San Francisco Giants fans have been clamoring for a star and for players to get attached to for a long time. Patrick Bailey may be both. Bailey is a game-changing defender, and we keep getting reminded of it pretty much every time he's behind home plate for the SF Giants. Patrick Bailey got two huge outs in the Giants' one-run win against the D-backs last night, throwing out the potential tying run trying to steal second in the eighth, and picking off the potential tying run to end the game in the ninth. Bailey is playing at a 6-WAR pace, per FanGraphs, despite slightly below-average offensive numbers. His defense has been that good.
The Giants' quiet trade deadline is revisited. Some fans are understandably irked by the team's inactivity (outside of acquiring A.J. Pollock), but the Giants' behavior is understandable. They're close to getting Thairo Estrada and Mitch Haniger back from their injuries. Brandon Crawford has returned, and he hit a crucial game-tying home run last night. They've debuted Marco Luciano so he should be in the middle infield mix moving forward. Luis Matos is heating up at the plate. The pitching quietly has the second-best ERA in MLB since May 1 (the day after the insane Mexico City series).
Luciano was demoted to Triple-A to make room for Pollock on the Giants' roster. Luciano will work on playing some second base in Sacramento, which should help provide coverage if Estrada misses time again. Lefty-hitting outfielder Wade Meckler was promoted to Triple-A. Meckler was a 2022 draftee, so he's moved very fast. He was hitting very well in Double-A and could be an outfield option down the stretch. SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi also said that Kyle Harrison is likely to debut soon after recovering from a moderate hamstring strain.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick
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