3 SF Giants most likely to be cut in the coming weeks
The SF Giants may have to say goodbye to some familiar faces soon.
The SF Giants have had to make some cuts and trades in recent weeks as players return from injury including Austin Slater and Nick Ahmed. Here are 3 players who may be the next cuts the Giants make once they have to make room for more players.
3 SF Giants most likely to be cut in the coming weeks
The Giants have had to make some tough decisions as players return from injury. They have had to part ways with players they probably would have liked to keep like Spencer Howard, but they were in need of fresher arms.
Austin Slater’s struggles coupled with the emergence of Heliot Ramos are why the Giants traded him and Nick Ahmed simply did not provide enough value on offense to justify keeping him on the roster.
Now, the Giants will have even more tough decisions to make. With the likely return of starting pitchers Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray and catcher Tom Murphy in the second half, the Giants are going to have to decide whether they want to demote some of their younger players or cut some of their veterans.
Demoting the younger players seems like the wrong move. The Giants have played some of their best baseball this season when relying on their younger talent like Heliot Ramos, Luis Matos, and Brett Wisely. Farhan Zaidi has even said that if things do not improve, the Giants may sell in order to give their younger players a chance to prove themselves.
If that is the case, then the Giants may cut some of their veterans to make opportunities for younger players. If that is the route they take, here are 3 players who may be on the chopping block in the coming weeks.
3 SF Giants most likely to be cut in the coming weeks
1. Luke Jackson
It has been no secret that reliever Luke Jackson has struggled mightily this season. He has an ERA of 5.63 and has not been reliable at all in high-leverage spots. We at Around the Foghorn have been making the case for a while that the Giants should cut ties with Jackson.
Perhaps the Giants have not cut Jackson yet because they signed him to a sizable 2 year, $11.5 million contract prior to 2023. He did well for the Giants last year, but this year he just has not cut it.
The Giants would be much better off relying on their rookie relievers Randy Rodriguez and Erik Miller the rest of the season. Neither of them has been perfect, but they have shown enough promise to warrant staying in the big leagues the rest of the year barring a drastic drop off.
It is probably well past time for the Giants to move on from Jackson, and the next time there is a roster crunch he may be the odd man out.
3 SF Giants most likely to be cut in the coming weeks
2. Curt Casali
The Giants reunited with catcher Curt Casali after an injury to Tom Murphy. Casali was a very important part of the team’s success back in 2021, so it made sense for the two sides to reunite.
He is definitely a glove first catcher who provides much more value behind the plate than in the batter’s box. He sports a .220 average this season which is about what you would expect at this point in his career.
It seems like Casali will remain on the roster until Tom Murphy is ready to return. Murphy has been on the shelf since May with a knee sprain. At the time he was expected to be back in a month or so, but it has been over two months now.
Murphy was not really living up to the 2 year, $8.25 million deal he signed in the offseason. Perhaps the Giants are slow-walking his return because they think Casali may actually be a better option due to his defense.
No matter what, Casali is in a vulnerable place on the roster. He does not provide enough value with his bat and while he is a good catcher, he also has a weak arm that opposing teams are not afraid to challenge. If push comes to shove, the Giants will definitely be willing to release him especially once Murphy is ready to return.
3. Wilmer Flores
Wilmer Flores may seem like an odd name to include on this list, but his recent struggles cannot be denied. Right now, his slash line is a very meager .203/.277/.309 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI. He has been a far cry from the Flores of 2023 who carried the team’s offense for much of the year.
Wilmer is a leader on the team and is one of the more beloved Giants amongst the fanbase. This definitely makes him more difficult to cut and is why he is probably the least likely on this list to be cut.
Yet, it is still a real possibility. Flores does not have a ton of trade value with his struggles this year. If the Giants get serious about taking a long look at their younger talent, they may decide to cut Flores rather than demote Wisely or Fitzgerald.
2024 is definitely a year of flux for the Giants. Their struggles this season could lead to the departure of many of the familiar faces that have been on the team in the last 5 years or so. On the one hand this is sad because they have to say goodbye to good players and good teammates, but at the same time it is necessary to try to break out of the cycle of mediocre play they have been stuck in.
