On March 25th of this year, in San Francisco, the San Francisco Giants hosted the New York Yankees to begin the regular season. It was a time of promise, though it was clear that the Giants probably weren't going to compete much this year, and the Yanks' battery of them would soon confirm this [a 7-0 win]. It's very weird to look back at this game because...only two of the Opening Day starting nine are still active on this team by the end of the season.
It's literally just Logan Webb and Jung Hoo Lee. Everyone else is either playing elsewhere [Luis Arraez, Heliot Ramos, Patrick Bailey], or hurt [Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Casey Schmitt, Harrison Bader]. It's down to just Jung Hoo Lee in this lineup, and just Webb and Landon Roupp in this rotation. And everyone else is...either a roster-hanger-onner just taking advantage of the playing time or an absolute scrub filling a space. That's where we are with the Giants in September. They're not gonna finish with the worst record in baseball, but they may finish as the worst team left. Because what team has a chance with an active roster like this?
Above replacement level, all the team has left right now is Lee, the rookies Drew Gilbert and Bryce Eldridge, and newcomer Jonah Cox, a minor league favorite who was thrust into the centerfield role and has become an unsung hero, hitting .294 with 13 RBIs and 13 steals in 53 games. Cox is a sneaky little contact guy who just gets by you, and has been very helpful as the team's lost more and more strength. I think Cox probably will have a role in the team going forward, and a Gilbert-Cox-Lee outfield doesn't seem like the worst idea ever.
It's the other fill-ins who are making things really dire, cause nothing else is too exciting. Drew Cavanaugh's the starting catcher, he's a .235 hitter with no real pop. Christian Koss is starting at first, he's not as good as he was last year. Turner Hill's been getting starts, he's got slightly more pop but he's not well rounded. Osleivis Basabe's getting playing time and for all the smoke around him in the minor's he's giving nothing. Nate Furman, Grant McCray and Scott Bandura are all getting shots. It really does feel like a triple-A lineup. I can't think of anybody in the league that could be outhit by this bunch.
At least pitching-wise they've got Anthony Molina and Cesar Perdomo up and working. Molina's been surprisingly nice in a starting role, he's 3-1 with a 3.91 ERA with 23 Ks in 5 appearances. Perdomo had an excellent first start and has come down to earth a bit. Webb and Roupp have been kinda shaky lately [and Webb is officially hurt again], so it's nice that the kids are helping out. The bullpen isn't terrific though, as most of THEM are hurt too. So, again, it's whoever's available. And that's not very fun.
Really not much else for the Giants to do at this point but finish things up. I feel bad that the injuries screwed them up so much, because they could have bobbed along, but the bottom really fell out. Onto 2027. Hopefully.
Coming Tomorrow- One of many in 2025, one of a small few in 2026, keeping the dream alive in Toronto.