SAN FRANCISCO -- On the final day of the regular season, executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean compared the Giants' September lineups to the split-squads you send on the road in spring training. Injuries and the Andrew McCutchen trade depleted the roster, and manager Bruce Bochy often sent out three or four rookies during the final month.
How did they fare? Management was pleased with some in the group, but as the Giants look to fill holes this offseason, they feel that others aren't ready to be internal options. Steven Duggar should start in center field next Opening Day, but the rest will be on the outside looking in.
The Giants hope to re-sign Nick Hundley, but if they don't, Aramis Garcia could be the backup catcher. Bochy highlighted Garcia on Sunday when asked about his rookie crop.
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"This guy went from Double-A to Triple-A and hit (.237) and he's throwing out some of our best at-bats (in September)," Bochy said. "This was a good chance to see what he was about, and this kid has shown a lot. He's shown toughness and his ability to handle major league pitching, so that'll be a tough decision -- do we keep his development going or is he ready (to be the) backup?"
Garcia batted .286 and hit four homers in 19 big league games, but there's not a starting spot open behind the plate. In the outfield, there are currently two, but it doesn't sound like management is ready to turn them over to Chris Shaw or Austin Slater. Sabean noted that Shaw would not have gotten called up if the club kept McCutchen around in September, and he said Slater "needs to make some swing adjustments."
"But he's certainly shown he that he can be an extra player," Sabean added of Slater, who had a .251/.333/.307 slash line before suffering an elbow sprain the final weekend.
The Giants would like Slater to tap into more of his natural power. Shaw showed some pop in a September cameo and made positive strides during the month, but he ended up with just 10 hits and 23 strikeouts in 54 at-bats.
San Francisco Giants
"Slater, we've got work to do there," Bochy said. "Shaw, we had to rush him a little, to be honest. He's got what we need and it's there, and sometimes these (power) guys take a little bit longer. You look at a (Joey) Gallo and some of these guys, and you're going to suffer a little bit when they come up. You understand that. They're going to get their tough nights, but it's going to get better.
"The power, what you see in the power, that's exciting. But to be honest, he needs more reps."