Post by rog on Dec 13, 2017 9:56:32 GMT -5
From Henry Schulman of the Chronicle under the headline "Arroyo, Beede, Slater, Parker Still Question Marks for Giants":
Building a team is about understanding what you have, what you need and what you can acquire. By now, the Giants hoped to have more information on Christian Arroyo, Tyler Beede, Austin Slater and Jarrett Parker through their competition in winter ball and the Arizona Fall League.
Instead, they all got hurt, or in Parker’s case, got sick, setting back the front office’s evaluation ahead of the winter meetings.
Parker got an eye infection that prevented him from going to the Dominican. Slater did not heal enough from a September sports hernia to take his spot there. Arroyo also was to play in the Dominican but aggravated his fractured hand before playing a game and needed surgery to insert a stabilizing plate. Beede’s Fall League effort was delayed by the groin injury that ended his season.
“Those at-bats and innings in winter ball are an advantage, and it’s an advantage lost when you see those guys get hurt,” general manager Bobby Evans said.
Where do these players stand going into 2018?
The Giants have seen Parker for 382 plate appearances over three seasons and have a good idea of his abilities. Beede, who pitched 16 Fall League innings once he was ready, will be in the same boat this spring as last, having to compete for the fifth rotation spot (if he is not traded).
The Giants view Slater as a fourth or fifth outfielder, mostly likely a corner guy. They remain high on Arroyo, but their search for a third baseman at the winter meetings demonstrates they are not prepared to hand him a job he might have owned by now had he not gotten hurt.
The implication seems to be that Parker isn't particulary good, that Beede is a bottom-of-the-rotation starter who may be traded, that Slater isn't a center fielder but otherwise has the characteristics of a backup outfielder, and that while the Giants still hold hope for Arroyo, in part it is injuries that are holding them back.
In other words, only Arroyo among the young quartet is viewed as likely being an important part going forward, and even his flag is falling, hopefully not to half mast.
Arroyo is something of a symbol of the Giants themselves -- a big question mark. The other three are likely question marks that don't matter much.
Building a team is about understanding what you have, what you need and what you can acquire. By now, the Giants hoped to have more information on Christian Arroyo, Tyler Beede, Austin Slater and Jarrett Parker through their competition in winter ball and the Arizona Fall League.
Instead, they all got hurt, or in Parker’s case, got sick, setting back the front office’s evaluation ahead of the winter meetings.
Parker got an eye infection that prevented him from going to the Dominican. Slater did not heal enough from a September sports hernia to take his spot there. Arroyo also was to play in the Dominican but aggravated his fractured hand before playing a game and needed surgery to insert a stabilizing plate. Beede’s Fall League effort was delayed by the groin injury that ended his season.
“Those at-bats and innings in winter ball are an advantage, and it’s an advantage lost when you see those guys get hurt,” general manager Bobby Evans said.
Where do these players stand going into 2018?
The Giants have seen Parker for 382 plate appearances over three seasons and have a good idea of his abilities. Beede, who pitched 16 Fall League innings once he was ready, will be in the same boat this spring as last, having to compete for the fifth rotation spot (if he is not traded).
The Giants view Slater as a fourth or fifth outfielder, mostly likely a corner guy. They remain high on Arroyo, but their search for a third baseman at the winter meetings demonstrates they are not prepared to hand him a job he might have owned by now had he not gotten hurt.
The implication seems to be that Parker isn't particulary good, that Beede is a bottom-of-the-rotation starter who may be traded, that Slater isn't a center fielder but otherwise has the characteristics of a backup outfielder, and that while the Giants still hold hope for Arroyo, in part it is injuries that are holding them back.
In other words, only Arroyo among the young quartet is viewed as likely being an important part going forward, and even his flag is falling, hopefully not to half mast.
Arroyo is something of a symbol of the Giants themselves -- a big question mark. The other three are likely question marks that don't matter much.