Giants players hardly reserved as they vie for backup roles with team
MESA, Ariz. - There were no starters to be seen in the San Francisco Giants' lineup at Sloane Park on Sunday, and that made it all the more intriguing.
Almost everyone on hand was battling for one of the final roster spots, and the competition is heating up - everyone, suddenly, seems to be performing well in helping the Giants to a 13-2 Cactus League record, the best mark in the majors. Sunday's ambitious bunch thumped five homers in a 9-5 win over the Cubs, who had many of their starters in the lineup.
"Time has become precious in a hurry," manager Tony Vitello said, calling the past two days, in particular, good opportunities for roster hopefuls. "With just a couple weeks left of all this, we're kind of staring down the barrel of a home stretch."
Former Cleveland outfielder Will Brennan, looking like a good bet to be up with the Giants at some point as a left-handed-hitting reserve, made a sensational catch in the first, robbing Cubs leadoff man Michael Busch of an extra-base hit with an over-the-shoulder sliding catch into the wall in center. Brennan was 0-for-2 Sunday but is hitting .421.
Others in the thick of the hunt: Outfielder Luis Matos, who's out of options and enjoying a strong spring, batting .375 after an 0-for-2 day. If the Giants are looking to maximize roster flexibility early, he'd be on the squad, though he's a right-handed hitter and ideally they need a lefty. Jerar Encarnacion, too, is a right-handed hitter who is out of options, and coming off a three-hit day Saturday, he added two more. His only real shot at sticking on the roster is if the Giants decide Bryce Eldridge needs more time at Triple-A Sacramento, but Encarnacion has impressed Vitello, who said the team wouldn't have won without Encarnacion's efforts Sunday.
Eldridge has a decent shot to make the roster, but it's not guaranteed; there are plenty of people who believe he'd be better off with a little more seasoning in the minor leagues. He's still learning to play first first, he only had 66 games of experience at Triple-A Sacramento last year (and eight at the end of the previous year after Double-A Richmond's season was over). He's batting .240 after going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
Catcher Jesus Rodriguez, obtained last July in the Camilo Doval deal with the Yankees, is a long shot for an early-season roster spot, but he certainly could be up by the end of the year. He had three hits against the Diamondbacks on Saturday, threw out a runner and got two balls overturned to strikes. "He was throwing peas to second," said one scout who was at that game, "and he's got a lot of life in that bat."
"He looked incredible," Vitello said Sunday morning, adding that Rodriguez will get a start at second base soon. "Again, Mr. Versatile, and we've talked about what a difficult role that is to fill. He's starting to show leadership skills back there on top of that skill set."
Sunday, Rodriguez was part of a three-homer sixth, following Grant McCray's solo shot with one of his own, and Buddy Kennedy hit a two-run homer. Rodriguez also stole his second base of the spring (and he got picked off once). He's batting .368.
If Brennan is No. 1 on the left-handed-hitting depth chart for the fourth outfielder spot, McCray is No. 1A, given his speed and solid defense. Beyond them, the most unexpected man in the outfield tussle is Victor Bericoto, a nonroster player who's batting .417. Sunday, he delivered a pinch-hit single and played well … at first base.
Vitello said Bericoto had worked at that position that morning with coach Ron Washington and after an especially slick play, "Wash was probably the most pleased person in the dugout. … They've been working at it, and he's obviously capable with the bat. But this has been a broken record: If you're a guy that hasn't locked down a position like a (Matt Chapman) then the more versatile you are, the better off."
Bericoto is probably not going to make the Opening Day roster, especially if the Giants want to hang onto Matos to open the season, but has done everything possible to do so and is now firmly on the radar if there is a need.
The two top candidates for the backup catcher spot, Rule-5 player Daniel Susac and veteran Eric Haase, both were in action. Susac, who might have the better bat, started, went 1-for-3 with a double and he's hitting .350; Haase, an experienced big-league backup, smacked a homer in the seventh, his second of the spring. He's hitting .238 and Vitello said he believes Haas could hit for average and for power.
The closest thing to a roster lock in the lineup Sunday was Casey Schmitt, who got the start at shortstop. It's hard to envision the Giants going another way, but there is always the argument that Schmitt and Christian Koss, the top backup shortstop, are redundant, in some ways, both right-handed hitters who play every infield spot. Schmitt is better at the corner spots, especially third, not that he'd play there much, if ever, if Chapman stays healthy.
Schmitt's also highly coveted by numerous teams, especially those with a need at third; one scout at the game Sunday told the Chronicle his AL team would start Schmitt at third right now. Should the Giants have a major need, Schmitt is among their best bargaining chips - but even as a backup, he's got enormous value for the Giants.
Parks Harber was at third base, and he's not in the mix for a roster spot now but he'll be depth at Triple-A; he, too, homered Sunday.
Major weekend notable: Also to note in Saturday's away game against the Diamondbacks was top shortstop prospect Josuar Gonzalez, 18, who turned two double plays, one of them a beauty he took himself.
"Gonzalez's floor is Jimmy Rollins," said the scout who'd been at that game. "Elite instincts, so smooth, so surehanded, so easy."
"The thing that gets lost in the mix, because he's really good defensively and he's obviously capable with the bat, is his speed," Vitello said. "He beat out a ball to first base and it wasn't even really close."
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