San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants pitcher Derek Holland is not happy with the front office.

The Giants announced after Saturday's game that Holland would be moved to the bullpen, which prompted an annoyed Holland to take a few shots at the organization and tell reporters he faked an injury this season.

"To be honest, I have no idea what they're doing," he said, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I don't mean [manager Bruce Bochy] ... It's more from the front office. We keep changing a lot of things. I did a fake injury so I'm not happy about that. But at the end of the day I'm going to do what they ask me to do. I'm going to be here for my teammates. That's what it's all about."

Holland was referencing a 10-day stint on the injured list with a bone bruise on his left index finger.

Giants president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, did not agree with Holland's assertion that the injury was fake, however:

"He had a finger issue that he had back in spring training. It flared up. We got an MRI. He felt he could continue pitching. We felt it would be prudent to give him the time off. The decision was collaboratively made. We have extensive medical records of it.

"His use of the word 'fake' probably comes from him feeling he could continue to pitch with it. Players and the staff and front office people sometimes have differences of opinion when they should or shouldn't play."

Holland, 32, has had his struggles this season when he has played. In seven starts he's 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. He gave up seven hits, four walks and seven earned runs in 2.2 innings during his last start on May 9, a 12-11 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

"Sometimes you break it up," Bochy said regarding Holland's move back to the bullpen. "You're trying to get back on track. This gives us a legitimate long guy and another left-hander in the 'pen. He's shown he can handle it. We feel we're better off having him in the bullpen."

The Giants in general are trying to get back on track. The team has started the season 16-23, and the team's 4.49 ERA is 20th in baseball. Holland's move back to the bullpen is unlikely to single-handedly help reverse the team's pitching struggles this season.

What it has done, apparently, is exacerbate some issues between Holland and the front office to start the 2019 campaign. 

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner reportedly selected the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees for the eight-team no-trade list allowed by his contract, per Spotrac.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the full list Saturday. It also features the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.

Bumgarner's choices don't mean he wouldn't accept a move to one of those clubs. Instead, they give him leverage to potentially pick his own destination among those possible contenders, per Rosenthal.

The 29-year-old three-time World Series champion is in the final year of his contract.

That and the Giants' struggles to keep pace in the National League West (they are 16-22)—FiveThirtyEight projects them to finish in a three-way tie for the fourth-worst record in MLB at 69-93—make him a trade candidate.

In February, Bumgarner said he'd like to remain in San Francisco but acknowledged that might not be realistic given the situation.

"Obviously, this is where I came up. I've been through a lot here," he told reporters. "A lot of good times and a few bad times, also. Obviously I would love to stay here. If that happens or not, I don't know. Some parts are in my control, some parts aren't."

Bumgarner's decision to list high-payroll teams and playoff hopefuls with holes in their starting rotations was wise. There's no reason to choose the league's worst teams because they're unlikely to move prospects for a one-year rental.

https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1127262721005760513

In addition, Rosenthal noted potential free agents moved during the season are ineligible for a qualifying offer at year's end.

Many veteran free agents' open-market values have been reduced in recent years because qualifying offers attach draft-pick compensation to their signings. That may be why Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel remain unsigned this season.

Bumgarner, a four-time All-Star, has posted a 3.99 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 51 strikeouts in 49.2 innings over eight starts in 2019.

He owns a 3.06 ERA across 10-plus MLB seasons, all with the Giants.

The San Francisco Giants announced Thursday they have placed catcher Buster Posey and left-handed starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz on the injured list. Catcher Aramis Garcia and right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede have been called up in their places.

Posey is on the seven-day concussion injured list. Pomeranz landed on the 10-day IL with a left lat strain. Pomeranz's trip to the IL comes amid a 1-4 start to the season with a 5.93 ERA. His last appearance came May 6, when he gave up seven earned runs in 1.2 innings against the Cincinnati Reds.

This is the second time in Posey's career that he will miss games because of a concussion; he sat out seven games in 2017, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. The catcher talked with reporters Thursday about the risks associated with head injuries.

"When you're dealing with the brain, you've got to be cautious," Posey said. "I definitely value who I am and will be as a husband and father, first and foremost. At the same time, I enjoy doing my job and plan on doing my job."

Since suffering severe ankle and leg injuries in 2011, Posey has maintained good health, appearing in 140-plus games in every season from 2012 to 2017. However, he played just 105 games a season ago as he underwent surgery in August to address hip impingement and repair a torn labrum.

The timing of that procedure allowed him to try to get to 100 percent by Opening Day 2019.

Even with the injury, Posey hit .284/.359/.382 in 2018. There was a serious drop-off in power, though, as the four-time Silver Slugger recipient managed just five home runs in 448 plate appearances, one every 89.6 plate appearances.

The 2012 NL MVP's power has been on a steady decline since 2014, when he hit 22 dingers. Posey has not topped the 20-homer plateau since then and averaged just 13 long balls in the 2016 and 2017 campaigns.

This season, Posey is hitting .245/.308/.406 with two home runs, 11 doubles and 13 RBI.

Now 32 years old, Posey receives the bulk of his starts behind the plate, though the Giants use him at first base as well in an effort to limit the wear and tear his body takes.

With the six-time All-Star sidelined, San Francisco can turn to veteran Erik Kratz or Garcia (19 career MLB appearances) to handle catching duties. Garcia entered the season as San Francisco's No. 15 overall prospect, according to MLB.com.

San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval carved out a special place in MLB history in Monday's 12-4 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds.

Sandoval finished 1-for-4 at the plate with a three-run home run and a stolen base. He also pitched a scoreless eighth inning in relief.

Good things happen when you #LetPabloPitch pic.twitter.com/LqZywlQxLA

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 6, 2019

According to Elias Sports (via MLB.com's Sarah Langs), Sandoval is only the second player since 1900 to have one home run, one stolen base and a scoreless inning on the mound.

It was a complete performance from the two-time All-Star.

Hitting home runs Pitching
🤝
Pablo Sandoval pic.twitter.com/OKZ8vi4HDb

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 6, 2019

Pablo Sandoval's homer had the highest exit velocity of the game at 108 mph. He also had the slowest pitch velocity of the game with a 68 mph curveball he threw to Peraza. He can do it all.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) May 6, 2019

This was the second time the Giants turned to Sandoval late in a blowout loss. He stepped to the rubber on April 28, 2018, in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Max Muncy, Yasmani Grandal and Chris Taylor went down in order with three straight groundouts.

Sandoval's big day provided some momentary enjoyment in what's shaping up to be another disappointing season for San Francisco. The Giants are now 15-20, 6.5 games back of the first-place Dodgers in the National League West and 5.5 games off the second wild-card spot.

The silver lining of the team's struggles is that Sandoval might get another opportunity down the road to show off his pitching repertoire.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Gerardo Parra will reportedly be designated for assignment after hitting .198 with one home run through his first 30 appearances of 2019.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the update Friday. Parra "may have trade value" if the Giants look to move him during the 10-day DFA period, per Heyman.

The 31-year-old Venezuela native signed a one-year contract with the Giants that included an invitation to spring training. He made the team's 25-man roster for Opening Day by posting a terrific .341/.388/.614 across 18 spring games.

Parra failed to match that production while getting consistent playing time at both corner outfield spots for San Francisco during the season's first month.

The two-time Gold Glove Award winner admitted in March the Giants roster appeared full when everyone was healthy, but he hoped to find a niche.

"I feel like I'm family here and I'm happy for that," he told reporters. "I don't think this team needs anything. It's a great team. Just play hard every day and see what happens."

Although he struggled at that plate, he continued to provide high-end defense with four Defensive Runs Saved across 216 innings, per FanGraphs.

Parra, who owns a career .726 OPS in addition to his ability to play all three outfield spots, could be a solid fourth outfielder for a club in need of depth.

At this point, nobody has any right to be surprised by what has befallen Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants.

The team's 10-14 record thus far in the 2019 Major League Baseball season constitutes more of the same. The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and returned to the playoffs in 2016. But then they aged up and slowed down, and 187 losses unfolded across 2017 and 2018.

The Giants did take an initial step in a new direction last fall. They fired Bobby Evans as their general manager and brought in Farhan Zaidi, who was one of the chief architects of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to head their baseball operations.

But during the winter, a next step never quite materialized. Zaidi didn't use the trade market to break up the team's current roster. Despite making a spirited run at 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper, he also didn't outfit the roster with fresh star power.

If the Giants had a notion for a Cinderella return to form in 2019, it's already going "poof." At some point this summer, they figure to turn to the trade market and dangle veterans such as Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Derek Holland and Will Smith.

Posey may find himself on the trade block as well, although it'll take the right set of circumstances to jar him loose from his status as the fading figurehead of a dead dynasty.

For the time being, the Giants need to concern themselves with helping their veteran catcher restore as much of his former stardom as possible.

Given how large he loomed at the height of his powers, that's a tall order. According to Baseball Reference, his excellent hitting (a .309 average and .853 OPS) and defense helped him lead all catchers with 38.3 wins above replacement between 2010 and 2017. 

In addition to his three rings, a National League Rookie of the Year in 2010, an NL MVP in 2012, annual All-Star nods and a nine-year, $167 million contract further enhanced Posey's national celebrity. In effect, he was a new Derek Jeter for a new era.

But Posey is now 32, and he's trending more or less like anyone could expect a 32-year-old catcher to be trending.

Although it wasn't Posey's first major injury—that would be the horrific (and fateful) ankle injury he suffered on a collision at home plate in 2011—the hip injury that led to season-ending surgery last August was the first that could be attributed to wear and tear. After averaging more than 110 starts in the crouch over the previous six seasons, it was perhaps bound to happen.

Meanwhile, Posey is diminishing offensively. Based on OPS+, he was a safely above-average hitter every year between 2010 and 2017. But he slipped in 2018, and he's slipping even further in 2019:

Despite the outstanding 54 caught-stealing percentage he's racked up this year, cracks are also forming in Posey's defense. Baseball Prospectus rated him as MLB's best pitch framer as recently as 2016. However, he ranked 23rd in 2017 and was barely in the top 40 last year. 

None of this is cause for the Giants to regret the entirety of Posey's contract, as it's hard to argue that he hasn't been worth $18.6 million per year despite his downfall. And if nothing else, they might want to keep him around as a mentor for top prospect Joey Bart, who's his heir apparent behind the dish.

But including the $22.2 million Posey is making this year, the Giants are nonetheless looking at paying a player who's clearly past his prime nearly $70 million through 2021. It's understandable if they might prefer to pass all or at least some of that money onto another team.

If they're ultimately willing to put Posey on the block, the notion of there being real interest in him isn't that far-fetched.

The late, great Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported in August that the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox had shown interest in Posey around the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. In light of how difficult it is to find good talent at catcher these days, that interest might kick up again this July.

The first complication is whether Posey would be open to leaving San Francisco. He has a full no-trade clause, so he can stay right where he is through 2021 if he wants.

The next complication is whether Posey can show any signs of life between now and July 31. Because at the rate he's going, the only thing separating him from the mediocre masses behind the plate is his name.

To this end, hope is already being kindled. Posey boasts an .800 OPS over his last nine games. Included within is his first home run since last June 19, which he hit Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates:

.@BusterPosey’s first career home run against the Pirates. And his first of 2019 👏👏👏#SFGiants pic.twitter.com/ljd79u2rpZ

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) April 21, 2019

Otherwise, Posey is still taking his walks and avoiding soft contact, with a particularly good feel for line drives. Even if it's without much power, he should still have it in him to hit near .300 with a strong on-base percentage. That would be fine at a time when the average catcher is hitting .242 with a .318 OBP.

As to Posey's own desires, it isn't too bold to wonder if he'd rather compete for more World Series rings than go down with the ship in San Francisco. After all, he didn't sound too thrilled with the prospect of rebuilding amid the club's pursuit of Harper, according to Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"I've always felt very fortunate to be part of an organization that tries to put a team on the field that has a chance to make the playoffs, to just get in and have a chance to compete in October, and I sure hope that's still the case," Posey said. "That's all I can hope for. That it's still the case."

There would be no more perfect scenario than Posey getting traded to an American League contender with money to spare and a designated hitter slot for him to occasionally slide into. The Red Sox could revisit their interest. If not, the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners or Minnesota Twins might move to the front of the line.

That isn't to say National League contenders shouldn't also be in on Posey. The Braves could still use him. So could the Washington Nationals, and perhaps even the Chicago Cubs if Willson Contreras' defense continues to be a problem.

Posey sticking around with the Giants through the end of his contract wouldn't necessarily be an unhappy ending. He and the organization have been together since 2008, and the good times they've had make it hard to imagine him in any other uniform.

But since those good times are over, it also wouldn't be an unhappy ending if they both moved on.

                     

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.

As one of the few Major League Baseball franchises that hasn't benefited from the recent surge in home runs, the San Francisco Giants could help themselves by making their ballpark smaller. 

Per The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly and Eno Sarris, Giants​ president Farhan​ Zaidi and other members of the organization are exploring moving the fences in at Oracle Park. 

Zaidi pointed out the team is "a long way" from changing the park's dimensions:

"Objectively, how would it impact the type of game played in our park? We'd want to look at how it would affect us organizationally now and going forward. But at this point, for practical issues like the bullpens or broader long-range philosophical or strategic issues about where the game is going, I think we're at least opening up the discussion on it.

"I've always felt that having some idiosyncrasies to your home ballpark should play to your benefit because you have the opportunity to build your roster to take advantage of it. You have the ability to draft and develop players in a way that their style of play is conducive to winning in that environment."

Baggarly and Sarris noted Giants acting CEO Rob Dean has wanted the team to look into shortening the fences in the wake of the concussion left fielder Mac Williamson suffered last year after tripping over a bullpen mound in foul territory during a game against the Washington Nationals. 

In addition to protecting players from injury, there are baseball reasons for the Giants to make their park smaller. They haven't finished higher than 27th in homers in a season since 2014. 

San Francisco's weak power output occurred concurrently with more homers hit per game across MLB. The sport's mark of 1.31 homers per game this season would represent the most all-time. Only the Detroit Tigers (seven) have hit fewer home runs than the Giants (10) in 2019. 

Oracle Park features one of the most spacious outfields among all MLB parks. A home run to right-center field requires a player to hit the ball 421 feet to the wall and high enough to clear the 25-foot brick arcade. 

That park design aided the Giants in becoming one of the most successful sports franchises of the decade with three World Series titles since 2010, but they have finished under .500 in each of the past three seasons.

Chris Stratton didn't anticipate being traded by the San Francisco Giants days before the start of the 2019 Major League Baseball season.

Per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, the right-handed pitcher said he was "definitely in shock" moving on from the organization that drafted him in 2012. 

The Angels announced Tuesday they acquired Stratton from the Giants in exchange for left-handed reliever Williams Jerez.

Shea noted one potential reason the Giants moved Stratton is that he's out of minor league options, which would require him to pass through waivers if he wasn't going to make San Francisco's Opening Day 25-man roster. 

Despite being surprised about the move, Stratton did sound upbeat about getting an opportunity with an Angels team that will likely offer him a better chance to start than he otherwise would have had. 

"It's definitely going to be a little weird, and it'll take some getting used to," he said. "I'm excited to hopefully be in the rotation and hit the ground running."

The Angels are currently down one starter heading into Thursday's season opener against the Oakland Athletics. Andrew Heaney battled elbow inflammation earlier in spring training before returning to throw off a mound on Monday. 

Stratton was drafted 20th overall by San Francisco in 2012 and made his big-league debut four years later. The 28-year-old set career highs in starts (26), innings (145) and strikeouts (112) last season. 

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer will be suspended without pay through July 1.

Manfred added that Baer's leave of absence, which began March 4, will be made part of the unpaid suspension as well:

Commissioner Manfred announced today that @SFGiants President & CEO Larry Baer has been suspended without pay through and including July 1, 2019. Baer’s leave of absence, which commenced on March 4, 2019, will be converted to an unpaid suspension. pic.twitter.com/AhyIjr5AQP

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) March 26, 2019

Baer took time away from the Giants organization after video was released March 1 that showed him knocking his wife, Pam, to the ground while attempting to take a cellphone away from her:

After the video was released, Baer made a statement in which he apologized to his family and the Giants organization: "I am truly sorry for the pain that I have brought to my wife, children and to the organization. It is not reflective of the kind of a person that I aspire to be, but it happened and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that I never behave in such an inappropriate manner again."

Baer also discussed the situation with Evan Sernoffsky of the San Francisco Chronicle, saying, "My wife and I had an unfortunate public argument related to a family member and she had an injured foot and she fell off her chair in the course of the argument. The matter is resolved. It was a squabble over a cell phone. Obviously it's embarrassing."

Pam Baer released a statement as well:

"I would like to clarify the events of today. My husband and I had an argument in public about which we are quite embarrassed.

"I took his cellphone. He wanted it back and I did not want to give it back. I started to get up and the chair I was sitting in began to tip. Due to an injury I sustained in my foot three days ago, I lost my balance. I did not sustain any injury based on what happened today. Larry and I always have been and still are happily married."

Larry Baer joined the Giants' ownership group in 1992 and was elevated to CEO in place of Bill Neukom in 2012.

The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, but they have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and are coming off a 73-89 campaign.

Per Bovada, the Giants have the longest shot to win the National League West in 2019 at +4,000 (40-1) and they are a +10,000 (100-1) shot to win the World Series.

Under the terms of his suspension, Baer will be eligible to return to the Giants for their July 2 road game against the San Diego Padres.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s office will not press criminal charges against San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer. 

"After a careful review of the relevant evidence, including multiple videos, statements from several witnesses and the parties themselves, the evidence does not support filing criminal charges," the office said in a statement, per TMZ Sports.

TMZ previously posted video of Baer in an altercation with his wife, Pam Baer. He knocked her to the ground while attempting to wrestle a phone from her hands.

Evan Sernoffsky of the San Francisco Chronicle noted Bay Area officials, Giants fans and a Bay Area domestic violence advocates group were among those who called for Major League Baseball to punish Baer after the video was released.

Baer is on a leave of absence from the team:

Larry Baer will take a leave of absence. This makes it official: pic.twitter.com/w19wvohiDu

— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) March 4, 2019

While he won't face criminal charges, the Giants CEO could still be punished by MLB.

Sernoffsky cited a source who said investigators looked at extended video footage that revealed the Baers were in a verbal argument for nearly a half-hour before the portion of the altercation that was released by TMZ. The extended footage reportedly shows Pam reaching for the phone multiple times and Larry showing her the phone before she ultimately took it.

It was Larry's third attempt to get his phone back that knocked Pam to the ground.

"I did not sustain any injury based on what happened today," Pam Baer said in a statement, per ESPN.com. "Larry and I always have been and still are happily married."

He also released a statement, saying "I am truly sorry for the pain that I have brought to my wife, children and to the organization. It is not reflective of the kind of a person that I aspire to be, but it happened, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that I never behave in such an inappropriate manner again."