The San Francisco Giants ended the season on a excessive observe.
These are the olives on high of the sundae from two hours in the past.
The Giants are essentially the most disappointing crew in 2024. That is one particular person’s opinion, which makes it a unanimous selection.
Actually, the one competitors comes from the Rangers, however you realize Bruce Bochy takes a nap each season after successful a championship; the Rays, who find yourself reducing their expertise stage; and the Cubs and Crimson Sox, simply As a result of their names are all the time on the listing.
The Giants are coming off a 107-win season because the crew of the last decade within the 2020s, and on their approach to a 3rd consecutive winless season, the Giants are so unhealthy in 2024 that they do not even do the appropriate issues. One thing went mistaken too.
However let’s begin with what actually went mistaken.
Administration believes including a gaggle of Class B free brokers and reuniting with an old-school coach who retired from San Diego might be sufficient to extend the crew’s win whole from the 70s to the 90s. Followers disagree. The followers are proper.
Followers consider lots of the crew’s over-hyped prospects are prepared to guide the crew to the highest once more. Administration disagreed. Administration is true.
It took the entrance workplace the primary half of the season to confess its mistake. It wasn’t till the second half that the followers realized their misjudgment.
The end result: a crew that was anticipated to be a playoff contender however by no means really was, and was severely missing in power and velocity. Now there is a new argument…
Let’s fireplace the final supervisor. Let’s ditch the supervisor. Let’s signal 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt. Let’s give 19-year-old Bryce Eldridge an opportunity.
ah. right here we go once more.
There’s nothing extra disappointing than being unable to get to the foundation of a disappointment and dooming you to expertise it once more. See: Giants, 2017-2020 and now 2022-24.
No crew has realized much less from historical past. Keep in mind, it is a crew that received three championships previously decade…however didn’t make the playoffs 3 times the following season.
The 2024 recreation plan was effectively laid out on the homeowners assembly: including Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Robbie Ray, Lee Jung Hoo, Jorge Soler and Jordan Hicks Becoming a member of a crew that was nonetheless ranked second as of September 3 final 12 months, mid-season is right here once more and 2010 is behind us.
If solely Chapman, Snell, Ray and Soler may flip again the clock like that.
Let’s discuss Chapman. Nice man. Glorious protection. The followers love him.
Sounds a bit like Brandon Crawford, does not it? In actual fact, the Giants had been mired in Chappy Mania the 12 months after they lastly minimize ties with the 37-year-old championship shortstop, including an extra six years and $151 million to his contract. billion) so followers may see him at 37 and minimize him uncomfortably, similar to they did to Crawford.
Contemplating all of the hoopla and publicity we had earlier than retirement, you may need thought Chapman was an MVP candidate, however alas, he hit .246 with 78 RBIs. Not too unhealthy, however Crawford was higher than that at shortstop in 2021 (.298 and 90) earlier than the Giants spent $32 million simply so followers may gush “However he defends Good” as he’s anticipated to age over the following two years.
Even reducing ties with Crawford, who has been nice previously, makes the Giants look unhealthy. Their much-hyped reliever, Marco Luciano, was so ill-prepared this season that he was not solely moved to second base, the place he was equally fumbling, however was additionally used as a 22-year-old DH so followers would boo his possibilities Simply much less.
And there is Tyler Fitzgerald, the brand new inheritor to Crawford’s sun shades. He is having a surprisingly good season…
Wait, right here it’s: Casey Schmitt is aware of Sacramento effectively sufficient that he ought to supply to be the actual property agent for the Athletics, who went 7-2 in late September with sweeps of Baltimore, Kansas Metropolis and Arizona State, contributed to the 6-for-14 taking pictures surge. Now, he is the favourite to win the shortstop job subsequent season, ready for a veteran journeyman like Nick Ahmed, who walked the streets to beat Luciano final spring, to step up.
Then there’s Snell. Nothing says “Welcome to the Farhan Zaidi Period of Giants baseball” just like the lefty’s legendary story.
Except you keep in mind the earlier Southpaw saga — aka the Carlos Rodon catastrophe — that is primarily a prequel to Snell.
You keep in mind Snell. One of the best pitcher within the Nationwide League (and perhaps all of baseball) final season. It is the right addition for a crew that performs in a pitcher’s park and has hassle attracting big-name expertise (the understatement of the century).
Scott Boras desires to make some huge cash. Oracle Park prints huge cash. This can be a recreation in…
march. It was simply too late that Snell, a key determine within the Giants’ resurgence, struggled early after which received injured.
Excellent news: The Giants waived Snell’s contract after one 12 months. Zaidi’s logic: We’ll let Snell show it, even when he is already confirmed it.
The unhealthy information: Boras additionally negotiated the deal to see who may as soon as once more grow to be one of the best pitcher in baseball. Fortunately, the Giants locked him up…
till Sunday.
So what you will have is a crew that received 79 video games final season, fired its head coach, after which signed six veterans with resumes to complement a gaggle of “can’t-miss” rookies who had been made simply due to one Memorable moments had been thought to have been ready final September for one or two, a few of which had been in Class 3A.
Now, a weekend earlier than the top of the season, we’re nonetheless attempting to surpass final 12 months’s win whole.
What a disappointment. That is additionally:
Robust performances from veterans Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski imply they will doubtless hit .240 once more…and forestall the Giants from mortgage McCovey McCovey Cove to usher in Juan Soto or Paul Goldschmidt. Or perhaps each.
Who wants Gerrit Cole, Corbin Burns, and Sean Bieber when you will have Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, Landon Rupp, and Mason Black? Or what about Walker Buehler (each with California ties)?
Administration: We may go along with Frankie Montas, who was nice for Melvin six years in the past, or if we’re mistaken, we may choose out.
Followers: Have you ever watched former fifteenth spherical decide Tommy Romero carry out in Sacramento? Let’s attempt him.
Welcome to Giants Baseball, the place subsequent 12 months’s slogan might be: The Better of the Bay Space…and the Worst of the Bay Space.
