SF Giants Press Clips Sunday, June 25, 2017

Home , Austin Slater, Christian Arroyo, David McKay (baseball), Erik Neander, Ryder Jones, Wilmer Flores

San Francisco Chronicle Giants bullpen coughs up team’s 50th loss Henry Schulman

The Giants’ landscape has changed a lot since the start of the season. Christian Arroyo, Austin Slater, Kyle Crick and now Ryder Jones have been brought to San Francisco far earlier than anyone would have predicted on Opening Day, when the 2017 nightmare began with a blown save and a loss in Arizona.

The Giants show no signs of waking up, either. Incomprehensibly, they lost their 50th game Saturday, 5- 2 to a Mets team that was staring at the reaper itself before arriving at baseball’s Lourdes and collecting two wins.

More changes will come, with players traded and the Giants beginning to audition some of the starters they have in Triple-A, such as Tyler Beede and Joan Gregorio.

As the Giants turn toward youth, as best they can with so many older players under long-term contracts, they have an obligation to their fans to scrap out as many wins as they can. They have one in the past two weeks to go with 11 losses.

“We have a lot of baseball left, and these guys have a lot of pride,” manager Bruce Bochy said after a bullpen that engenders no confidence coughed up four runs over the final two innings after Brandon Belt tied the game 1-1 with a seventh-inning homer against Jacob deGrom.

“The last thing we want is to keep this thing going. For some of the guys in there, this can be embarrassing at this point. The only thing you do is keep going, keep playing, keep fighting, and they are.”

Bochy rarely uses a word like “embarrassing” to describe his team’s play. Belt, who has a .228 batting average despite a team-leading 14 homers, had no counterargument.

“I think that’s a pretty good word to use,” he said. “It is embarrassing to come out and lose every day, especially with the guys we have. That’s why we’ve won World Series. We want to come out here every day and win. We’ve got to try what we can to turn this thing around.

“The way I look at it, we had a great first half last year and a bad second half. Hopefully we reverse it this year and have a good second half.”

To convert Belt’s words into numbers, the Giants are 57-92 since they rolled into the 2016 All-Star break with the best record in baseball, 57-33. That is more than enough sample size to conclude that the roster as constituted is not going to cut it. Management’s job is not deciding whether to rebuild, but how, and concluding whether the Giants should build for 2018 or 2019.

Looking at younger players who excelled at Triple-A this year is a good start, ergo Jones, who was tearing up the Pacific Coast League before the Giants summoned him to be the everyday third baseman — at least until Eduardo Nuñez comes off the disabled list.

Jones went 0-for-4 in his debut, but he made three of those outs against deGrom, the reigning National League Player of the Week, who held the Giants to Belt’s solo homer over eight innings and has a 0.72 ERA over his past three starts.

Johnny Cueto bolstered his trade value with one of his best starts of the year, allowing only Wilmer Flores’ solo homer over seven innings.

Minutes after Belt tied it, Sam Dyson, Steven Okert and George Kontos all pitched in the eighth, and each allowed a hit to his first batter, starting with Curtis Granderson’s triple off Dyson. The Mets ended the inning with a 4-1 lead. The Giants’ 50th loss was in the bag.

“It is hard to believe,” Bochy said. “It’s hard to make sense of it, to be honest. We do have a lot of talent here. It shows you how every year can be different than the year before. You need normal years from your guys and some surprises, and we haven’t had that.”

San Francisco Chronicle Giants promote big-hitting prospect Ryder Jones Henry Schulman

Ryder Jones, the Giants’ third-base prospect who made his major-league debut against the Mets on Saturday, showed extreme confidence when he said he was glad to face a great pitcher like Jacob deGrom in his debut to help him get “locked in.”

Actually, after learning he was being promoted to the bigs, the 23-year-old faced deGrom on Friday night — on PlayStation.

“He threw me some good pitches,” Jones said with an absurdly straight face. “I got a knock and a popup.”

Good friend Christian Arroyo controlled deGrom on the video game. Against the real deGrom, Jones grounded out twice and flied out.

Jones is a tall left-handed hitter who batted .299 with 10 homers and a .944 OPS at Triple-A Sacramento.

“He’s a strong guy,” former RiverCats teammate Austin Slater said. “He puts the ball in the air really well, and he can drive the ball all around.”

One line on Jones’ stat history stands out, and it’s not home runs.

In 2014, the year he turned 20, he struck out 114 times in 476 combined at-bats for rookie-level Salem- Keizer, Ore., and low Class A Augusta, Ga. Since then his strikeouts have fallen as he has risen to tougher leagues: 80 in 432 at-bats in 2015 at high-A San Jose; 79 in 473 at-bats last year at Double-A Richmond, Va.; 26 in 197 at-bats at Sacramento this year.

“I think patience at the plate has been the biggest thing for me,” he said. “All of the years in low minors I was a little too aggressive, a little too antsy.”

So he swung at everything, hoping to put the ball in play. Jones learned to be more selective, looking for good pitches to drive, picking a side of the plate on which to focus and spitting at everything else.

Once he did that, his strikeouts fell and his power rose.

“The biggest thing is not trying to impress people and just be yourself,” he said. “I was 19, 20. I wanted to be worth the second-round pick, so I thought I had to hit a home run, steal a base, make the plays every time, and you can’t do that.”

Hill gone: To clear a spot for Jones the Giants designated Aaron Hill for assignment. Hill was hitting .132 and had no real role on a rebuilding team.

Whither Hwang: Jones’ promotion does not bode well for minor-leaguer Jae-gyun Hwang, who is hitting well at Sacramento but does not have a spot with the Giants, who need to look at future starting position players rather than potential role players.

Hwang has the right to opt out of his minor-league deal next week. It’s not clear what Hwang will do, but the Giants do not appear to be spurred by the potential opt-out to bring the 29-year-old to the majors.

San Jose Mercury News Giants waste another Johnny Cueto gem, suffer 50th loss in just 77th game Carl Steward

SAN FRANCISCO — There’s still another week until July rolls around, but the Giants are outrunning the calendar to failure of historic proportions. They are now halfway to 100 losses after just 77 games.

Even with Johnny Cueto on the mound and highly touted prospect Ryder Jones making his major league debut, the Giants couldn’t avoid loss No. 50 Saturday at AT&T Park. Jacob DeGrom pitched eight stellar innings and the New York Mets struck for four runs in the eighth and ninth innings against the Giants’ bullpen to take a 5-2 victory.

It was San Francisco’s fourth straight defeat, 11th in 12 games and and their 17th loss in 22 games in June. At 27-50, the Giants are actually now on a pace to lose 105 games, which would be an all-time franchise worst. Losses have been coming at a rapid rate, but reaching such a mind-boggling and embarrassing milestone at this stage of the season, manager Bruce Bochy said many of veteran players have to be feeling pretty embarrassed, and Brandon Belt couldn’t disagree with that.

“I think that’s a pretty good word to use,” said Belt, whose seventh-inning solo homer briefly tied the game 1-1 until the bullpen gave it away. “It is embarrassing to come out and lose every day, especially with this group of guys we have and just the mentality we have of wanting to win. That’s how we won World Series in the past … we want to win. So when you’re losing as much as this, it is embarrassing. So we’re trying to do whatever we can to turn this around.”

If the Giants do manage to turn it around, they’ll have to do it with a different kind of mix of older veterans and green youngsters who are now getting a chance to show their major-league worthiness with the club so far out of contention.

“This is a good time for them,” Bochy said. “This is what they play for, to get up here and show what they can do, show that they can play in the major leagues. Between Jones and (Austin) Slater and (Kyle) Crick, because of our situation, we’re going to take a look at these guys. You know there’s going to be growing pains with them, but we haven’t been playing great baseball. So it’s time for them to get a look.”

Clearly, this is an uncomfortable development for Bochy, who admitted he has difficulty comprehending that the Giants have lost 50 games in the 2017 season so quickly and depressingly.

“It is hard to believe,” he said. “I don’t think any of us saw this coming and it’s hard to make sense of it, to be honest, because we do have a lot of talent here. It just shows you every year can different than the year before even though you have close to the same players. You need your normal years from your guys and maybe a surprise or two, and we haven’t quite had that.

“It’s hard to put it together,” Bochy continued. “We get good pitching, we can’t score enough runs, or vice versa. It’s been a tough grind. But we have a lot of baseball left and we have a lot of pride. The last thing we want to do is continue this, trust me.”

It would help some if they could avoid guys like DeGrom (7-3) when things are going this badly. The Giants had very little success against the tall, hard-throwing right-hander. He pitched eight innings and allowed just four hits and a walk and struck out seven. He rebuffed his only real jam in the fourth when the Giants had runners at first and third and just one out, striking out Belt and Brandon Crawford in succession.

Cueto was pretty much DeGrom’s match, however, going the first seven innings and allowing just five hits and one run, a two-out, two-strike home run to Wilmer Flores in the fourth inning. Belt ripped a first-pitch opposite-field homer to left-center, his 14th of the season, to get him off the hook.

It was the second straight strong outing for Cueto, which, if nothing else, could enhance his trade value in the coming weeks. Even though he surrendered the homer to Flores on a changeup that he got too far up in the zone, he’s gotten better at avoiding the long ball. He came into the game having surrendered 17 homers this season.

“At the beginning, I was leaving pitches high and I was paying the price for it,” Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “I think as of late, I’ve been able to locate my pitches, working the corners and pitching down.”

After Cueto departed, the tie game was very short-lived. Recently acquired right-hander Sam Dyson was Bochy’s choice to relieve Cueto, and Dyson (0-1) promptly surrendered a leadoff triple into right-center to Curtis Granderson and a walk to Asdrubal Cabrera. Both runners eventually scored, and then the Mets tacked on two more against Crick in the ninth.

Jones started at third went 0 for 4 in his big league debut with three ground outs and a short fly out to center field.

San Jose Mercury News After learning of call-up, Giants’ Ryder Jones opts for PlayStation preview of Mets’ DeGrom Carl Steward

SAN FRANCISCO — Desperate for an infusion of young talent and energy, the Giants purchased the contract of infielder Ryder Jones from Triple-A Sacramento Saturday and Jones was immediately thrust into the lineup against the New York Mets and one of baseball’s best pitchers, hard-throwing Jacob DeGrom.

“I’d want it to be a big name, I think it’s more exciting, and it’ll help me lock in,” Jones said after arriving at AT&T Park Saturday morning following the quick flight from Sacramento. “It’ll be weird because I’ve only faced him in `MLB The Show.’ ”

Jones said he had two at-bats against DeGrom on the popular electronic simulation game with Arroyo at DeGrom’s controls following the River Cats’ doubleheader.

“We were just messing around,” he said. “I think I got a knock, maybe a popup. Arroyo was manning the DeGrom and he threw me some good pitches.”

As for what he may expect from the real DeGrom in the real MLB “show,” Jones turned serious.

“I think I just have to treat it like any other pitcher,” he said. “He’s obviously as good pitcher with a good fastball, good slider, likes to pitch up in the zone a little bit. So I’m just going to try to get up there, see some pitches, have good at-bats and try to help.”

The Giants designated veteran utilityman Aaron Hill for assignment to make room for the 23-year-old Jones, who in his first full season at Triple-A was hitting .299 with 16 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs in 53 games for the River Cats.

According to manager Bruce Bochy, Jones will almost all of the time at third base as long as Eduardo Nunez on the disabled list, even though he is capable of playing first base and both corner outfield spots. Third base is his natural position.

Jones has been swinging a particularly hot bat of late. In 18 games during June, the left-handed batter is hitting .343 (23 for 67) with five home runs and 14 RBIs.

Hill, 34, was signed to a incentive-laden $2 million contract to provide veteran bench strength to a team that expected to contend. But plagued by back spasms, Hill hit just .132 (9 for 68) in 34 games for the Giants, and considering the club’s non-contending situation, he was expendable. It is unlikely he’ll accept a minor-league assignment, so the Giants have 10 days to either trade him or release him once he passes through waivers.

Jones, a Seattle native, was the Giants’ second-round selection in the 2013 amateur draft. He will wear No. 63 for San Francisco. MLB.com Moore seeks to build off previous outing Anthony DiComo

With injuries still dictating many of their pitching decisions, the Mets on Sunday will turn yet again to Rafael Montero, a former top prospect who has spent three years bouncing between the Majors and Minors. Starting against the Giants in place of Zack Wheeler, Montero hopes to replicate the recent success he has found out of the Mets' bullpen, including a 1.35 ERA his last two long-relief outings.

"I'm very encouraged," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We will see how it pays off. As we've talked so many times, confidence is everything here. His last two relief outings, he has thrown very, very well. So I hope he just takes what he's done into [Sunday]."

The Giants will counter with left-hander Matt Moore, who is also looking to build off an encouraging outing. Carrying a 6.00 ERA into his last start in Atlanta, Moore allowed three runs over seven innings, striking out six and walking just one.

Things to know about this game • The Mets may rest outfielder Yoenis Cespedes in the finale, depending upon how his legs are feeling. The Mets are trying to be careful with Cespedes, who missed more than a month earlier this season due to a strained left hamstring.

• Moore's home-road splits are drastic. In nine starts away from San Francisco, he is 1-4 with an 8.39 ERA. But in six outings at AT&T Park, he is 2-3 with a 3.07 ERA. Moore lost to the Mets at home last season, allowing five runs in three innings.

• Collins said he will continue using Asdrubal Cabrera at second base on a regular basis, despite Cabrera's desire to play shortstop or be traded.

"I know he can play second, and I know he can play it very well," the Mets' manager said. "He's a professional."

MLB.com Cueto's gem, Belt's HR not enough vs. Mets Chris Haft and Anthony DiComo

SAN FRANCISCO -- Reaffirming his status as one of the National League's elite performers, Jacob deGrom pitched a four-hitter for eight innings Saturday to lead the Mets to a 5-2 victory over the Giants. deGrom (7-3) has worked at least eight innings in three consecutive starts, the first Met to accomplish this since Johan Santana in August 2010. He lapsed only in the seventh inning, which Brandon Belt christened with a home run. deGrom received support primarily from Wilmer Flores, who homered in the fourth inning and doubled home a run in the eighth.

"That's what I want to do every time out there," deGrom said. "That's what I expect from myself."

Giants starter Johnny Cueto received a no-decision but pitched magnificently, yielding one run and five hits in seven innings.

"He looked great, didn't he? He was right on with his stuff," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. That wasn't enough to avert San Francisco's 11th loss in 12 games. The Giants (27-50) reached the 50- loss mark by their 77th game only one other time during the modern era (since 1900). That was in 1902.

"I don't think any of us saw this coming, and it's hard to make sense of it, to be honest," Bochy said. "Because we do have a lot of talent here. It just shows you, every year can be different from the year before. Even though you have close to the same players, you need your normal years from your guys, maybe a surprise or two. We haven't quite had that. ... To be honest, it can be embarrassing, 50 losses at this point. The only thing you can do is keep going, keep playing, keep fighting. And that's happening."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Holding fourth: deGrom faced a mini-jam in the fourth inning when the Giants had runners on the corners with one out. The right-hander asserted himself admirably by striking out Belt and Brandon Crawford back-to-back for two of his seven punchouts.

"He can get a strikeout when he wants. He has that ability," Bochy said of deGrom.

"You face a tough pitcher like that, you hope he just kind of misses his spots and you're able to scratch a few runs and win that way," Belt said.

From a bunt to a big fly: Belt tried to bunt his way aboard in his first at-bat during the second inning but couldn't push the ball past deGrom. Five innings later, Belt felt bold enough to swing away and planted deGrom's first pitch in the left-field seats, briefly tying the score.

"It caught a bit too much of the middle of the plate," deGrom said. "We started a lot of guys off with off- speed, so I think he might have been sitting on it. He still had to hit it, though, so I tip my cap to him."

QUOTABLE "Honestly, I never want to pull a ball on the ground like that. But it ended up working out there, finding the outfield, and i was timely."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Finishing 1-for-3 at the plate, deGrom improved his season average to .294, tops among pitchers with at least 30 at-bats. Among pitchers who have batted at least 100 times since deGrom's rookie season in 2014, only Madison Bumgarner, Tyson Ross and the late Jose Fernandez have posted higher averages than deGrom's .204 mark.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Giants went to a replay review on what would have been the final out of the game. A review showed that Belt beat out a ninth-inning throw to first base. Belt later came around to score on Crawford's single.

Mets: Rafael Montero will make his third start of the season in place of injured teammate Zack Wheeler in Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET finale between the Mets and Giants at AT&T Park. Though Montero is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA as a starter this season, the Mets hope a pair of recent strong relief outings will buoy him to greater success against the Giants. Giants: Left-hander Matt Moore will attempt to turn his fortunes around when he confronts the Mets in Sunday's 1:05 p.m. PT series finale. Moore's 5.82 ERA is among the highest in the NL. He's also 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in two lifetime appearances against the Mets.

MLB.com Giants promote prospect Jones, designate Hill Chris Haft

SAN FRANCISCO -- As Ryder Jones absorbed his promotion to the Giants, the third-base prospect experienced how life imitates modern technology.

Jones, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Sacramento, was immediately thrust into San Francisco's lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets and their formidable right-hander, Jacob deGrom. Jones went 0-for-4 in the Giants' 5-2 loss.

"That's a tough matchup for him in his first game," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "When [deGrom is] on, he's as good as anybody in the game. They pitched him tough. But you know what? He got some good swings, and that's all you want."

Though this game marked Jones' Major League debut, he revealed that he had faced deGrom before -- on Friday night, while playing "MLB: The Show" with injured teammate Christian Arroyo. "Just messing around," Jones said. "I got a knock, maybe a popup. Arroyo was manning deGrom. He threw me some good pitches."

Jones, 23, likely will see all kinds of pitches in the near future. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Jones, the Giants' No. 27 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, will play third base regularly until Eduardo Nunez (left hamstring) makes his anticipated return from the disabled list in late June.

Jones' ascent is part of the Giants' efforts to evaluate their supply of Minor League talent at the Major League level, given their downfall from contender status.

Hence the presence of left fielder Austin Slater, 24, in the lineup with Jones, as well as right-hander Kyle Crick, 24, in the bullpen. As of June 1, all three were on Sacramento's roster.

"Unfortunately, we've put ourselves in a position here where we're going to take a look at some younger players," Bochy said. "But the good thing is that these guys are getting a chance to show us what they can do. They're going to get some experience up here, and playing time will be invaluable for them."

To clear roster space room for Jones, the Giants designated veteran infielder Aaron Hill for assignment. A non-roster invitee to Spring Training, Hill batted .132 with four extra-base hits and seven RBIs in 34 games with the Giants this season.

Jones earned his ticket to San Francisco by hitting .299 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 33 RBIs in 53 games with Sacramento. He has played first base and the outfield corners this year, giving him versatility that Bochy likely will find handy.

Jones entered this season with a pedestrian .253 career Minor League batting average in four seasons after the Giants drafted him in the second round in 2013. But he said that he experienced a "turning point" last year by gaining patience during his at-bats. He led Double-A Richmond with 15 home runs and 67 RBIs, then proceeded to post a .302/.380/.429 slash line in 18 games with Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League.

"Fall League was huge because I didn't play every day, so I learned how to stay locked in," Jones said. "I also learned how to study games and study pitchers and see what they throw." Clearly improving, Jones batted .385 (5-for-13) with a double and a home run in 16 Cactus League games this year.

"He can put the ball in the air," said Slater, citing a priority for contemporary hitters. Jones admitted that being a second-round pick created self-imposed pressure.

"You want to be worth [it]," Jones said. "So you want to go out there and hit home runs, steal bases and make plays that you shouldn't make. You get in trouble doing that."

Bochy lavished praise upon Hill, calling him "one of my favorite players in the short time I've had him. What a pro he was."

Asked if Hill, 35, could help a young, contending team as an influential veteran presence, Bochy said the veteran could do so. "Without question," said Bochy. "He's not a .120 hitter. Every time he went up there, I felt good, like something was going to happen."

NBC Sports Bay Area Latest Round Of Bullpen Auditions Go Poorly In Giants' 50th Loss Alex Pavlovic

SAN FRANCISCO -- Practically speaking, the 50th loss is no different than the one before or the one after, but this sport is built on milestones, and this one came quickly.

The Giants lost their 50th game on August 12 last year. This season, it was clinched when Ryder Jones grounded out in his fourth career at-bat, handing the Mets a 5-2 win on June 24.

Bruce Bochy called losing 50 of your first 77 games "hard to believe" and "embarrassing." Johnny Cueto, who went seven strong, said the reality was "hard and sad." Brandon Belt, who got Cueto off the hook for a loss, agreed with his manager.

"That's a pretty good word to use -- it is embarrassing to come out and lose every day, especially with the group of guys we have," Belt said. "When you're losing as much as this, it is embarrassing. We're trying to do whatever we can to turn this thing around."

Lately, that has meant changes to the roster. It is officially audition season, and in that respect, it was not a particularly inspiring day for the bullpen. The Giants felt they would have a better mix this year, but it hasn't played out. Instead, they're once again trying to find pieces for the next successful Giants bullpen.

With Hunter Strickland suspended and Derek Law in the minors, two young relievers, a middle-innings stalwart, and a newcomer pitched the final two frames. They gave up four runs.

Sam Dyson was the first on the mound in the eighth. Belt had homered a few minutes earlier, tying a good starter's duel. Dyson gave up a leadoff triple to Curtis Granderson and walked Asdrubal Cabrera before throwing two good sliders past Yoenis Cespedes for the strikeout. With two lefties coming up and the go-ahead run still on third, Bochy turned to Steven Okert. He immediately gave up a seeing-eye RBI single to Jay Bruce. Wilmer Flores doubled off George Kontos later in the frame to make it 3-1.

In the ninth, Kyle Crick showed some of the wildness that kept him in the minors for seven years. He, too, gave up a leadoff triple, a sin you always pay for. A walk helped put another run into scoring position and a wild pitch extended the Mets’ lead to four.

Before the game, Bochy talked of getting an extended look at Jones. He was 0-for-4 in his first big league game but he’ll be back out there tomorrow. It’s time to fight for a job, and the same holds true of some relievers who didn’t fare well Saturday. It is a group with a closer locked into a longterm deal and little else decided.

Are Strickland or Law eighth-inning guys? Will Dyson be a worthwhile reclamation project? Will Kontos be back, and will he carve out a different role? Are Okert and Josh Osich capable of giving Bochy lefties he trusts? Is Crick’s improvement in Triple-A a sign of things to come? There are many questions to be answered over the next three months.

“This is a good time for them, this is what players get up here for, to show what they can do,” Bochy said. “Because of our situation, we’re going to take a look at these guys and we know there are going to be growing pains.”

NBC Sports Bay Area Instant Analysis: Five Takeaways From Giants' 50th Loss Of The Season Alex Pavlovic

SAN FRANCISCO — The promotion of an intriguing prospect can bring a certain buzz to the ballpark. It didn’t last long.

The debut of Ryder Jones came in the latest flat performance from the Giants, who collapsed late and fell 5-2 to the Mets. The loss was their 50th of the season. They did not lose their 50th game last season until August 12.

With the score tied in the eighth, Curtis Granderson crushed a leadoff triple into the alley. Sam Dyson walked the next batter and then whiffed Yoenis Cespedes, but Jay Bruce greeted Steven Okert with an RBI single to right. It kept going poorly from there.

Here are five things to know from a cool day by the water …

—- Jones grounded out to second in his first at-bat and then flied out to center, grounded out to first, and grounded out to second. He had one chance in the field, starting a double play that ended the second inning.

—- Johnny Cueto seems to have turned a corner. Over his past two starts, he has allowed just three earned runs over 14 innings. Whether they trade him or not, the Giants certainly could use a nice little hot streak for the next six weeks.

—- A few seconds after Bruce Bochy shook Cueto’s hand, Brandon Belt got him off the hook for a loss. He hit the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh into the seats in left-center, tying the game. The homer was Belt’s 14th. He’s on pace for 29.

—- The Mets got eight one-run innings out of Jacob deGrom, who is quietly the most reliable of a star- studded rotation. He struck out seven and gave up just four hits.

—- If Madison Bumgarner wants another Silver Slugger Award, he’ll have to chase down deGrom, who hit a homer in his last start. His single in the third was his 10th hit, and he finished the day with a .294 average.

NBC Sports Bay Area Jones Finally Gets The Call, Will Be Giants' Everyday Third Baseman For Now Alex Pavlovic

SAN FRANCISCO — Ryder Jones is 23 years old and Christian Arroyo just turned 22, so when Jones got the call to the big leagues, the first step in the preparation process was about what you would expect. Jones and Arroyo fired up the PlayStation and Arroyo started pumping pitches as Jacob deGrom, the starter Jones will face in his debut Saturday.

“I faced him last night and got a hit and a pop-up,” Jones said, smiling.

The real thing will be considerably tougher, but Jones said he’s looking forward to the challenge, noting that deGrom will help make his debut that much more memorable. The Giants are looking forward to the debut, too. Jones is a player Bruce Bochy has been eyeing for a while, and he has finally been deemed ready.

While Eduardo Nuñez is on the disabled list, Jones will be the everyday third baseman. He’s hitting seventh Saturday, one spot ahead of 24-year-old Austin Slater. Arroyo is sidelined by a bone bruise but he should join the other two at some point later this season.

“Unfortunately we’ve put ourselves in a position here (with our record) where we’re going to look at younger players, but the good thing is that these guys are going to get a chance to show what they can do,” Bochy said. “They’re going to get some playing time. I look forward to watching him play.”

Jones took Aaron Hill’s roster spot after the veteran was designated for assignment. Bochy said Hill was one of his favorite players to manage, noting his professionalism and solid at-bats, despite the .132 average. He hopes Hill gets a shot on a contender, but that won’t be the case in San Francisco this year, and the Jones promotion was the latest indication that a rebuild/reload is underway.

Drafted in the second round in 2013 — one round after Arroyo — Jones can play third, first and left field. He has more power than most in the farm system, and he’s athletic enough to handle three spots. The Giants will live with the mistakes at third for now, hopeful that the big arm can stick there.

Jones was batting .299 with 10 homers and 16 doubles in 53 games for the River Cats. The knock on him has always been a lack of patience at the plate, but he has upped his on-base percentage to .390, a jump of 99 points from his 2016 season in Double-A. In June, Jones had put together a .343/.450/.701 slash line.

“Patience at the plate is the biggest thing for me,” he said. “If you look at all my years in the minors, I was a little aggressive and antsy. You learn as you get older that you have to pick a pitch you can drive.”

The new approach has Jones in a big league lineup -- the real thing, not the video game version. He went millennial with his preparation, but his promotion was as old-school as it gets. The River Cats have a doubleheader Saturday and when Jones reached third base in Friday night’s game, manager Dave Brundage told him he would get one of the two games off.

“I told him I could play two,” Jones said. “I know we have some older guys there.”

Brundage called him in later and told him he would only be playing the night game on Saturday.

“But you’ll be in San Francisco,” the manager added.

Jones called his parents, who will be in attendance, along with his brother and girlfriend. Then he fired up the PlayStation, packed, and prepared for a short flight to San Francisco. He was still so fired up Saturday morning that he couldn’t handle more than a 30-minute nap.

“I didn’t know what time I could come to the park,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep.”

NBC Sports Bay Area Down On The Farm: Is There A Two-Way Star In Mlb's Future? Alex Pavlovic

This game is supposed to be hard. Somehow in the 2017 MLB Draft, two of the top prospects have so much talent they put teams in a tough spot.

High School phenom Hunter Greene and University of Louisville star Brendan McKay were both options to go No. 1 overall to the Minnesota Twins. The only question with them was, where would they play? No, this isn't because the two are DH-type players who can't stay on the field. Instead, the two are marvels at the plate and on the mound, making the idea of a possible two-way MLB star, start to seem real.

“I think it’s really just that hard," says Sacramento River Cats pitcher Michael Roth. "I don’t really know if that’s possible."

If it was up to Roth, he would have made MLB scouts fret over what to label him as well. Roth, who wound up as a College World Series legend on the mound for South Carolina, came to the school with intentions of a career at first base.

The most games Roth appeared in as a hitter in college were 17 as a senior. He batted .211 that season and the lefty wound up going to the Angels in the ninth round of the draft after completing one of the greatest college careers ever as a pitcher.

As strictly a pitcher, and serving as both a starter and reliever, Roth knows the rigors he must put in before a game. This is hours of work, all prior to a three-hour game.

"From a pitcher’s perspective, I know how much work goes into honing our craft and you’re never perfect," said Roth. "I mean, you’re always working on it and there’s still something each day that you don’t think you did well enough."

With his past of a former two-way player himself in college who focused more on offense when first arriving on campus, Roth says the same when it comes to position players.

"I mean they have to put time into honing their craft whether it be on the field fielding ground balls or taking fly balls in the outfield and then taking swings. And it’s a lot of work,” Roth continues.

For Greene and McKay, the numbers speak for themselves. Maybe they really are the ones.

Greene, a 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher and shortstop, hit .324 with six home runs in 30 games as a senior at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif. On the mound, with a fastball that can touch 102 miles per hour, Greene allowed a total of three earned runs in 28 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts.

Maybe he is the one.

College baseball's Colossus of Clout put up numbers among the best bats and arms in the country for the Cardinals. McKay led Louisville to the College World Series where his amateur career ended in a 4-3 loss to TCU, going out with a bang as he bashed his 18th home run of the year, 20 rows deep into the right-field bleachers. He finished his junior year at the plate hitting .341 with 18 home runs. His pitching stats weren’t far behind, going 11-3 as he posted a 2.56 ERA and struck out 146 in 109 innings pitched.

McKay is the only person to win the John Olerud Award, given to the top two-way college baseball player in the country, more than once. He won it three straight years, every single season of his college career.

Maybe he is the one.

These are two supreme athletes at 17 years old (Greene) and 21 (McKay). They have not peaked and theoretically can only improve their bodies in the next few years. That’s not the problem.

“As a pitcher, we’re constantly doing things for our body and same thing for position players,” Roth said. “That’s the biggest thing, recovery.

“I remember days where I would actually pitch and hit sometimes. I would start on a Friday and then every once in a while on Sunday I would get the DH spot in college and at DH sometimes I could feel on the follow through of my swing, I was tight in my shoulder. Things like that can inhibit your swing.”

On draft night, Greene went No. 2 overall to the Reds while McKay was selected No. 4 overall by the Rays. Officially, Greene was announced as a right-handed pitcher and McKay a first baseman. Maybe their way to the majors is a one-way street. But maybe in the case of Greene or McKay, there's a two- lane road.

Roth is running down the path of a realist. Don’t mistake him for a pessimist. Like any other baseball fan or player that grew up throwing as hard as they could and trying to hit balls to sights unseen, he wants to see a two-way star in the bigs.

“I just don’t know how it would really work. Obviously, they’d have to be a specimen too,” Roth said before he smiles with a short laugh and says, “I think that would be really cool if someone could do it because that means they’re a freak. That would be cool, but tough.”

All it takes is one.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat Giants hit the 50-loss mark Gideon Rubin

SAN FRANCISCO — Jacob deGrom pitched eight strong innings and Wilmer Flores hit a home run and drove in two runs as the New York Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Saturday.

DeGrom (7-3) struck out seven and allowed one run while scattering four hits to lead the Mets to their second win in a row after they had lost four straight and seven of eight entering the series. It was also the third straight game deGrom pitched at least eight full innings.

The Giants, who are on pace to lose more than 100 games for the first time since arriving on the West Coast, continued their freefall. They’ve lost 11 of their last 12 games, 13 of 15 and 20 of their last 25.

Curtis Granderson tripled off Sam Dyson (0-1) to lead off the eighth inning and scored on Jay Bruce’s RBI single. Flores doubled in Asdrubal Cabrera later in the inning to extend the lead to 3-1. The Mets made it a four-run lead in the ninth when Michael Conforto drove in Jose Reyes and later scored on a wild pitch.

Brandon Belt homered in the seventh for the Giants.

Johnny Cueto started for the Giants and kept pace with deGrom, whom he beat in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series with Kansas City. Cueto allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. His biggest mistake was a 2-2 changeup he left over the middle of the plate that Flores clubbed into the left-field bleachers for his seventh homer.

The Giants trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh when Belt hit an opposite-field homer to left off deGrom. Belt’s team-leading 14th home run came on a hanging first-pitch curveball.

Asdrubal Cabrera, whose request to be traded on Friday triggered some controversy in the Mets’ clubhouse, was 2 for 3 with two walks. The veteran shortstop, who’s 5 for 9 since coming off the disabled list, was at second base — a move he was unhappy about — for a second straight day. He made a tough play fielding a grounder well to his left to rob Austin Slater of a hit in the bottom of the fifth

HOMER HAPPY

Flores’ homer was the Mets’ 42nd this month, the most they’ve hit in June in franchise history. Their record for home runs hit in any month is 45.

DAYTIME DOMINANCE

DeGrom continued his pattern of dominant daytime pitching (games that start before 5 p.m.). His 1.69 ERA in day games is the lowest among those with 200 daytime innings pitched in the majors since 1913.

TRANSACTIONS

Giants INF Ryder Jones was called up from Triple-A Sacramento. The 23-year-old was 0 for 3 in his big league debut. INF Aaron Hill was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

RHP Rafael Montero (0-4, 6.49 ERA) will return to the bullpen as the Mets go from a six-man rotation back to five after Monday’s off day, manager Terry Collins said. Montero is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two spot starts. LHP Matt Moore (3-7, 5.82) is 1-1 with an 8.55 ERA in four starts in June. He’s 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.

ESPN Giants rookie Ryder Jones uses video game to prep for Mets' Jacob deGrom ESPN.com News Services

San Francisco Giants infielder Ryder Jones was excited to be making his major league debut against a "big name," so he prepped for New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom by getting in a few practice at-bats -- on PlayStation.

Jones, who started Saturday against the Mets after getting called up from Triple-A Sacramento earlier in the day, popped in his "MLB The Show" game on Friday night, with Sacramento teammate Christian Arroyo playing the part of deGrom on the controller.

"I'd want it to be a big name, I think it's more exciting, and it'll help me lock in," Jones told reporters prior to Saturday's game. "It'll be weird because I've only faced him in 'MLB The Show.'"

How'd he fare?

Jones did about as good as he did in the live game against deGrom. He told reporters he went 0-for-2 on the PlayStation game. He was 0-for-3 with two groundouts and a fly out in the Giants' 5-2 loss on Saturday night.

"We were just messing around," the 23-year-old Jones said of his preparation technique. "I think I got a knock, maybe a popup. Arroyo was manning the deGrom and he threw me some good pitches."

Jones, who will play third base while Eduardo Nunez is on the disabled list, was hitting .299 with 10 home runs in 53 games for Sacramento. He was the Giants' second-round pick in the 2013 draft.

ESPN Jacob deGrom shines as Mets top Giants 5-2 Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was by chance that Jacob deGrom recently developed a new throwing program. If the early returns are any indication, it seems to be working nicely.

DeGrom pitched eight strong innings and Wilmer Flores homered and drove in two runs as the New York Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Saturday.

He happened to overhear John Smoltz explain the benefits of throwing two light bullpen outings between starts over one heavy one during a game in which the Hall of Famer was a television commentator at Citi Field. DeGrom tried it about a month ago, and the right-hander said his comfort level and fastball command have improved since he started throwing twice between starts.

"I had (Smoltz's) number and texted him and said, `Do you have a minute to talk?" deGrom recalled. "And we just kind of talked about the idea behind it."

DeGrom has given up two earned runs in 26 innings over his last three starts.

"That's what an ace does," Mets right fielder Jay Bruce said. "It's at the point where now where I'm always wondering if he's going back out there for the ninth to finish the game."

The Giants (27-50), who last year had the best record in the majors at the All-Star break, are on pace to lose more than 100 games for the first time since arriving on the West Coast. They've lost 11 of their last 12 games, 13 of 15 and 20 of their last 25.

"It is hard to believe," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I don't know if anybody saw this coming. Hard to make sense of it, we have a lot of talent here. Just shows you, each year can be different, it can be embarrassing, 50 losses at this point, but we'll get this thing better and figured out."

Curtis Granderson tripled off Sam Dyson (0-1) to lead off the eighth inning and scored on Bruce's RBI single.

Johnny Cueto allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. His biggest mistake was a 2-2 changeup he left over the middle of the plate that Flores clubbed into the left-field bleachers for his seventh homer.

"I wanted to get that pitch down and I left it up, and he beat me," Cueto said.

The Giants trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh when Belt hit an opposite-field homer to left off deGrom. Belt's team-leading 14th home run came on a hanging first-pitch curveball.

Asdrubal Cabrera, whose request to be traded on Friday triggered some controversy in the Mets' clubhouse, was 2 for 3 with two walks. The veteran shortstop, who's 5 for 9 since coming off the disabled list, was at second base -- a move he was unhappy about -- for a second straight day. He made a tough play fielding a grounder well to his left to rob Austin Slater of a hit in the bottom of the fifth

HOMER HAPPY

Flores' homer was the Mets' 42nd this month, the most they've hit in June in franchise history. Their record for home runs hit in any month is 45.

DAYTIME DOMINANCE

TRANSACTIONS

Giants INF Ryder Jones was called up from Triple-A Sacramento. The 23-year-old was 0 for 3 in his big league debut. INF Aaron Hill was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

RHP Rafael Montero (0-4, 6.49 ERA) will return to the bullpen as the Mets go from a six-man rotation back to five after Monday's off day, manager Terry Collins said. Montero is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two spot starts. LHP Matt Moore (3-7, 5.82) is 1-1 with an 8.55 ERA in four starts in June. He's 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.

ESPN Which MLB defenses have an edge? Alex Vigderman

We are getting to the end of the third month of the season, which means that we stop talking about players and teams off to hot or cold starts and start talking about how their year looks. This can be good or bad news for teams -- good for surprise contenders like the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees, and bad for teams in big holes like the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. What this time of year does afford us, though, is the ability to take what a team has done so far this year on its own merit and not refer back to the previous season as much.

With that in mind, I wanted to take a broad view of the league's defensive landscape, assessing where teams stand relative to each other by defensive runs saved (DRS) and seeing where some clubs have an opportunity to improve. To give some analytical rigor to the proceedings, I took a weighted average of each team's total DRS the last two seasons. This season's total was prorated to a full season, and then the two seasons were averaged with two parts 2017 and one part 2016. This allows 2017 to count more, but doesn't fully discount what a team did last year, as most players are still on the same team and we don't want to overvalue results from this year alone. Then I ranked each team by this weighted average, and grouped the teams into tiers based on those values.

Weighted Average of Team DRS, 2016-17

Baseball Info Solutions Let's see how these teams have found themselves in these tiers with their play over the last year and a half. While it's convenient that there are such clean gaps between tiers, this really is a bit too many groups to work with, especially toward the bottom of the list. So I'll go over some of these tiers in pairs to avoid over-categorizing.

Tier 1: The Blue Bloods

Who: Cubs, Rays and Red Sox

It has not been smooth sailing for the reigning champs, but the Cubs' defense still deserves respect. Their record-setting 107 runs saved from last season does have some sway here, but they shouldn't be sold short after declining in 2017. The departure of David Ross and the integration of Kyle Schwarber were expected to hurt -- but not destroy -- the team's defense, and we are seeing that play out. The Cubs are still in the top 10 in DRS this season, getting outstanding work from Jason Heyward and Addison Russell (24 runs saved between them). One weak link has been reigning MVP Kris Bryant, who saved at least four runs with his range and positioning alone in each of his first two years at third base but has cost the Cubs four runs at the hot corner this season.

Outfield DRS Leaders, 2016-17 TEAM OUTFIELD DRS Red Sox 67 Royals 50 Rays 41 Yankees 37 Astros 35 Cubs 31 The Rays are usually led by Kevin Kiermaier, perhaps the best defensive player in the league. He trails only Mookie Betts in runs saved since the start of last season and has done so in fewer innings than most of the players just below him. We have praised Kiermaier before, but while he recovers from a hairline fracture in his hip, it's worth noting this team has performed well across the board and leads the league in DRS, getting above-average contributions from every position but second base this season. Where the Rays are really excelling this year in particular is with their infield shifts. The team that started the trend -- they led the league in shifts in each of the 2010-12 seasons, and have remained in the top five since -- leads the league with 18 runs saved with the shift this season after saving half that amount all of last season.

An outfield that knows how to dance as well as make plays in the field has driven the Red Sox to their lofty position, as they lead the majors in runs saved by outfielders over the last two seasons by 17 runs. Mookie Betts outpaced all defenders last season with 32 runs saved, and currently leads the league with 17. He is essentially a center fielder playing in right, which is a luxury that the Red Sox are afforded by having Jackie Bradley Jr. around (17 runs saved in center since 2016).

Tier 2: Preseason Contenders ... and the Reds Who: Astros, Dodgers, Indians, Rangers and Reds

Let's start with the one team on this list that didn't fancy itself a contender at the start of the year and was actually one of the worst defensive teams last season. The Reds have perhaps the single flashiest defender in Billy Hamilton, a speedster who saved 15 runs in center field last season. Hamilton has been more pedestrian in 2017, but Cincinnati's infielders have saved 26 runs across those six positions so far after costing the team 36 runs last season. In particular, first baseman Joey Votto has bounced back from a bizarre down year in which he cost the team 14 runs after saving no fewer than four runs in each of the previous six seasons, and third baseman Eugenio Suarez came out hot on both sides of the ball after being at best an average player previously.

Shift Runs Saved Leaders, 2016-17 TEAM SHIFTS SHIFT RUNS SAVED Indians 1154 38 Mariners 2199 36 Brewers 2308 34 Astros 2500 34 White Sox 1464 33 The reigning AL champs did themselves a big favor by sending Tyler Naquin down earlier in the year (he cost the team 17 runs in center field last season) and bringing up Bradley Zimmer, who has already saved four runs in around 200 innings at the position, primarily by throwing out three runners attempting to advance. Another big reason why the Indians have had so much defensive success is that, despite being middle of the road in terms of the raw number of shifts, they lead the league in shift runs saved over the last two seasons.

The rest of this tier is marked by teams with fairly deep groups of position players who can be mixed and matched in a way that can help both offensively and defensively. The Astros have a few more defensive liabilities to work around, so having Josh Reddick struggle defensively in right field has been a bit of an unhappy surprise. It might benefit him to play a little deeper despite playing in a smaller home park than he's used to, as he made 30 plays above average on deep balls over the previous six years but has made four plays below average on those plays so far this year.

Tier 3: The Upper Middle Class Who: Angels, Brewers, Cardinals, Mariners, Rockies, Twins, White Sox and Yankees

This is a pretty big group to round out the good defensive squads, but there are some ties that bind them. Start with the importance of outfield defense in today's game. Much has been made about the Twins' outfield defense this year, as Byron Buxton's defensive breakout and the move away from using Robbie Grossman in the outfield have done wonders for them. The Yankees have had a solid outfield group as long as Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury have manned left and center field, and Aaron Judge has defied expectations nearly as much with his quality glove (four runs saved this season) as with his bat. And the Mariners made moves in the offseason to specifically improve their outfield defense, a strategy that has turned them from a significantly below-average group (minus-27 DRS in 2016) to a significantly above-average one (plus-29 DRS in 2017).

The Mariners, Brewers and White Sox all appeared in the table of teams that are getting good results with the shift, but they are also three of the four shift-happiest teams in the majors this season. Among them, only the White Sox shifted substantially less last season.

Of course, each of these teams has warts that are slightly obscured by this success. The Mariners have had the second-worst group of catchers defensively this season, costing them 10 runs, split mostly between Mike Zunino and Carlos Ruiz; it's time for the team to pursue an alternative to Ruiz given his struggles with the bat as well. Milwaukee's Keon Broxton has cost more runs in center field this season (minus-10) than he saved last season (plus-9). It might just be a matter of gaining consistency, since most of his drop-off has come on plays at a medium distance that don't require athleticism as much as route efficiency, good initial reads and a secure glove.

The Rockies and Angels show the difference the catcher makes. Colorado has four catchers who have each cost the team at least two runs (Tony Wolters, Dustin Garneau, Ryan Hanigan and Tom Murphy), while the Angels are getting the best defense behind the plate in MLB this season thanks to Martin Maldonado and Juan Graterol. Colorado is basically being buoyed by third baseman Nolan Arenado, whose 34 runs saved the last two seasons is the difference between the team being above-average and below-average defensively.

Tier 4: The Middle Class Who: Blue Jays, Braves, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Pirates and Royals

These are all clubs with average defense when you look at the last two seasons -- they're doing fine, but they could do better. Since there aren't as many great performers to highlight, we'll focus on the opportunities some of these teams have for improvement.

The Royals have been rotating multiple well-below-average defenders in right field named Jorge (Bonifacio and Soler). Perhaps once Paulo Orlando heals up from a fractured shin, he could return to gain some playing time in right, where he saved five runs for the Royals in just over a half-season last year. If Bonifacio then ends up taking DH at-bats from a slumping Brandon Moss, the Royals could net a gain on both sides of the ball.

The Diamondbacks made a big financial commitment to slugger Yasmany Tomas, but they've had to pay extra on defense, as he's cost them 23 runs the last two years combined in the outfield corners and third base, including a league-worst 11 runs with his throwing arm. Things should soon improve for them overall when A.J. Pollock returns from the DL to patrol center field, but once Tomas comes back from his own injury the D-backs could benefit by expanding the defensive opportunities for super utility man Chris Owings in left field, taking away some defensive innings from Tomas and opening more up for defensive whiz Nick Ahmed at shortstop, where Owings splits time when he isn't platooning with David Peralta in right field.

Tiers 5 and 6: Teams with Problems

Who: Giants, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Padres, Phillies and Tigers

These are the teams that are solidly below average, with only one of these clubs being above average defensively in either of the last two years -- the Giants. Focusing on them, they've managed to go from a top-five defensive team in 2016 to a bottom-five team in 2017. In fact, they have fielded the two worst defenders in the league this season in third baseman/outfielder Eduardo Nunez and center fielder Denard Span. Unfortunately, their other center fielder, Gorkys Hernandez, has cost the team nine runs himself.

The Giants' plummet has also been keyed by dramatic underperformance from two up-the-middle mainstays in Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford. The DRS drop-offs from those two stars between 2016 and 2017 are among the worst in the league, joining Span in that distinction. Posey appears to be losing his pitch-framing touch, a skill that saved no fewer than eight runs in each of the previous five seasons but has actually cost the Giants a run so far this year. At age 30, it makes sense that Posey might start losing this skill, as it is one that requires fine motor control. (Jonathan Lucroy serves as another recent example of a pitch-framing paragon losing his touch.)

As for Crawford, his crossing the age-30 threshold has brought with it a disappearance of his exceptional defensive range. He saved 16 runs with his range and positioning in both 2015 and 2016, but has been merely average this year.

Largest Negative DRS Differential, 2016-17 With 2017 prorated from innings played in 2016. PLAYER POSITION 2016 DRS INNINGS 2017 DRS INNINGS PRORATED DIFFERENCE Ryan Braun LF 6 1102 -7 222 -35 -41 Buster Posey C 23 1070 -3 419 -8 -31 Joc Pederson CF 1 1032 -9 324 -29 -30 Denard Span CF -7 1191 -12 405 -35 -28 Brandon Crawford SS 20 1309 -1 483 -3 -23 With few position-player prospects with premium defensive skills due to arrive in San Francisco any time soon, it doesn't seem like the Giants will have much help available on defense to turn around their 57-90 record since the 2016 All-Star break.

Tier 7: The Athletics

One team stands alone at the bottom of the league. Oakland was the worst defensive team last season and is the worst this season. The A's are also one of only a few teams this season to have actually cost themselves with their infield shifts, where they're three runs below average.

An organizational preference for bat-first or bat-only players contributes to their exceptionally poor fielding. Relatively recent acquisitions like left fielder Khris Davis, shortstop Marcus Semien and first baseman Yonder Alonso have cost their team 26 runs since the start of last year. Even their younger position players include guys like Ryon Healy, who has spent most of his time at DH because of his defensive limitations at the infield corners. Some of the gains on offense have been worth it, but when the team as a whole does this poorly on defense, it is hard to put wins on the ledger.

One small way that the A's could improve is by changing the style of infield shift they tend to use. BIS research has shown that partial shifts -- shifts that don't result in three players being on one side of the infield -- are less effective than full shifts. The league-wide batting average on ground balls and short line drives (GSLs) in 2017 is .219 on full shifts and .260 on partial shifts. The Athletics have been more extreme in their performance, with opponents hitting .123 on GSLs against a full shift but .346 against a partial shift -- yet the A's use partial shifts more often than full shifts. Even though this comes from a pretty small sample, given what we know about shift effectiveness, simply using the ones that work more often would help, let alone using more shifts overall.

ESPN Aaron Hill designated for assignment; Giants promote 3B Ryder Jones ESPN.com News Services

The San Francisco Giants have designated veteran infielder Aaron Hill for assignment and promoted third-base prospect Ryder Jones from the minors.

The Giants announced the move Saturday before their game against the Mets.

Hill, 35, struggled in 34 games with the Giants this season, batting .132 with one home run. The former All-Star has 162 career homers in parts of 13 seasons with San Francisco, Boston, Milwaukee, Arizona and Toronto.

Jones, 23, was the Giants' second-round draft selection in 2013 and was batting .299 with 10 homers in 53 games this season at Triple-A Sacramento.

Sports Illustrated Could Johnny Cueto, Sonny Gray be on the move once the trade deadline approaches? Michael Beller

There are just fewer than six weeks of unrestrained access to the trade market available to GMs across the league. The July 31 non-waiver trade deadline is not yet in view on the horizon, but that won’t stop contenders from getting active, looking for the players who could push them over the hump this season.

The starting pitcher market is beginning to come into focus. This will sharpen over the next few weeks as teams either remain in, or fall out of, the postseason chase and determine whether they are buyers or sellers. The contours of both leagues will help from those decisions, but a handful of teams are safely in one or the other camp.

Furthermore, contenders such as the Astros, Cubs and Yankees are known to covet an arm for the rotation, possibly a big one. The competition, in the form of packages driven by highly touted prospects, will be fierce for the best available pitchers. Complicating matters is the log-jammed postseason race in the AL, where every team but the White Sox and A’s are within three games of the second wild card, and the performance of many of the pitchers who would normally headline the trade market.

Below is a look at the starting pitchers who could be on the move by July 31, from most likely to least likely.

Jeff Samardzija, Giants

If there’s one team already guaranteed to sell, it’s the Giants. The team’s decade-long World Series window appears to be shutting, and even if it weren’t, they aren’t even within shouting distance of being within shouting distance of the postseason. With the Rockies, Dodgers and Diamondbacks making a run at history, it will be all but impossible for the Giants to even think about October this year. That, coupled with Samardzija’s first half, makes the righty the most likely pitcher to be traded this summer.

Forget about the 4.81 ERA. Samardzija owns a 1.18 WHIP and has fanned 104 batters, while walking just 13, in 91 2/3 innings this season. He’s a known commodity and a durable one, having thrown at least 203 1/3 innings in all of the last four seasons. There’s a lot of value in a pitcher like that, even if he doesn’t measure up to some of the other names on this list. Any team trading for Samardzija would be on the hook for another three seasons at $18 million per. That could complicate matters, but the bet here is that most prospective buyers won’t be scared off by the future price tag. Samardzija will be in his age-35 season in the final year of the deal, and while he might not be worth $18 million that season, the payoff on the front end could be worth it.

Jose Quintana, White Sox

If there’s a second team already guaranteed to sell, it would probably be the A’s, Padres or Phillies. However, none of those teams can offer a pitcher of Quintana’s caliber with as team-friendly a contract, and the White Sox are almost certain to be aggressive sellers, as well. Despite Quintana’s down season to this point, he has a great chance of being somewhere other than the South Side of Chicago by August 1.

First, the contract. Quintana, who is 28 years old, is owed $8.85 million next year. His team then holds options on him for 2019 and 2020, both at $10.5 million with $1 million buyouts. That’s peanuts for almost anyone by today’s MLB standards, let alone a left-handed starter in his physical prime with as good a history as Quintana. The White Sox asking price could reflect that, but, once on his new team, Quintana is eminently affordable.

The big holdup could be how he has pitched this year. Quintana was one of the most reliable pitchers over the last four years, throwing at least 200 innings every season while compiling a combined 3.35 ERA, 3.34 FIP and 1.22 WHIP. This season, however, he has pitched to a 5.07 ERA, 4.35 FIP and 1.37 WHIP in 81 2/3 innings. The affordability of his contract could actually help keep him in Chicago, should the White Sox not find a deal to their liking. They could just as easily trade him this offseason or before next year’s trade deadline, or, in another scenario, keep him at the top of a rotation that eventually includes Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Michael Kopech. The odds remain strong, though, that a contender will meet the White Sox demands, especially with Quintana’s strong track record.

Sonny Gray, A’s

Gray is the most polarizing trade candidate among the group of likely available starting pitchers. On the one hand, he’s under team control for three more seasons, none of which is likely to tax a team’s finances too significantly. He has two great seasons to his name, during which he combined for a 2.91 ERA, 3.46 FIP and 1.14 WHIP with 352 strikeouts in 472 innings. Gray has put together some truly great seasons, including a top-three finish in the AL Cy Young race in 2015, and he’s in his age-27 season.

On the other hand, that version of Gray has been absent for two years. The present-day version has struggled mightily since the start of last season, compiling a 5.30 ERA, 4.25 FIP and 1.45 WHIP in 169 2/3 innings. He made just 22 starts last year, with neck and forearm issues, and was back on the shelf this year because of a shoulder strain. The last four years have been a mixed bag, to say the least.

And yet, Gray’s mix of team control, affordability, potential, and proven ability will make him a popular trade target this summer. The A’s have the worst record in the AL, and given their finances, it’s hard to envision Gray as part of a competitive A’s team at any point over the next three seasons. At that point, the team would risk losing him and getting nothing in return. That could spur Billy Beane to action over the next six weeks.

Johnny Cueto, Giants

Like Samardzija, Cueto will send plenty of GMs to their phone to call Bobby Evans over the next few weeks. Despite a higher ceiling and better reputation, though, Cueto could be a harder sell than Samardzija.

First and foremost, Cueto is in the midst of the worst season of his career. He has a 4.42 ERA, 4.43 FIP and 1.30 WHIP in 93 2/3 innings. All of those would be his worst marks since 2008, his rookie season. Cueto’s velocity is down across the board, and he hasn’t shown any signs recently of breaking out of his malaise.

Additionally, Cueto is owed more money over a longer period of time than Samardzija. Cueto’s contract runs through 2021 at $21 million per season. Even if his team declines its $22 million option in 2022, it will have to pay him a $5 million buyout. That’s $89 million over four years for a pitcher whose best days are certainly behind him, and will be 35 years old in the final guaranteed season of the contract. Still, Cueto’s track record will make him an attractive, and expensive, piece on the market.

Justin Verlander, Tigers

In a way, the Tigers are the Giants of the AL. After competing for the AL pennant for a decade (including two trips to the World Series and a run of four straight AL Central championships from 2011 to 2014), their window appears to be closing. If GM Al Avila acknowledges that fact, could he do the seemingly unthinkable and trade away Verlander, one of the faces of the franchise? It’s not as crazy as it seems.

Understand, there are hurdles to trading the 34-year-old, starting with his contract. He’s set to make $28 million in both of the next two seasons, and his $20 million option in 2020 would vest if he finishes in the top five in Cy Young voting the previous season. As good as Verlander has been, there aren’t too many teams that want to commit to paying $56 million over two years to a 35-year-old pitcher. The Tigers would almost certainly have to eat some of the money to make a deal happen.

Second is his performance this year. After nearly winning the Cy Young last season,Verlander has regressed in 2017. He sports a 4.50 ERA, 4.49 FIP and 1.49 WHIP with an unsightly 42 walks in 82 innings. Verlander’s velocity is in line with career norms, which is encouraging for a pitcher in his mid- 30s, but the numbers speak for themselves. Add them to his contract, and moving him becomes an even taller task.

Then, there’s the standings. The Tigers have the third-worst record in the AL, but with the bunched-up nature of the junior circuit—the Rays and Twins are tied in second wild card position just one game over .500—they could easily be in the postseason hunt a month from now. That would make trading Verlander a harder sell to the fanbase. File this one under “unlikely, but possible.”

Gerrit Cole, Pirates

We’ve reached the “their teams would have to be blown away” portion of the proceedings. Last season looked like the beginning of the end of an abbreviated run of competitiveness for the Pirates because it was. This team still has some nice pieces—Cole, Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco—and can be back in the hunt in the near future. But if a team blew them away with an offer for Cole, would Neal Huntington absolutely hang up the phone? That is hard to believe.

Still, Huntington would have to be presented with quite the package for Cole to be anything other than a Pirate on August 1. The righty is in the midst of the worst season of his career, but he’s two years removed from a top-four Cy Young season, he’s 26 years old, and he’s under team control for three more years. Teams don’t trade guys like that, least of all teams that need to be cost-conscious. It might be a down year in Pittsburgh, but Cole should remain a Pirate.

Chris Archer, Rays

OK, one more just for fun. If the Rays made Archer available, he’d immediately be the most sought-after player on the market. Not only is he 28 years old and bordering on being a legitimate ace, but he also has one of the most team-friendly contracts in the sport. The Rays bought out his arbitration years and then some three years ago. As such, Archer is set to make a total of $33.75 million from 2018 through 2021, assuming his team exercises team options of $9 million and $11 million in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Both of those look like slam dunks at this point.

The problem, though, for any team daydreaming about adding Archer to the top of its rotation is the competitiveness of the Rays. They’re in pole position for one of the AL wild card spots right now, and figure to be in the mix all season long. Their offense is among the best in the league, ranking first in homers, eighth in runs, seventh in slugging percentage and sixth in fWAR. Archer leads a strong rotation that includes Jake Odorizzi and Alex Cobb, possible trade targets in their own right, which is sixth in the majors in ERA, ninth in FIP and 10th in fWAR. Would Erik Neander, in his first trade deadline on the job as Rays GM, really move his team’s best pitcher while it sits in contention for its first trip to the postseason 2013. That does not seem realistic.

Yahoo Sports Cabrera looks to lead Mets to sweep of Giants Stats

SAN FRANCISCO -- Disgruntled second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera will attempt to cap an impressive series in the wake of his trade demand when the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants wrap up a three-game set Sunday.

After hearing Mets general manager Sandy Alderson wonder aloud about the potential trade market for a utility infielder who's a pending free agent at season's end, Cabrera has responded by going 5-for-9 with three runs scored in New York's two series-opening wins in San Francisco.

The five hits have raised his average from .238 at the start of the series to a much more attractive .259.

Cabrera, who hadn't played second base since 2014, has impressed in the field against the Giants as well, making one eye-catching play in each of the first two games of the series while playing error-free ball.

The Mets haven't made an error in the two games, helping them rebound from a four-game sweep against the Los Angeles Dodgers with back-to-back wins.

Both victories have been by multiple runs, allowing Mets manager Terry Collins to pull his starting pitcher at a comfortable point of the game, including Jacob deGrom after eight innings Saturday even though he was in total command.

"Certainly we're going to make sure we take care of him," Collins said of deGrom. "We don't need anyone else going down."

The Giants will attempt to cool Cabrera's bat with left-hander Matt Moore in the series finale.

Moore will be making his third career start against the Mets, without having won either of the first two. He's gone 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in those outings.

The second-year Giant will take the National League's third-worst ERA (5.82) to the mound, a figure that's ballooned in June, when he's allowed 19 runs and 31 hits in 20 innings.

His 8.55 June ERA is the sixth-worst in the NL.

Moore will be starting for a team that's lost 11 of its last 12 games, and Saturday became the first team in the majors to reach the 50-loss mark.

"It is hard to believe," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of the 50 losses. "I don't know if anybody saw this coming. Hard to make sense of it. It can be embarrassing."

If there's been a silver lining to Moore's four starts in June, it's that they've awakened the Giants' bats. San Francisco has totaled 22 runs in those games, allowing Moore to escape the four starts with just a 1- 1 record.

He is coming off a 6-3 win at Atlanta on Tuesday in which he allowed all three Braves runs in seven innings.

The Mets will promote right-Rafael Montero from the bullpen to make his third start of the season. It will be his first start against the Giants, and first against anyone since May 25.

Montero has pitched out of the bullpen since his return from Triple-A on June 14. He held the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers to a total of one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings in his last two relief efforts.

Montero has faced the Giants just once in his career, retiring both batters he faced out of the bullpen in a game May 10.

CBS Sports Giants' Sam Dyson: Struggles continue with new club RotoWire Staff

Dyson was charged with two runs while recording just one out in Saturday's loss to the Mets.

The Giants took a chance on the former closer when Texas designated Dyson for assignment early June. Despite tossing a handful of clean outings, two blowups have left him with a 7.71 ERA in San Francisco after posting an ugly 9.56 ERA with the Rangers.

CBS Sports Giants' Brandon Belt: Takes deGrom deep Saturday RotoWire Staff

Belt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss to the Mets.

Belt has put together a modest seven-game hit streak -- with three homers -- after struggling through his first 14 June contests (8-for-51). Despite maintaining consistent patience at the plate, the 29-year-old has proven to be a streaky hitter over his seven-year career, and he appears to be trending upward at the moment.

CBS Sports Giants' Johnny Cueto: Chips ERA down to 4.20 RotoWire Staff

Cueto allowed a single run on five hits and three walks while striking out three batters over seven innings during Saturday's loss to the Mets. He didn't factor into the decision.

The veteran righty has held opponents to three runs or fewer in 11 of 16 starts this season and boasts a 4.20 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 8.3 K/9. Add his 5-7 record, and it's been the definition of a mediocre campaign. The Giants are a basement-dwelling club that isn't providing sufficient run support, and Cueto has merely pitched well and not great. With an opt-out clause in his contract following this season, there could be incentive for San Francisco to move Cueto to a potential contender for future assets. Considering he's no stranger to relocating, his fantasy value could skyrocket with a deal to a better club. Cueto projects to make his next start against the Pirates at PNC Park.

CBS Sports Giants' Madison Bumgarner: Set for first rehab game RotoWire Staff

Bumgarner (shoulder) is scheduled to throw three innings in a rehab start with the Giants' Rookie League team Sunday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bumgarner has been slowly but steadily progressing in his recovery program, successfully tossing bullpen sessions and live batting practice over the past month as he works back to normal activity. If all goes well Sunday, according to Schulman, the ace southpaw will likely begin a formal rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento next Friday, so a return prior to the All-Star break isn't out of the question.

CBS Sports Giants' Ryder Jones: Contract selected Saturday RotoWire Staff

Jones had his contract purchased from Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The struggling Aaron Hill was designated for assignment to clear room on the roster for Jones. The 23- year-old, who slashed .299/.390/.553 with 10 homers in 53 games with Sacramento before being promoted, should be in line for regular playing time at third base with Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) on the DL.

Fox Sports Jacob deGrom shines as Mets top Giants 5-2 (Jun 24, 2017) AP

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) It was by chance that Jacob deGrom recently developed a new throwing program. If the early returns are any indication, it seems to be working nicely.

DeGrom pitched eight strong innings and Wilmer Flores homered and drove in two runs as the New York Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Saturday.

”I had (Smoltz’s) number and texted him and said, `Do you have a minute to talk?”’ deGrom recalled. ”And we just kind of talked about the idea behind it.”

DeGrom has given up two earned runs in 26 innings over his last three starts.

”That’s what an ace does,” Mets right fielder Jay Bruce said. ”It’s at the point where now where I’m always wondering if he’s going back out there for the ninth to finish the game.”

The Giants (27-50), who last year had the best record in the majors at the All-Star break, are on pace to lose more than 100 games for the first time since arriving on the West Coast. They’ve lost 11 of their last 12 games, 13 of 15 and 20 of their last 25.

”It is hard to believe,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ”I don’t know if anybody saw this coming. Hard to make sense of it, we have a lot of talent here. Just shows you, each year can be different, it can be embarrassing, 50 losses at this point, but we’ll get this thing better and figured out.”

Curtis Granderson tripled off Sam Dyson (0-1) to lead off the eighth inning and scored on Bruce’s RBI single.

”I wanted to get that pitch down and I left it up, and he beat me,” Cueto said.

The Giants trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh when Belt hit an opposite-field homer to left off deGrom. Belt’s team-leading 14th home run came on a hanging first-pitch curveball.

Asdrubal Cabrera, whose request to be traded on Friday triggered some controversy in the Mets’ clubhouse, was 2 for 3 with two walks. The veteran shortstop, who’s 5 for 9 since coming off the disabled list, was at second base – a move he was unhappy about – for a second straight day. He made a tough play fielding a grounder well to his left to rob Austin Slater of a hit in the bottom of the fifth

HOMER HAPPY

Flores’ homer was the Mets’ 42nd this month, the most they’ve hit in June in franchise history. Their record for home runs hit in any month is 45.

DAYTIME DOMINANCE

TRANSACTIONS

Giants INF Ryder Jones was called up from Triple-A Sacramento. The 23-year-old was 0 for 3 in his big league debut. INF Aaron Hill was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

MLB Trade Rumors Quick Hits: Seager, Rangers, Young, Morse Mark Polishuk

Corey Seager won’t be in the Dodgers starting lineup for what could be several games due to a mild right hamstring strain, as reported by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times and other media. Seager suffered a Grade 1 strain, the lowest level of hamstring injury, and the team is hopeful Seager can avoid a DL stint; Seager said that this current issue isn’t nearly as bad as hamstring injuries he has suffered in the past. Manager Dave Roberts suggested Seager could be available for key pinch-hitting situations, and the team will wait until Tuesday or Wednesday before deciding if the disabled list is necessary for the star shortstop.

Here’s more from around baseball….

-Relief pitching will be a deadline priority for the Rangers at the deadline, though the team is still committed to Matt Bush as the closer, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes. “We’ve got to continue to develop Matt in that spot. One of the challenges is finding him consistent work in different situations,” manager Jeff Banister said, noting that Bush is still pretty new to pitching in his professional career. The Rangers also want to see what they have in Ernesto Frieri and Tanner Scheppers before deciding on their specific deadline needs for the bullpen.

-Veteran right-hander Chris Young tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that he intends to continue his career after being released by the Royals. “Physically, I feel good,” Young said. “My arm feels good. I don’t foresee this being the end. I’m still capable of competing at a high level. Possibly a change of scenery might help.” Young, who turned 38 last month, has suffered through a pair of rough seasons in 2016-17, posting a 6.52 ERA over 118 2/3 IP. Young also praised the K.C. fans and the Royals organization, noting that GM Dayton Moore told him the news of his release in person.

-Mike Morse is still suffering from lingering symptoms almost a month after going on the seven-day concussion DL, the veteran slugger tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Morse has openly talked about this stint with the Giants being something of a last ride in his career, though what could potentially be his final season has been hampered by a hamstring injury and now this concussion. Morse has a .556 OPS over 40 PA for the Giants this year, and he isn’t sure when he’ll be healthy enough to return to action.

MLB Trade Rumors Rosenthal’s Latest: Cueto, Puig, Adams, Blevins, Chatwood Mark Polishuk

Some hot stove buzz from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, courtesy of two Full Count videos (link one, link two)…

-A rival general manager describes Johnny Cueto’s potential trade value as “lower than a rental’s” due to the added complication of Cueto’s opt-out clause, which could make it hard for the Giants to find a trade partner. If a team were to acquire a normal pending free agent at the deadline and that player got injured or performed poorly, the two sides would likely just part ways after the year. If such a scenario happened to Cueto, however, he might not opt out, so the new team would be taking on a potentially diminished asset for the remaining four years/$84MM on Cueto’s contract.

-The offseason trade buzz about Yasiel Puig has died down since he is playing well, so it doesn’t seem like the Dodgers would move the controversial outfielder unless they get full value in return. Interestingly, Rosenthal notes that Puig’s clubhouse reputation is still a work in progress, as “many” Dodgers teammates view Puig “as an annoyance.”

-Matt Adams is drawing trade interest, which isn’t a surprise given how he has been crushing the ball since joining the Braves. Whether Atlanta looks to move Adams or not will depend on whether Freddie Freeman is capable of playing third base, thus allowing Adams to stay at first base. Moving Adams into a corner outfield spot is problematic since the Braves would then have to deal Matt Kemp or Nick Markakis, not to mention the defensive shortcomings Adams displayed while playing the outfield for the Cardinals earlier this season.

-While the Mets are reportedly open to dealing veterans, Rosenthal says that Jerry Blevins is maybe the least likely of those players to switch teams. Blevins is enjoying his second consecutive excellent year in the Mets bullpen, and since the team plans to contend again in 2018, exercising the $7MM club option on Blevins would be a good way to lock up some reliable left-handed relief.

-A Tyler Chatwood trade “would be difficult for the *Rockies+ to make,” a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells Rosenthal. If anything, Colorado will be looking to add pitching rather than move a solid rotation arm. Chatwood has a 4.08 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and a very strong 57.6% ground ball rate over 90 1/3 IP this season. He is a free agent this winter and he has a strong track record (career 3.10 road ERA) away from Coors Field, plus he may not be a prime candidate for a long-term deal given that Chatwood has twice undergone Tommy John surgery. Despite those factors, Chatwood probably has more value to the Rockies as a player than as a potential trade chip as the team battles in the competitive NL West.

Around the Foghorn Giants youth movement in full affect with Ryder Jones call-up Daniel Sperry

If the Giants were in first place, Ryder Jones likely isn’t getting called up today. But thanks to the current situation, it became clear that the old and underperforming vets were going to get phased out as top prospects continued to perform for them in the minor leagues.

Aaron Hill frankly shouldn’t have been on the roster beyond Kelby Tomlinson‘s return from injury at the end of spring training. Tomlinson has produced at the big league level at a better rate than Hill. With there not really being another big league ready “utility infielder” in the system, and Conor Gilaspie still rehabbing, Jones started to look more enticing.

Jones has hit 10 homers in the 53 games he’s played for Sacramento. He draws a lot of walks and carries a big slugging percentage. He can play first base, third base, and maybe some outfield, but left-field would be the only place worth trying him at.

Out of the Giants 2013 draft, Christian Arroyo drew all the attention, and rightfully so. Arroyo won the Arizona Rookie League MVP with his .326 average and .511 slugging percentage. But not that far behind was the Giants’ second round pick, Ryder Jones. He hit .319 and possessed an OPS just under .800 (.798). Jones never was the hyped and highly touted prospect, but the Giants really liked his tools. It was just a matter of whether or not he could put it together.

He hit .299 with a .944 OPS in his time in Sacramento, and it has become pretty clear this season that Jones is finally putting it all together. I might have said finally, but he is only 23 years old.

Jones now joins Austin Slater as the young gun call-ups on the team, and they certainly won’t be the only two towards the end of the season. Chris Shaw is making his own case for a call-up soon.

You could probably expect to see Christian Arroyo back, and Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker are sure- fire bets to be back on the roster come August 1st. Other additions could come in the form of Tyler Beede, Joan Gregorio, Slade Heathcott, and even Miguel Gomez.

For now, Jones will join Crick and Slater as the “young-bloods” on the roster, but it won’t be too long before plenty of others get their big shot as well.

Around the Foghorn Chris Shaw Should be the Next Call-Up for the San Francisco Giants Jake Mastroianni

After news of Ryder Jones being called up on Saturday, it seems like the San Francisco Giants are willing to take a look at the future.

In the 2015 MLB Draft the San Francisco Giants selected Chris Shaw with the 30th overall pick out of Boston College.

He was immediately sent to Low-A where he hit .287 in 178 at-bats with 12 home runs.

He started 2016 at High-A. He hit .285 in 270 at-bats with 16 home runs before getting called up to Double-A.

At Richmond he struggled a bit hitting just .246 in 232 at-bats with 5 home runs. Combined, he hit .267 in 2016 with 21 home runs, showing the power potential that the Giants need at the big league level.

Shaw started 2017 back at Double-A where he hit .301 with 6 home runs in 133 at-bats.

After that good start, he was promoted to Triple-A Richmond. Much like when he was first promoted to Double-A, Shaw struggled to adjust to the new level.

However, he’s come on a bit as of late and is now hitting .263 with 3 home runs in 99 at-bats at Sacramento. Shaw has some versatility playing in the infield and in the outfield throughout his minor league career.

He’s 23-years-old, so it’s about that time to see what his future will be in the big leagues.

Austin Slater is currently getting his chance to see what he can do in the big leagues at the age of 24.

He started the year in Triple-A and hit .322 with 4 home runs in 174 at-bats before being promoted.

Slater has been just as good in the majors with a .333 average in 66 at-bats with 2 home runs.

Someone would have to move in the outfield for Shaw to get his chance. The most obvious choice would be Denard Span.

Slater has experience in center field, which would open up a spot for Shaw in left.

I think Shaw could provide some more power in the San Francisco Giants lineup, which is much needed.

Normally, the San Francisco Giants would like to let Shaw finish the year at Triple-A to continue his development. But with the way this season is going, I think it’s best to try and let Shaw adjust at the major league level to see if he’s going to be a central piece in this rebuild.

Around the Foghorn San Francisco Giants: Bullpen Blunder Leads to a 5-2 Loss Chris Estrada

This has been a tough week for the San Francisco Giants. From the rain delays, to getting back home very late, to a blowout home-opener Friday night, just what could’ve went wrong in today’s game? Facing New York Mets ace, Jacob DeGrom, on national television? Yeah what could go wrong.

As I mentioned above, this San Francisco Giants game was televised as one of the Fox Saturday games. My first thought was, oh please don’t embarrass yourselves on national TV Giants. For the most part, this was an entertaining pitching duel. Johnny Cueto (5-7 4.29) versus Jacob DeGrom (6-3 3.75).

Cueto and DeGrom matched each other through seven innings. In the fourth inning, Wilmer Flores got the Mets on the board with a solo home run (7) to take a 1-0 lead. The Giants couldn’t get much going against DeGrom until Brandon Belt‘s solo home run (14) to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. The only other time the Giants had a chance to rally came in the fourth inning. That evaporated quickly when DeGrom struck out Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford with the tying and go ahead runners on base.

8th Inning:

Sam Dyson got his shot to protect a 1-1 tie in the eighth. his first batter was a lead-off triple by Curtis Granderson. After walking Asdrubel Cabera, Dyson actually managed to strike out Yoenis Cespedes. All of a sudden a ground ball can get the team out of the inning. Well with a few lefties coming up, Bruce Bochy decided to bring in Steven Okert for the lefty on lefty matchup. That backfired when Jay Bruce singled to right scoring Granderson and giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. Okert then strikes out Lucas Duda. With Wilmer Flores coming up with a chance to break the game open George Kontos comes in but that backfired as well. Flores doubled to right field scoring Asdrubel Cabrera. Just like that it became 3-1 Mets. Although it can’t be that surprising that the bullpen blew another game can it? Today was different. This was a very winnable game.

Kyle Crick got to pitch the ninth and had a difficult inning. He looked like he had some control problems and allowed two runs extending the Mets lead to 5-1. In the bottom of the ninth the Giants had a little two out rally going after Brandon Belt beat out a throw to first. Brandon Crawford singled to left scoring Belt and getting the fans into the game. Unfortunately, that was all and the pitching duel that had started this game was forgotten about as the bullpen allowed the winning runs once again.

Giants Notes:

Let the Kids Play:

Since Austin Slater has been up in the big leagues he has produced and because of that, has been in the starting lineup. In 18 games so far, he is hitting 2HR 12 RBI with a .333 batting average. A surprising move today was made when Aaron Hill was designated for assignment for prospect Ryder Jones. Jones played today making his major league debut going 0-4 with a strikeout. The plan is to have him play third base while Eduardo Nunez is on the DL.

50th Loss Today:

Today the Giants lost their 50th game of the year. With a 27-50 record the Giants are now 23 games under .500 and 20.5 games out of first place. The thought process of this team going forward has got to seem to be to begin looking at what the prospects in the minors can do.

Tomorrow the Giants will look to avoid the sweep to the New York Mets. The Giants will have Matt Moore pitching.

The Giants Baseball Blog Time for Giants to shift gears Trevor Cole

After getting swept by the Royals, the lowly Atlanta Braves and now losing the first two games to the Mets (in their own yard), the Giants are on an 0-7 run and now find themselves over 20 games below .500 as the mid-way point quickly approaches.

I think it's quite clear at this point that, even with a miracle of a second half turnaround, Madison Bumgarner coming back and Hunter Pence getting healthy, this team's playoff aspirations have long past and we're not even to July yet. I know, what a sad fall from a team that's been a perennial contender for the last 7 years and who brought home 3 championships during that span. However, at this point, the team has to start looking at 2018 and beyond, because whether we like to believe it or not, this isn't going to be an easy fix by any means. The second half is going to be a huge showcase for two Giants' veterans that likely don't have a trade market and the team will be returning to starting positions again in 2018 and those two guys are Denard Span and Hunter Pence. Both have vastly underachieved this season and neither stood out in '16 either as both seem to spend as much time on the field than off. Since they aren't going anywhere until after next season, the Giants have to find a way to ensure these guys stay healthy entering next season. Whether that's start cutting down on both players playing time, something I've seen Boch do with Pence a lot more this season (I'm sure his hamstring has a lot to do with that though).

As for the pitchers, the only guys outside of MadBum you plan on having around next season are Matt Moore and Jeff Samrdzija, the ladder of which has been considered by many the Giants best pitcher in MadBum's absence, despite is abysmal W/L record. In the bullpen, it's Mark Melancon and Hunter Strickland guaranteed to return. Cody Gearin is finally putting together a nice season, and could be a potential long-relief candidate next year and Josh Osich seems to get opportunity after opportunity so he may be in the mix too. Possibly Derrick Law if he gets his stuff together in AAA and returns back in his '16 form. But outside of Law, Melancon and George Kontos, I don't see anyone really guaranteed a spot in the Giants '18 bullpen as that's an are they failed to fully address over the winter and they better make sure not to repeat the mistake.

So, there you have the key players who we know will likely be around for next year, aside from the group listed above though, the Giants should start shopping every single player they can get a return for. I'd even add Span into that mix. I still am holding out hope that Pence will get healthy and come back big in second half and go strong into his contract year next season. He's the type I'd hardly expect to retire after next season and will work his tail off to make it as good a season as possible so I definitely don't wanna write him off just yet. As far as Johnny Cueto, Eduardo Nunez, Aaron Hill, Matt Cain (though highly doubt anyone would bite on him), even Law, Kontos and Moore, I would be seeing what you could possibly get in return for these guys. I mean, I know guys like Hill, Cain and Kontos wouldn't garner any notable package, the Giants have no need for them at this point. Nunez, Cueto and if they decieded to let him go, Matt Moore, would be the big fish in the Giants' trade pool. More so, your looking at teams that would look to land Nunez, and certainly Cueto.

Both make since for a lot of reason for a contending team. Both's deals are done after the season (well, Cueto has an opt-out that Jon Heyman now expects he'll exercise), and both can be impact type players for a team needing a shot in the arm. Nunez has shown the ability to be a prolific base stealing artist who also hits for decent pop and a nice average. Not to mention, the guy can play all over the infield, as well as left field, and I'd imagine right field, in a pinch. He's the definition of a super utility guy, but can give a contender in a need a starting caliber player at all the aforementioned positions, including being a plus offensive shortstop and second basemen. Cueto, while not having his best half thus far, is coming off an ace-like season and would have all the incentive in the world to finish strong with a contender and he's someone who could net the Giants an opposing team's top prospect so I'd definitely keep an eye on that and keep rooting for Cueto just a little extra right now cause each time he throws well, his stock rises.

Also, by dealing some of these guys, it would give them an opportunity to move to give some of the young players who are beating down the door in AAA a chance to get some real big league time rather than just the last few weeks of the season. It would allow them to bring up Christian Arroyo and/or Ryder Jones to see if one of those two are ready to take over third base in '18 or if the Giants are going to have to go shopping. We've started to see Austin Slater really shine after being given the key's to left field and both Jones and, as we've seen at times, Arroyo have the type of talent to follow in his footsteps and possibly be even better. Then on the pitching half, Kyle Crick is another intriguing kid I'd like to see take the ball every fifth day in what is becoming an experimental season. While Tyler Beede hasn't had the season the Giants were hoping for in Sacramento thus far, I wouldn't mind seeing him being given more than a handful of starts before this season is over to see how far off he is from becoming a contributing factor on the Giants' staff. Not only would getting rid of some of the players who don't fit into the Giants' long-term plans and save some money at the same time, more importantly, it would give the Giants younger players a prolonged tryout to show whether or not they have a spot with this team in the near future and, as I mentioned, the Giants have a few different players in their system that fit that category.

Call to Pen San Francisco Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto has limited trade value Bobby Mueller

With Johnny Cueto struggling through one of his worst seasons and having a big contract with an opt- out clause, he’ll be a tough player for the San Francisco Giants to trade.

The San Francisco Giants are having a terrible season. After going to the playoffs four times in seven years, including three World Series victories, the Giants currently have the second-worst record in baseball. Only the Philadelphia Phillies have been worse than the Giants, who sit 23.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West with a record of 27-50. And it’s not like they haven’t earned those losses. Their - 101 run differential is also the second-worst in baseball.

The Giants’ sub-par play goes back to last summer. After starting the 2016 season with a record of 50- 31, the Giants were 37-44 from July 1 onward. Despite struggling down the stretch, they were able to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team, beating out the Cardinals by one game. The team’s ace pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, shut down the Mets in the one-game playoff, but the Giants’ season ended with a three-games-to-one loss to the Cubs in the NLDS.

Prior to this season, the Giants were expected by most baseball experts to be one of the two Wild Card teams in the National League. They looked like an 86- or 87-win team. Instead, they got off to a 9-17 start and haven’t improved much since. Along the way, they lost ace Madison Bumgarner to the DL.

As the season nears its halfway point, the Giants are a distant last place in the NL West and 20 games out of the second Wild Card. Their playoff odds are nearly non-existent. FanGraphs has them with a 0.2 percent chance to make the playoffs. When a team is this far out, it’s natural to consider trading high- priced veteran players. One such player is starting pitcher Johnny Cueto.

Unfortunately for the Giants, Cueto is not having a typical Cueto-like season. From 2010 to 2016, Cueto had a 2.86 ERA and 3.41 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) while averaging 185 innings per season. Among starting pitchers with more than 700 innings over this stretch, only Clayton Kershaw had a lower ERA.

This year, Cueto has a 4.20 ERA and 4.51 FIP. He hasn’t had an ERA over 4.00 since his second year in the big leagues, back in 2009. The main problem for Cueto is the long ball. He’s allowed 18 home runs 100.7 innings, a rate of 1.6 HR per nine innings. That would be a career high for Cueto. Last year, he allowed 0.6 HR per nine innings.

Not only is Cueto having one of his worst years, he also has four years and $84 million left on a contract that lasts through the 2021 season, when he will be 35 years old. This contract includes an opt-out clause that can be exercised following this season.

The expensive contract and the opt-out clause make it difficult for any team looking to acquire Cueto. This confluence of circumstances makes Cueto’s trade value negligible. If he continues to pitch like he has so far, the team that acquires him would not want to be saddled with a four-year, $84-million contract. If he turns his season around and posts a sub-3.00 ERA going forward, he can opt-out and look for a bigger contract in the offseason. No team will want to trade a top prospect for a guy who could opt out if he does well or cost the team $84 million over four years if he doesn’t.

McCovey Chronicles Giants Meander Aimlessly Further Into Void Reuben Poling

Over the past few years, there’s been a unique frustration in watching the Giants lose on national broadcasts. Somehow, even the very best Giants teams of recent vintage have, under the auspices of Buck, Verducci & company, devolved into thumbless shamblers flop-sweating all over the diamond. They’ve repeatedly embarrassed themselves in front of the nation to a Spicerian degree, leaving us fans to point at the standings in protest as a normally very successful team gets blanked by Jamie Moyer wearing flip-flops.

It was kind of fun, really. The Giants would get thwomped on national television all year, and then they’d amble into the playoffs like a simple country lawyer into a courtroom, snapping their suspenders, fixin’ to show some fancy Harvard fellas how it was done down here. But now, we can rest easier knowing that the Giants everyone in the country sees are the real Giants, and if they struggle to make loud contact or collapse in the late innings or sleepwalk through entire games, it’s not because of some weird national-TV curse, but because that’s how they collectively approach playing baseball.

Don’t you feel better now? I feel better.

It’s not like it’s particularly startling. Jacob DeGrom is an extraordinary pitcher, and his tough start to the season seems more of a flukish dinger-fest than a predictive trend. And for all the Mets’ much-vaunted Metsiness, some of that slow-motion disaster was put in motion by capable players getting hurt; they’re back, and no less capable, which helps. Think of the last couple years, where Hunter Pence played about one full season of baseball combined, but was one of the team’s better players when he did. Think of how it felt when he’d return to the lineup and unfurl his telescoping limbs to demolish an eyeball-high fastball; that surge of hope, that knowledge that the talent is there and the team just needs things to line up right — that’s what Mets fans are experiencing right now.

Or maybe they’re mad that the team is winning meaningless games when they could be building draft stock! I dunno, I’m not a Mets fan. Tell you what, though, watching Jacob DeGrom do DeGrom things, I had absolutely zero doubt in my mind the Mets were winning this game. Even when Brandon Belt briefly tied the game with a fine swing on a first-pitch mistake, it was pretty clear where this was headed. The Mets look like most teams with big payrolls and bad records — temporarily embarrassed contenders, a couple tweaks and a big trade away from getting right back into things. The kind of team that just needs some games like this.

The thing is, there’s really not all that much daylight between these two teams. They’re both purported contenders sunk by aging contributors, high-profile injuries, and combustible bullpens. The Mets have more power and more young talent on the roster; they also have the pervasive aura of Mets suffusing everything good and right happening to the team, turning their victories to ash.

Say what you will about the Giants, but at least when something goes wrong for them, it’s usually identifiable as to why it happened and how, eventually, they can fix it. There’s no such easy explanation for “all of our pitchers are healthy undergoing tests filled with static-charged locusts” or “our maybe-ace is missing games because his celebrity girlfriend dumped him” or “we might literally call up Tim Tebow to the majors this season.”

But it’s telling that, in the face of phenomenal and resounding Metsness, the Giants have managed to look — even briefly — like the more hopeless team in the ballpark. That’s impressive. Salute.

That Brandon Belt dinger, though! Belt is having a frustrating season in the most Brandon Belt kind of way possible. To wit, his fourteenth homer, well shy of the season’s halfway point, puts him on pace to blow past his career high and even challenge the 30-homer barrier that has bedeviled the Giants since *year+. That’s good!

But he’s hitting .228 and striking out in almost a quarter of his plate appearances. That’s bad.

But thanks to the magic of walks and power, and good ol’ park factors he still grades out as a comfortable above-average hitter with a career-low BABIP that is certain to rise as less of his drives and bloops find gloves.

(That’s good.)

But now it’s your duty to explain all that crap to your friend who thinks Brandon Belt, a first baseman hitting .228, should be traded for Pedro Alvarez and two first-round draft picks.

Yes, you can go now.

Let’s end on a pleasant note. Johnny Cueto was very good, wiggling out of trouble in a way that great pitchers do when they don’t have their best stuff. If his Giants career ends this year (and it probably will, one way or another), these might be the most fun memories — not the dominant shutouts or perfectly executed three-pitch seeyas, but the games where Cueto’s fastball wandered, his slider didn’t slide like he expected, and he still found ways to keep hitters off-balance and lunging at perfectly hittable pitches. There’s a special joy in watching a pitcher keep getting away with it.

Kyle Crick had a rough outing, but it was a matter of a couple bad and well-scouted pitches, not the sort of compass-and-a-map wildness that the name conjures up to Giants fans and prospect hounds. The most interesting thing about watching him pitch is watching Buster Posey’s glove; the leather moves late, snaps and twitches, in a way that it doesn’t for other Giants pitchers. The velocity and late movement on Crick’s fastball is a new wrinkle for Posey, and that alone should be enough to tell you why, lo these many years later, the Giants have refused to give up hope.

This tweet made me sad. Watching Crick take the mound for the big club, and cause the best defensive catcher in the game to flinch and stab like Pedro Feliz, made me very happy. When Crick starts throwing more of those pitches where Buster is expecting them and hitters aren’t, I’ll be even happier.

And lastly, we can’t overlook the debut of Ryder Jones, a very unexpected Next Big Thing. Jones spent several minor-league seasons producing unremarkable batting lines, but the Giants kept seeing something they liked, and he moved on up. This season in Sacramento, it all clicked to the tune of a .953 OPS, and Christian Arroyo’s major-league struggles (or, more pertinently, the struggles of every third base-capable player who actually expected to be in the major leagues this season) opened up an opportunity.

Jones’s first major league play was a quick, clean double play. Nice pick, smooth transfer, accurate throw. He had an undistinguished day at the plate, but there are worse things than undistinguished. Jones faced one of the National League’s best pitchers, and he went 0-4. That happens to lots of guys. He didn’t strike out, he didn’t get his bat broken, he didn’t bail out on a curveball that plopped down the heart of the plate.

And on a beautiful summer day, after spending the vast majority of his professional baseball career experiencing frustration and struggle, he got to take the field in a Giants uniform on a beautiful summer day. He made some plays, got his hacks in, got his name in an MLB box score. If the 2017 season turns into a succession of these experiences, minor leaguers of varying ages getting the chance to step onto the pristine grass of a real major-league field, we could do worse than to enjoy them. I bet Ryder did.

(He’ll enjoy it more when he plays his first major-league winning game, though. And so will I.)