from professional baseball.
SP Robbie DeMoro retired from professional baseball.
SS Nelson Ortega retired from professional baseball.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Retired #12 in honor of Zach Jochimsen.

Owner Goals



A new season and four new goals amongst the six from owner Quivers. Still to be achieved are the goals of acquiring an MVP Award winner and improving fan interest. Both are on track although the recognition of Ernesto Pantoja as an MVP calibre player is a stretch.

The new goals require Stewart to achieve a winning record next year, as well as improving the teams HR ranking from 11th. Longer term, ownership expects the club to lean on international amateur over the next 8 years finds with a goal of winning a championship by 2060. This is a remarkably reasonably set of goals with only the acquiring of an MVP something that Stewart is unlikely to specifically target.

Finances



The first news, disappointingly, is the news that Giants fan loyalty has dropped to ‘Good’ from ‘Very Good’. This is likely to have a negative impact on budgets moving forward, and may take some sustained success to change.

After a season in which Stewart made over $100m profit for the ownership, there is positive news as the budget is increased by $24m to $270. This eclipses the $258m high from 2051 and is a positive reward for a great season. That gives the Giants a lot of financial flexibility with $76m for free agents if the right players become available.

The final financial good news is the increase in attendance which saw the total attendance jump from 15th to 6th with average attendance seeing an almost 33% increase, from 30k to 39k. The Giants will keep ticket prices at the same level for 2054 and hope that this past season’s success will drive season ticket sales.

[benp28]

The Giants have a strange set of stats for a World Series team. Their overall record was one better than their expected Pythagorean record, while they had a losing record on the road but only had one month with a losing record, going 12-14 in June. On the hitting side, they ranked from 1st in WAR to 11th in Home Runs, with most rankings in the 4th-7th range, showing a strong but not elite group of hitters. On the pitching side, their 2nd ranked ERA bullpen helped them to the 3rd least runs against in the league and a host of other top three rankings, although that was offset with only the 12th highest WAR. Their 9th ranked Ks is not a metric that Stewart is used to after building a Ks machine in Kansas City



Catchers

Jesus Castro had a great season with the bat, but struggled somewhat with the glove, his wRC+ ranking 3rd but his framing 20th out of 27 Catchers to play at least 100 G. Interestingly, that wRC+ was one place behind and the framing one place above Stewart former KC Catcher Nelson Saiz and was enough for an All-Star nod for the Alabama native. Castro, with just over 1 year of service, will be back on a $3.5m contract, and that will be a bargain if he produces 3+ WAR in 2054.

Alejandro Dilillo justified his back up role, appearing in 69 G (40%+ of the season) and ranking in the top ten for both framing and wRC+ among Catchers to play 25-60 G. Dilillo’s arbitration number for 2054 is $4.8m which the Giants can cover but as that will be his final year of team control the Giants will likely investigate his value on the trade market.

Infielders

Kevin Dobbs had a breakout season in his 3rd year in the big leagues, his 142 wRC+ leading the Giants among everyday players although a .348 BABIP may be unsustainable and is comfortably above his career average. Dobbs will be in his first year of arbitration so is well placed to be back at 1B to open the 2054 season.

Ernesto Pantoja was another breakout star for the Giants, his 141 wRC+ only just behind Dobbs while providing adequate defense at 2B to provide 4.0 WAR overall and earning him an All-Star selection. His .304 BABIP is more in line with his career average and suggests this can be an expected stat line for the Rule 5 pick moving forward. He will be on a league minimum salary in 2054 and is locked into that 2B role heading into the offseason.

Steve Boyd earned an opening day roster spot more due to Joel Hudson’s lack of production against LHP than his own performances, but he made the most of his chance, ending the season playing 3B against RHP and SS against LHP. A 118 wRC+ shows the strength of his bat although a -4.6 ZR at SS suggests that 3B is a more viable everyday role for him. Should the Giants move on from Dobbs and shift Pantoja over to 1B, 2B might be an every more natural role due to his average power profile. A Fan Fav, and homegrown draft pick (2048, 3rd round), Boyd will be on the league minimum next season and is expected to return.

Joel Hudson (2049, 1st Round) struggled with injuries but still appeared in over 100 G and those injuries do not appear to have impacted his injury proneness. He recorded the 5th highest ZR among SS (12.7), with the highest Efficiency (1.128) and will be on the shortlist for a second GG. A second consecutive 87 wRC+ demonstrates that a below average bat is likely what Hudson is, but that still ranked 11th among SS with at least 100 G and wouldn’t take a big leap in BABIP (slightly lower than his career average at .267) to move him into top ten. As a LHB in the middle infield he also offers options to the line up. He will be in the first year of arbitration which the Giants will definitely pick up as they look to build on this NL Pennant-winning season.

Nevio Clinton appeared in over 100 G as a utility infielder. He was one tick below league average with the bat, while being acceptably below average with the glove across the infield. Clinton does not appear to have much growth and, while he will be on a league minimum salary in 2054, will have to earn his spot during Spring Training.

Jesus Otero and W. Chesney both appeared in over 50 G with limited opportunities to start games. As a switch hitter, Otero offered more with the bat (127 wRC+) and can play anywhere except C and CF. He is a clubhouse leader and is a free agent this offseason. Looking for only $1.5m for one year, he is a candidate to bring back for his leadership if he is happy to accept a bench role. W. Chesney was a league average bat but is limited to 1B at the Major League level. Like Nevio Clinton, he will have to prove his value during Spring Training to retain his spot on the roster.

Gabino Galindo and Chris Herman both earned September call ups and had limited chances to impress. Galindo only managed 5 H in his 25 AB with 2 BB and, at only 23 will likely open the season in Sacramento. Herman had 2 H in 4 AB but an average power hitter who is limited to 1B has a limited appeal and he is at risk of being DFA despite his Minor League success.

Outfield

Germains Curtis came into the Giants team and featured in 152 G, second only to Kevin Dobbs on the team. His 105 wRC+ showed he added value with the bat and he finished 2 HR short of a 20-20 season after recording 37 SB while earning All-Star honours. An above average glove helped him to 3.8 WAR and he will return for his first arbitration year, estimated at $1.89m.

Jaquan Willie was another Rule 5 acquisition, like Curtis, who seized his chance. Although he got injured in the post season, he appeared in 149 G during the regular season and posted top ten scores for ZR (9.0) and for Efficiency (1.033) amongst CF with at least 100 G. He also made the Top 20 for wRC+ amongst those players and while the Giants will want more bat from their CF in the future, a top end glove such as Willie is more than adequate in the short term so he will be back in 2054.

One player who will not back be is LF Juan Zetino. The 2043 International Amateur has never managed to replicate his debut 2049 season, with a steadily declining wRC+ which cratered to 80 this season. He is an elite glove who was top 6 in ZR and Eff amongst LF who played at least 100 G but was dead last in wRC+ among those 18. On a league minimum salary it would have been hard to bring him back, but with an arbitration estimate of $7.5m the Giants will say goodbye to Juan.

The final player to appear in more than 100 G amongst this group was LF Wilfredo Polo. Polo was the only LHB amongst the Giants outfielders and his 113 wRC+ led the group. Unfortunately, Polo is unplayable in the field, his 278 IP in LF resulting in a -10.2 ZR with a .711 EFF. Polo’s bat will return but he must be limited to a DH role to avoid another season where he hit 13% better than the league but managed to cost the team -0.1 WAR.

The last of the regular rotation was Mike Berger. The MiL FA hit his way onto the roster and was effective as a DH, a 108 wRC+ despite a .285 BABIP. Berger, with no speed or glove is a pure bat and, because of that, is replaceable but would be on a league minimum salary in 2054 and could be counted on to contribute in a DH role.

Luis Castro earned a September call up and while he only had 10 PA managed to record 3 H and his first HR in the big leagues. A better than average corner outfielder, Castro has the inside track on Zetino’s LF position although will have to earn it against some strong prospects in Spring Training.

Early 2054 Projections

C Jesus Castro
1B Kevin Dobbs
2B Ernesto Pantoja
3B Steve Boyd
SS Joel Hudson

LF Luis Castro
CF Jaquan Willie
RF Germains Curtis

DH Wilfredo Polo

OF Luis Castro

Release

Juan Zetino

Option

Gabino Galindo

TBD

Alejandro Dilillo
Nevio Clinton
W. Chesney
Jesus Otero
Chris Herman
Mike Berger



Starting Rotation

The Giants had six pitchers make more than 10 starts this season, along with Juan Barbosa who missed most of the season with a torn labrum but should be back for Spring Training.

Andy Frederick was the pick, as would be expected, although he missed a third of the season and when healthy had the least effective season of his career as his K% dropped under 25%, his HR/9 hit 1.0 and his WHIP 1.30. With his salary hitting $20m next season the Giants will be hoping to see a bounce back season. If not, then he may find himself on the trading block before that salary climbs to $31m for the final three years of the contract that takes him through his age 31 season.

Juan Montoya was the only other starter to manage a FIP- below league average, as the 2046 Scouting Discovery dropped his ERA from 4.26 in 2052 to 3.63 in 2053, while increasing his K% to 22.4%. On a league minimum contract, Montoya would be ideal in a 4/5 starter role.

Jaedeyn Hogan, acquired from the Padres in 2052, made his Major League debut in 2053 and ended with 13 GS. He was just under league average with a FIP- of 103 and an ERA+ of 82. His lack of stuff kept his K% under 20% while he struggled to pitch late into games, a PPG count of 73 showing the short lease he was kept on, with only a .154 QS%. The Giants would hope that Hogan is not part of the 2054 rotation but would be a useful AAAA arm in Sacremento.

Jesus Barbosa lowered his BB% and increased his K% in his sophomore season but took a step back in his FIP- as his H/9 and HR/9 both increased substantially (1.0 to 1.5 and 7.4 to 9.3 respectively). At 23, and with some development of his secondary pitches projected, Barbosa has time to make his position permanent but faces a critical third season, hopefully at the back of the Giants rotation.

Donte Lebeaux became a full time starter for the 2053 season and the results were overall disappointing. His K% dropped by over 4% while his BB rate increased by half a percent. All this resulted in almost an extra R/9 while limiting his ability to go deep in games, as he only had 128 IP across 25 GS. The 2046 3rd round pick would be ideal in a LR role, and the Giants hope that is where they can position him in 2054.

Cason Willard was the disappointment of the regular season for the Giants with the only highlight being his success at staying fit as he made 31 starts. While his BB% stayed consistent with his career average, his K% dropped below 20% and his H/9 was above 10 for only the second time. Willard is due $33.5m in 2054 and the Giants are somewhat resigned to eating this as finding a trade partner seems unlikely without giving up a valuable piece of their future. The only positive being his 2055 contract is a vesting option, with 180 IP a number he hasn’t reached since his first season with the team in 2050. The Cy Young is on the trading block and the Giants would listen to anything a team came with to get him off the books.

Bullpen

The bullpen had 12 players pitch at least 15 Innings with very mixed results. Eight pitchers had a FIP- better than league average, and of the twelve, five are arbitration eligible, and one is a pending free agent.

The pitchers that had a FIP- below league average and are not either arbitration or pending free agents consists of Mike Stark, Dan Caines, David Silva, and Greg Hyder. All four of these pitchers will return next year, with Mike Stark ($8.4) and Greg Hyder ($1.2m) earning more than the league minimum salary. Hyder is the most at risk as while he posted a 99 FIP- his ERA+ of 77 is something Stewart will monitor in the early season.

Next on the consideration list is those pitchers who are arbitration eligible and had a FIP- below league average. The easiest decision on the list is for Rickey Martino. The Giants closer finishes his first arbitration year with 2.2 WAR, from 54 IP in 56 G and 34 SV with a 1.86 ERA. His postseason wasn’t as dominant but in the regular season he had a 28:8 SD:MD ratio. The Giants will happily pay him $2m for the upcoming season. Juan Peralta, the 2045 1st round pick, moved from the rotation to a bullpen role and it suited him. A 2.56 ERA from 77.1 IP in 70 G with 15 Holds is a great return although the 20:13 SD:MD ratio hints at slightly rockier performance. His arbitration number is also SP based, and $6m feels like a high price tag. The Giants are likely to see what interest they can drum up ahead of arbitration. Finally, trade acquisition Jong-Hun Hong, who pitched in 26 G for the Giants with a 2.86 ERA. Like Peralta, his 16:9 ratio hints at some struggles but an arbitration figure of $1.8m is a lot more palatable and, even at 36, Hong is likely to be back with the Giants in 2054.

The list of pitchers who are arbitration eligible and had a FIP- above league average is thankfully short, with only Arturo Bello and Estivinson Nosrati matching that critera. Bello was claimed on waivers from the Cardinals and was not good – putting up a 5.79 ERA in his 18.2 IP. He is in his last option year which limits his value. The Giants are likely to either trade or non-tender him; in either case, he isn’t expected back in 2054. Nosrati is another pitcher from St Louis who didn’t live up to hopes, putting up a 5.19 ERA in 17.1 IP. Also out of options, and 31 years old, he will follow Bello out of the Giants ballclub this offseason.

Joe Manley, acquired from Miami midseason, had an ERA+ just above league average while generating just under 0 WAR in 11.2 IP across 20 G. a 34-year old free agent the Giants won’t be offering Manley the three-year $2.2m AAV contract he is looking for and will let him hit Free Agency.

Steve Feister and Chris Gordon both recorded a FIP- above league average, with Gordon struggling with control (8.1 BB/9) and Feister just allowing too many runners. Gordon does have a route back to the bullpen if he can improve his 2nd pitch and, therefore, increase his K rate but Feister is unlikely to be more than a AAAA arm moving forwards.

The final decision for the Giants is with Josh Parker. Parker tore his rotator cuff and missed the whole season. He is scheduled to return in April or May 2054 and is entering his penultimate arbitration year, with an estimated $2.8m salary. There is very limited trade interest so the Giants can either pick up his contract for or let him leave for nothing. The budget room the Giants have makes picking up the salary the more likely outcome at this point.

Early 2054 Projections

SP Andy Frederick
SP Juan Montoya
SP Jesus Barbosa
SP Juan Barboza
SP Cason Willard

RP Rickey Martino
RP Mike Stark
RP Dan Caines
RP David Silva
RP Greg Hyder
RP Jong-Hun Hong
RP Donte Lebeaux
RP Josh Parker
RP TBD

Trade / Non-Tender

Arturo Bello
Estivinson Nosrati
Juan Peralta

Free Agent

Joe Manley

TBD

Steve Feister
Chris Gordon

[benp28]

International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

None of the players exceeded my previous expectations.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Frank Cervantez, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Frank Cervantez hails from San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. He has excellent strike zone recognition. He has raw above average power. He is a great threat to steal a base. Cervantez can be a second division starter at center fielder.

Jorge Castaneda, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Jorge Castaneda hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is expected to have a very disciplined eye at the plate and be among the best in the league at drawing walks. He grades out as an above average runner on the basepaths. He has decent power now and has the chance to have above average power in the future. Castaneda is projected to be an above average, everyday big league player.

Personnel

The Giants quickly filled out their coaching personnel, with the majority locked up for 5 years.

• MLB Bench Coach – Jake Walsh
• Rookie (ACL) Manager – Gerado Salas
• Rookie (DSL) Manager – Porter Hodge
• Rookie (DSL) Pitching Coach – Junior Navas (2 Years)

Awards

Colin Stewart is rewarded for reaching his 10th World Series and winning his first NL Pennant with the Manager of the Year Award, his 1st in the NL and 11th overall.

The Giants have a couple of Great Gloves, Joel Hudson winning his second at SS with Germains Curtis capping a great rookie year in RF.

The voters don’t think his season was the best of the Giants rookies, though, as Steve Boyd finishes runner up to unanimous NL Rookie of the Year Whiskers Gregory.

Rickey Martino earns the Reliever of the Year Award after his very impressive 1.86 ERA season with Juan Peralta finishing second in the voting. They both finish head of legendary CL Pat Black, who in recording 37 SV this season overtook Mariano Rivera to lead the all-time list with 658 SV.

AL Great Glove LF A.J. Terry KC
NL Great Glove SS Joel Hudson (2) SF | RF Germains Curtis SF
AL Platinum Stick 3B David de Anda (3) KC | CF Mike Gronkiewicz (4) KC
NL Platinum Stick
AL Manager of the Year Hector Figueroa (3) KC
NL Manager of the Year Colin Stewart (11) SF
AL Reliever of the Year Jared Baynes KC
NL Reliever of the Year Rickey Martino SF
AL Rookie of the Year SP Juan Landa COL
NL Rookie of the Year CF Whiskers Gregory CHC
AL Cy Young Greg Moehring NYY
NL Cy Young Alfredo Barajas NYM
AL MVP CF Mike Gronkiewicz (2) KC
NL MVP RF Chase Needam ARI

Pre-Arbitration Extensions & Trades

The Giants didn’t give out any multi-year deals ahead of arbitration but did sign most of the expected players to one-year deals. They made two trades with Juan Peralta’s arbitration figure too rich for the Giants so he was traded to the Reds for a prospect pitcher. Jake Clark was receiving a lot of interest in trade offers and, being Rule 5 eligible but not someone Stewart wanted on the 42-man roster, when the Mariners offered a solid RP prospect for Clark and another MiL FA Kiyoshi Hayashida Stewart was happy to give his blessing.

Saturday, November 8th , 2053
Traded 26-year old RHP Juan Peralta to the Cincinnati Reds, getting 25-year old minor league RHP David Machado in return.
Tuesday, November 11th , 2053
Signed RP Jong-hun Hong to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $1,750,000.
Signed RF Germains Curtis to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $1,800,000.
Signed 1B Kevin Dobbs to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,500,000.
Signed RP Josh Parker to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,500,000.
Signed CL Rickey Martino to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,000,000.
Signed SS Joel Hudson to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $3,000,000.
Traded 31-year old minor league RHP Jake Clark and 24-year old minor league 3B Kiyoshi Hayashida to the Seattle Mariners, getting 22-year old minor league RHP Dan Namken in return.

Arbitration & Qualifying Offers

The only major decision made by Stewart was not offering arbitration to Alejandro Dilillo, who hits free agency despite putting up 1 WAR as a back up Catcher.

Friday, November 28th , 2053
C Alejandro Dilillo was not offered arbitration, becomes a free agent.
RP Estivinson Nosrati was not offered arbitration, becomes a free agent.
LF Juan Zetino was not offered arbitration, becomes a free agent.
RP Arturo Bello was not offered arbitration, becomes a free agent.
Sunday, November 30th , 2053
RP Joe Manley becomes a free-agent.
2B Jesus Otero becomes a free-agent.

Transactions

The first day of free agency saw the Giants make a relatively big trade with DH/OF Mike Berger and SP/RP Donte Lebeaux joining veteran MiL FA Mike Asbury in a package for C Juan Ramos from the Angels. Ramos is an elite Catcher who finished 8th in Framing and 4th in wRC+ (right behind Jesus Castro). He is in the second year of a 4-year $31.5m contract with the final year a PO. This signing gives the Giants a strong Catching corps, likely with the result that they will pay more for their starting C (Ramos at $6.6m) and less for their back up (Castro at $3.5m) than they would have done by retaining Dilillo.

Tuesday, November 4th , 2053
Signed international amateur 2B Luis Ocasio out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Monday, November 10th , 2053
Signed international amateur SS Luis Coto out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Sunday, November 30th , 2053
Placed LF Frank Calleja on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed LF Gianvito Heaton on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed 2B Juan Magana on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed SP Greg Ward on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Traded 29-year old LF Mike Berger, 35-year old minor league RHP Mike Asbury, and 25-year old RHP Donte Lebeaux to the Los Angeles Angels, getting 28-year old C Juan Ramos in return.
CF Ed Janiczek was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.

Minor League Promotions

Offseason promotions saw several 50 overall or better potential prospects taking the next step on their journey to the big leagues.

Sent 3B Ramiro Corona from Rookie League San Francisco (DSL) to Rookie League San Francisco (ACL). 2053 International Amateur
Promoted SP Luis Burgos from Rookie League San Francisco (ACL) to Class A San Jose. 2052 International Amateur
Sent SS Juan Mendoza from Class A San Jose to High-A Eugene. 2053 2nd Round
Sent SP Jahsiiyah Garza from Class A San Jose to High-A Eugene. 2053 1st Round
Sent SP Chris Varrone from Class A San Jose to High-A Eugene. 2052 2nd Round
Promoted SS Jovaugh McCarron from High-A Eugene to Double A Richmond. 2051 2nd Round
Promoted 1B Mike Marez from High-A Eugene to Double A Richmond. 2050 2nd Round
Promoted SS T.J. Racey from High-A Eugene to Double A Richmond. 2049 10th Round
Promoted SP Amari Pappillion from High-A Eugene to Double A Richmond. 2053 3rd Round
Promoted CL Jeremy Polycarpe from High-A Eugene to Double A Richmond. 2049 13th Round
Promoted SP Jorge Rodrguez from Double A Richmond to Triple A Sacramento. 2047 International Amateur

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International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

None of the players exceeded my previous expectations.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Julio Ramon, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Julio Ramon hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has above average contact skills, a smooth swing with quick hands and good pitch recognition. He is a plus runner. Ramon works hard at developing leadoff skills, staying on top of the ball and hitting line drives, not flyballs.

Alexis Cuevas, 16 year-old 2B out of Netherlands Antilles
Lean and athletic, Alexis Cuevas hails from Oranjestad, Netherlands Antilles. He projects to excel at drawing walks. He has a quick bat that handles most fastballs, but off-speed stuff can challenge him. Expect a batting average around .250. He has a fluid swing and shows above average power potential. Cuevas has the potential to develop the tools needed to profile as a premier second baseman.

Rule 5 Draft Trades & 42-man Changes

It was a quiet December as the Giants filled their 42-man list with everyone with average potential, who is close enough to the big leagues. That led to a full roster so didn’t provide the chance for the Giants to acquire any players but it was also successful in that they didn’t lose any players.

The only trade was accepting the Braves desire to sign 34-year old RP Jamie Hunt, giving up Andres Rosario as well to receive prospect Ramiro Balboa in return.

Pre-Draft Trades

Friday, December 5th , 2053
Traded 34-year old minor league LHP Jamie Hunt and 19-year old minor league RHP Andres Rosario to the Atlanta Braves, getting 20-year old minor league RHP Ramiro Balboa in return.

42-man Roster Additions

Monday, December 22nd , 2053
Placed RF Chris Conner on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed LF Luis Garnica on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed CL Mike Grudzinski on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed SP Chris Wilburn on the secondary (42-man) roster.

Transactions

Amongst the Scouting Discoveries this month is SP Jeus Casias from the Dominican Republic. Casias has the potential to be an above average Major League pitcher.

Thursday, December 4th , 2053
Signed international amateur SP Jesus Casias out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Saturday, December 20th , 2053
Signed international amateur C Frank Robles out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.
Tuesday, December 30th , 2053
Signed international amateur SP Alfredo Jasso out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.

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International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them:

David Yepiz, 17 year-old CF out of Panama
David Yepiz is a long, lean athletic center fielder who was born in San Miguelito, Panama. He has tons of raw power and someday he'll challenge for home run titles. He projects to have an impeccable eye at the dish. With a short, line-drive swing he stays inside the ball. He will challenge defenses if he can keep his strikeouts in check. Yepiz is projected to be an elite starting center fielder.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Frank Cervantez, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Frank Cervantez hails from San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. He has raw above average power. He has a solid combination of speed and acceleration. He shows good pitch recognition at the plate. Cervantez has the talent to flourish as a center fielder.

Lodovico Alfieri, 16 year-old CF out of Venezuela
Lean and athletic, Lodovico Alfieri hails from San Juan de los Morros, Venezuela. He has a plus-plus eye that should place him among the leaders in walks. He has Improving pitch recognition, and projects to have a .250 batting average. He has the potential to display above average power to all fields. If Alfieri fulfills his potential, he could make multiple trips to the All-Star Game.

Development Lab – Progress Update



Financial Summary

After seeing how the off-season has gone, I have decided to raise your team's budget from $270,000,000 to $280,000,000.

Transactions

Two significant moves from the Giants in January started with the signing of RP Josh O’Neal to a one-year deal at $1.35m, which saw 2B Chris Herman DFA, although he did make it through waivers and is set to start the season at AAA. The second move was the signing of International Amateur David Yepiz. A late addition to training camps, Yediz offers average contact potential but may end up with 80 power to go with plus-plus gap and eye. The Giants have $750k and will wait to see if there are any high potential prospects not offered a deal who might settle for a lower figure.

Wednesday, January 7th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Juan Villalobos out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Sunday, January 11th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Wilson Curiel out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Tuesday, January 13th , 2054
Signed free agent RP Josh O'Neal to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,350,000.
Tuesday, January 20th , 2054
2B Chris Herman was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
Saturday, January 24th , 2054
Signed international amateur CF David Yepiz out of Panama to a minor league contract with a $4,500,000 signing bonus.
Friday, January 30th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Luis Garza out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.



Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame welcomed two new first ballot members in 2054 as Grady Emerson (99.1%) and Dan Nichols (87.6%) were inducted at the first time of asking.

Bobby Witt Jr. once again finished third in ballots, but in his 9th year and with 63% of votes he looks set to miss out on election. Edgar Mir was the next Royal on the list, polling 59.1% in his first year is a good starting point but 16% is a lot of extra ballots to find.

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Development Lab

Ernesto Pantoja has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his quality of contact.

Wilfredo Polo has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to generate more batspeed and homerun power.

Luis Castro has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his quality of contact.

Frank Calleja has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to generate more batspeed and homerun power.

Greg Ward has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to make one of his poorer pitches more usable.

Jahsiiyah Garza has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his pitch control.

• No noticeable changes.

Joel Hudson has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to generate gap power.

• Current gap rating improves by 5

Gianvito Heaton has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to generate more batspeed and homerun power.

• Current power rating improves by 15

Chris Varrone has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his pitch control.

• Current control rating improves by 5

Juan Correa has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to generate more batspeed and homerun power.

• Current power rating improves by 5

Juan Montoya has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his secondary pitch.

• Potential sinker stuff improves by 10
• Current sinker stuff improves by 5

Amari Pappillion has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his pitch control.

• Potential control rating improves by 5
• Current control rating improves by <5

Spring Training Roster

In addition to the 42-man roster, the Giants add eight non-roster invites to Spring Training in somewhat of an indication of how their farm system looks – plenty of young talent but generally not quite ready for the Major Leagues. Coming off the back of a World Series that should be an exciting proposition for Giants fans.

Thursday, February 26th , 2054
Purchased the contract of LF Frank Calleja from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of RF Chris Conner from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of SP Jorge Rodrguez from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of LF Gianvito Heaton from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of RP Steve Feister from Triple A Sacramento.
Recalled 1B C.J. Ost from Double A Richmond.
Purchased the contract of 2B Juan Magana from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of SP Greg Ward from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of LF Luis Garnica from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of CL Mike Grudzinski from Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of SP Chris Wilburn from Double A Richmond.
Purchased the contract of 3B Juan Correa from Triple A Sacramento.
Invited non-roster RP Arturo Varela to Spring Training camp.
Invited non-roster SP Pete Lamar to Spring Training camp.
Invited non-roster C David Baeza to Spring Training camp.
Invited non-roster SS Ben Thomas to Spring Training camp.
Invited non-roster 2B Chris Herman to Spring Training camp.
Invited non-roster SS Jovaugh McCarron to Spring Training camp.
Invited non-roster CF Ed Janiczek to Spring Training camp.
Invited non-roster 1B Luis Aceves to Spring Training camp.

Transactions

Several international scouting discoveries over the month including a potentially above average SP in Ernesto Fuentes from the Dominican.

Saturday, February 7th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Juan Ulloa out of Cuba to a minor league contract.
Wednesday, February 11th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Alexis Ramirez out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Thursday, February 12th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Ernesto Fuentes out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Monday, February 16th , 2054
Signed international amateur CF Juan Carbajal out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Friday, February 27th , 2054
Signed international amateur LF Juan Burgos out of Curaçao to a minor league contract.

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Spring Training

A 13-12 record puts the Giants in second place in the NL West, while Stewart took a slightly different approach to Spring Training this year. All position players played in their primary position to start Spring Training and only played every 3rd day. The 42-man roster was supplemented by non-roster invites to fill out the 27 players required for this, with a mixture of veterans and top prospects.

After 18 games, Stewart cut nine players, rearranging assignments where necessary to ensure each player played every other game for the remaining ten games. There were limited surprises in the cuts although both W. Chesney and Chris Herman were likely disappointed not to make it to final cuts but their defensive limitations mean their future is difficult to envisage in San Francisco.

The Giants only lost two players to major injury, as Juan Magana fractured his foot to end his Spring Training attendance with a three week injury. The more serious injury was Eddy Trinidad, who tore his rotator cuff just over a year after tearing his elbow flexor. He will return in September but the Giants are not hopeful for his long term future after these two serious injuries.

Transactions

Tuesday, March 3rd , 2054
2B Juan Magana was injured being hit by a pitch. The Diagnosis: fractured foot. He's expected to miss about 3 weeks.
Invited non-roster 2B Sergio Esparza to Spring Training camp.
Friday, March 13th , 2054
RP Eddy Trinidad was injured while pitching. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Saturday, March 14th , 2054
RP Eddy Trinidad diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 5-6 months.
Wednesday, March 18th , 2054
Assigned C David Baeza from Spring Training camp to Triple A Sacramento.
Optioned 2B W. Chesney to Triple A Sacramento.
2B Chris Herman was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
Assigned 2B Sergio Esparza from Spring Training camp to Triple A Sacramento.
Assigned SS Jovaugh McCarron from Spring Training camp to Double A Richmond.
Optioned RF Chris Conner to Triple A Sacramento.
Optioned LF Luis Garnica to Triple A Sacramento.
Optioned 1B C.J. Ost to Triple A Sacramento.
Assigned 1B Luis Aceves from Spring Training camp to Triple A Sacramento.
Assigned SP Pete Lamar from Spring Training camp to Double A Richmond.
Assigned RP Arturo Varela from Spring Training camp to Triple A Sacramento.
Optioned RP Jaedeyn Hogan to Triple A Sacramento.
Optioned RP Chris Wilburn to Triple A Sacramento.
Monday, March 23rd , 2054
Optioned 2B Juan Magana to Triple A Sacramento.
Sunday, March 29th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Jai D'antonio out of Australia to a minor league contract.

Development Lab

Jovaugh McCarron has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his infield defense.

Juan Magana has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his infield defense.

• No noticeable changes. Poor.

Germains Curtis has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his outfield defense.

Jaquan Willie has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his outfield defense.

Gianvito Heaton has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his outfield defense.

Wilfredo Polo has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his outfield defense.

Steve Boyd has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his infield defense.

Ernesto Pantoja has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his infield defense.

Guadalupe Barajas has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his infield defense.

Chris Conner has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his outfield defense.

• No noticeable changes.

Luis Castro has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his outfield defense.

Frank Calleja has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his outfield defense.

• Outfield arm rating improves by 5
• Outfield range rating improves by 5
• Outfield error rating improves by 5
 

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Major League Predictions

The Giants predictions continue to improve, and for the first time the computers think this will be a .500 team, aligned with ownership’s goal. That would be a step back from the actual outcome of last season but Stewart will hope for another year of slight overperforming which, in a weak NL, could be enough for a postseason slot. The Rockies are expected to lead the NL, winning the West, with only 86 W; the Reds and the Nationals are predicted to win the Central and East. Andy Frederick is the first Giant to appear on the top players lists in Stewarts reign, 243 Ks predicted with an ERA around 3.50,



The Royals continue to set the standard, and are predicted to, once again, be the only 100-win team in baseball in locking up the AL Central. The Angels are expected to get close, 99 wins to win the West while the Blue Jays capture a tight AL East. Mike Gronkiewicz is again predicted to be the best hitter in the American League.



Opening Day Lineup

After the final cuts the Giants are left with 14 position players, all of whom will start either against LPH or RHP with the exception of Nevio Clinton who will be the utility infielder.

The surprise of the Spring is SS Ben Thomas making the opening day roster. The 2047 16th round hits very well against LHP and can cover all of the infield defensively. The last cut was 1B Gabino Galindo who was unlucky to be cut, with his defensive limitations ultimately costing him a spot. Juan Correa was the other INF to miss out, and being out of options he is DFA although the Giants will hope he is able to pass through to join Sacramenton.

In the OF, Gianvito Heaton earned the starting LF spot with his jump in power during the offseason. The will see Frank Calleja start the season in Sacramento where he will be joined by Ed Janiczek, the CF is out of options but his bat looks limited to AAAA at this point.

With Juan Ramos, that gives the Giants three debutants to start this season, one in each positional phase.



Spring Training Final Roster Cuts

Optioned 1B Gabino Galindo to Triple A Sacramento.
3B Juan Correa was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
Optioned LF Frank Calleja to Triple A Sacramento.
CF Ed Janiczek was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.

Opening Day Pitching Battery

There were three pitchers to be cut, with Chris Gordon being the final man out. He was joined in the trop to Sacramento by Greg Ward and Jorge Rodriguez, those two having always been on the outside for a roster spot to start the season but with expectations of a strong Sacramento season earning them a spot at some point in the season.

In the rotation, there are no surprise as the five starters are those identified by Stewart back in November as the likely rotation, while there was little surprise that Rickey Martino retains the Closer role.



Spring Training Final Cuts

Optioned RP Jorge Rodrguez to Triple A Sacramento.
Optioned RP Chris Gordon to Triple A Sacramento.
Optioned RP Greg Ward to Triple A Sacramento.

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San Francisco Top 20 Prospects

The Giants continue to strengthen the depth of their farm system, with plenty of players hoping to make the big leagues starting the season in AAA. The top of the system is slightly young, but with Lamar and Garza, there is a hope that they are not far from young arms being ready to contribute.



MLB Top 20 Prospects

In a down year for prospects, Danny Hagans (Astros) is the only top 20 prospect to start the season on a Major League roster, with 5th ranked Bobby Height the highest ranked player to start in AAA.



MLB Farm Systems

The Giants retain the 2nd spot in the farm system rankings, only the Reds ahead of them while the Royals continue to tumble, down to 19th to start this season.



Minor League Opening Day Transactions

Promoted RF Devin Gill from Rookie League San Francisco (ACL) to Class A San Jose. 2051 12th Round
Sent 1B Luis Crespo from Class A San Jose to High-A Eugene. 2051 5th Round
Sent LF Eric Stinson from Class A San Jose to High-A Eugene. 2050 16th Round
Sent CF J.J. Zeman from Class A San Jose to High-A Eugene. 2053 6th Round
Promoted SS Jeremy Mills from Double A Richmond to Triple A Sacramento. 2052 5th Round
Released 2B Pippino Morales. 2051 International Amateur
Released CF Lisnerkin Gentry. 2053 15th Round
Released RP Jonas Mendiguren. 2049 International Amateur
Released RP Alejandro Espinosa. 2049 International Amateur
Released RP Greg Brough. 2050 4th Round
Released RP Brad Nolt. 2050 14th Round

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MLB Standings

A strong start to the season once again for the Giants as they open up a 3 G lead in the division with the best record in the National League. Over in the American League, it is the Royals with the usual lead in the standings.



San Francisco Results

The Giants win six and split one of their first eight series, with the lone loss coming in the final series of the month against the Braves. Those successes include going 9-5 against NL West teams.



San Francisco Stats





Several fast starts for Giants hitters, with Gabino Gallindo, Joel Hudson, and Gianvito Heaton all hitting at All-Star levels over the first month of the season. Luis Castro, Jaquan Willie, and Germains Curtis all struggled, although Castro in particular is working from a small sample size.

Those performances saw the Giants hitters pick up two Awards during the month, with Gabino Galindo picking up a NL Player of the Week Award, going 9-17, with 2 HRs and 10 RBIs before Gianvito won Rookie of the Month. The LF hit .272, with 20 RBIs, and 8 HRs.



A tough start for the rotation in terms of FIP-, with only Andy Frederick bettering the league average. However, the bullpen has picked up the slack, with only Steve Feister and David Silva pitching worse than league average according to FIP-. Feister has been asked to pitch in 10 G so the Giants may lighten his load in May, or even send him to Sacramento.

Transactions & Injuries

1B Kevin Dobbs was the only injury in the month, and his strained groin allowed Gabino Galindo to be called up, which the rookie rewarded with a Hitter of the Month Award, and a 197 wRC+ in 13 G.

Josh Parke was sent a Sacramento for an injury rehab and will shortly be ready to head back to San Francisco.

Thursday, April 9th , 2054
Sent RP Josh Parker to Triple A Sacramento for injury rehab.
Sunday, April 12th , 2054
1B Kevin Dobbs was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Tuesday, April 14th , 2054
1B Kevin Dobbs diagnosed with a strained groin muscle, will miss 2 months.
Purchased the contract of 1B Gabino Galindo from Triple A Sacramento.
Thursday, April 16th , 2054
Signed international amateur SS Marquise Panteleo out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.
Monday, April 20th , 2054
Signed international amateur 2B Juan Ojeda out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.
Wednesday, April 22nd , 2054
Signed international amateur SP David Salazar out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.

Minor League News

At only 22 years of age, Alejandro Soto could very well have many more months like this last one during his career.

That would be great news for fans of the Eugene Emeralds, as April was one to remember for the first baseman and he has captured the Northwest League Batter of the Month award.

On the month he hit .359 with 6 home runs, 13 RBIs and 12 runs scored.

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MLB Standings

The Giants remain atop the NL West, and have stretched their lead above 5 G and have the best record in the National League ahead of the Cardinals. The Royals are leading the AL, although the Road Warriors are chasing hard in the Central, while the West is very competitive, three teams already with 30 W.



San Francisco Results

The Giants lose two series (including getting swept in the Bay by the Diamondbacks), and split one, while winning six, although only one sweep in the season means the win record isn’t quite as high as it could have been.



San Francisco Stats

The Giants hitters are hitting the ball hard this season, ranking first in SLG, OPS, and HRs to go with a top in the NL 13.7 WAR. The starting rotation continues to struggle (10th) while the bullpen excels (2nd).





Ernesto Pantoja is joined by Germains Curtis and Sergio Ibarra with All-Star calibre months, Pantoja hitting 8 HRs with 21 RBIs as he continues where he finished the 2053 season.

Curtis won NL Player of the Week during the month, going 10-25, with 10 RBIs, and 4 HRs.



The Giants will surely be on the lookout for SP as the season progresses after Cason Willard and Jesus Barbosa put up second consecutive sub-par months, while Juan Barboza is saved by his team mates with an ERA+ superior to his FIP-.

In the bullpen, Josh Parker replaced Steve Feister and let the team in FIP- across his 8 G, although Rickey Martino had a tougher month, giving up 3 HRs in a .556% successful SV month.

Transactions & Injuries

The Giants picked up three more International Amateurs to complete their class; although none are budding superstars, they are all high on personality to ensure quality of human when they are called up to the DSL.

The Giants lose Gianvito Heaton to a strained groin and it is poor timing for Rank Calleja, who had gone on the AAA injury list three day earlier, allowing Luis Garnica to skip in front and earn his major league call up.

Friday, May 1st , 2054
Optioned RP Steve Feister to Triple A Sacramento.
Purchased the contract of RP Josh Parker from Triple A Sacramento.
Saturday, May 2nd , 2054
Signed international amateur SS Jesus Urrutia out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.
Wednesday, May 6th , 2054
Signed international amateur CF Desidério Babo out of Venezuela to a minor league contract with a $200,000 signing bonus.
Signed international amateur 3B Juan Ramirez out of Venezuela to a minor league contract with a $150,000 signing bonus.
Signed international amateur C Fidel Cerezo out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract with a $200,000 signing bonus.
Wednesday, May 27th , 2054
LF Gianvito Heaton was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Signed international amateur CF Alejandro Tobar out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.
Thursday, May 28th , 2054
Placed LF Frank Calleja on the Pacific Coast League 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/25/2054.
Sunday, May 31st , 2054
LF Gianvito Heaton diagnosed with a strained groin muscle, will miss 5 weeks.
Purchased the contract of LF Luis Garnica from Triple A Sacramento.

Minor League News

This past week the best batter in the California League was Ernnie Chafer, who banged his way to the Player of the Week Trophy.

During the week the San Jose center fielder compiled a .375 batting average (9-for-24) with 3 home runs, 10 runs batted in and scored 6 runs.

This season, Chafer has posted a batting average of .267 with 43 hits in 161 at-bats, 7 home runs and 24 RBIs. He has also scored 21 runs, walked 24 times and compiled a .383 OBP. 

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MLB Standings

The Giants extend their NL West lead beyond 6 G despite an average month, and still have the best record in the National League, ahead of the NL East-leasing Braves, and the Centrals Cardinals and Reds.

In the AL, the Royals and the Angels already have 50 W while the Yankees hold a comfortable advantage in the East.



San Francisco Results

It was a much more mixed month for the Giants who barely escape with a winning record, and lose their only NL West series, 2-1 in Colorado.



San Francisco Stats



The Giants are likely what they are at this point in the season, their Pythagorean record equal to their actual record, with a group of position players in the top third of the league, an elite bullpen, and a starting rotation that is weak after the top.




Only Ernesto Pantoja and Luis Castro manage to top 150 wRC+ over the month from everyday players, although the majority of the group are at least close to league average.



Juan Montoya is finding some rhythm to join Andy Frederick as a reliable option in the rotation, while Cason Willard continues to really struggle in a season where the Giants must limit him to 179.2 IP to avoid picking up another $30m+ contract year.

In the bullpen, Josh Parker is going to move into a setup role after giving up 0 ER in 14 IP, a second consecutive strong month for the recovering pitcher.

Transactions & Injuries

The Giants are running into an OF problem as they lose both Luis Garnica (called up in Gianvito Heaton’s absence) and Wilfredo Polo to injury. Chris Connor (2048 16th Round) earns his first call up to the Big Leagues to replace Garnica, while Kevin Dobbs replaces Polo in a DH role.

Saturday, June 6th , 2054
LF Luis Garnica was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Signed international amateur SS Frank Aguilar out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Tuesday, June 9th , 2054
LF Luis Garnica diagnosed with a fractured hand, will miss 4 weeks.
Purchased the contract of RF Chris Conner from Triple A Sacramento.
Monday, June 22nd , 2054
LF Wilfredo Polo was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Sent 1B Kevin Dobbs to Triple A Sacramento for injury rehab.
Wednesday, June 24th , 2054
Signed international amateur SP Jesus Navarro out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract.
Thursday, June 25th , 2054
LF Wilfredo Polo diagnosed with a strained anterior cruciate ligament, will miss 3 months.
Purchased the contract of 1B Kevin Dobbs from Triple A Sacramento.
Monday, June 29th , 2054
2B Ernesto Pantoja was injured while running the bases. The Diagnosis: hand contusion. He's expected to miss about one week.

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Owner Goals



Team Record:
Seems like the team is well on its way to another playoff appearance. Once you're there, anything can happen.

Improve team stats:
I can't be upset with a team that's 3rd in Home Runs. I hope that the team can keep up this pace the rest of the season.

Acquire a player:
I see you did listen when I asked you to bring in a Most Valuable Player Award winner. While Ernesto Pantoja may not be exactly who I had in mind, he's close enough. Still, I know there are guys out there who look more like what I asked for, so I'd suggest you still keep your eyes open. That said, I'm not upset with Pantoja.

Improve your fan interest:
I'm pleased with the uptick in fan engagement. But there's still room for improvement.

Improve your intl. amateur finds:
You've been able to net a good share of international talent. Still, there's room for improvement.


During our time working together, I have been very happy with your progress towards the goals I have set out for you. Considering your current and past successes, I am delighted with your overall performance. It's important to have success on-field and in the boardroom, and you seem to be on that path.

The final evaluation towards these goals will come at the end of the season. Good luck in the second half!

Prospect Update

San Francisco Prospects

The top ten prospects in the Giants system are all having strong seasons, with midseason promotions likely for several. Beyond that, there are some player struggling, although only T.J. Racey (AA) and Ha-joon Kim (AAA) have a WAR below 0.



MLB Farm Systems

A drop to 3rd in the rankings as both Pete Lamar and Luis Burgos are now ranked in the 20s, but with five players in or close to the top 50 (Juan Magana is 51st) it’s a healthy group of prospects compared to the rest of the league.

 

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The success of 2053 season left the Giants with the 26th pick in what Stewart viewed as a weak college class. As a result, the Giants went with the first HS 1st Rounder of Stewart’s tenure, as they selected RF Giedrius Kern, and 18-year old out of Elk Grove, California. The OF has an average glove, but projects plus contact and power, with an average eye and gap ability. While he is lacking in speed, he has a positive personality, with good adaptability as well as work ethic.



In addition to the risk of a HS selection in the 1st round, Stewart doubled down taking a RP in the second round, albeit a college RP, following by three more HS players, one position player and two pitchers.

• Round 2, Pick 29 - CL Robby Przybyla, age 21 out of college (TCU; Fort Worth, TX)
• Round 3, Pick 26 - SS Harrison Goldsworthy, age 17 out of high school
• Round 4, Pick 24 - SP Bobby Coulter, age 18 out of high school
• Round 5, Pick 24 - SP Jamie Hoover, age 18 out of high school

CL Robby Przybyla will get the chance to pitch in A+ ball this season, and he will be joined in professional ball by the four other college age players in the Giants draft class, all of whom will start at A ball.

• Round 7 - C Steve Kelly, age 21 out of college (University of Miami; Miami, FL)
• Round 18 - RP Chris Gray, age 22 out of college (Northwest Missouri State University; Maryville, MO)
• Round 19 - CF Ron Gallagher, age 21 out of college (Colorado Mesa University; Grand Junction, CO)
• Round 20 - SS Chris Ackley, age 22 out of college (University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill, NC)

It may be a small class for the Giants as, with the excess budget they took into the year, they selected four players who are set on heading to college. It remains to be seen whether the Giants offer enough to tempt any of these HS players into the farm system.

• Round 9 - RP Luis Sotelo, age 18 out of high school (Canyon Springs; Moreno Valley, CA)
• Round 10 - CF Porter Canada, age 18 out of high school (Notre Dame Catholic; Brampton, ON)
• Round 15 - RF Joe Kenville, age 18 out of high school (Rocky Mountain High School; Fort Collins, CO)
• Round 17 - CF Steve Lamar, age 17 out of high school (Casa Roble; Orangevale, CA)