adminWhy did the Giants trade for struggling football player Pollock? appeared within the unique Bay Area Sports NBC
SAN FRANCISCO — When opening a gap within the roster this season, the Giants tried one thing that hasn’t been accessible to them lately. They crammed nearly each want by calling a extremely potential buyer.
However with Mike Yastrzemski out for no less than two weeks with a left hamstring pressure, they’re turning to a extra skilled choice.
On Monday, the Giants accomplished a commerce for longtime pal Jerry Dipoto and the Seattle Mariners, Acquiring 35-year-old outfielder AJ Pollock and utility man Mark Mathias in trade for money concerns or a participant to be named later, with the Giants additionally receiving money to assist repay a few of Bullock’s remaining contracts. Mathias was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, however Bullock ought to quickly be within the huge league lineup.
Basically, the Giants’ first commerce of deadline week boils right down to this: They want an outfielder, particularly one who hits right-handed so he can platoon with Blake Sabol and Joc Pederson left-handed, they usually’re betting on Bullock’s report and base metrics on what They’ve it at Triple-A, the place Heliot Ramos can be the best choice.
Pollock had a 0.547 OPS in Seattle and is down at 0.378 towards lefties, however he was near the league common hitter final season, with solely a 12 months left of his 0.935 OPS towards lefties pitching. Gabe Kapler referred to him as a “skilled” and mentioned the Giants consider “there’s extra to AJ’s tank” Farhan Zaidi mentioned he expects Bullock to be a very good match.
“He clearly hasn’t had an amazing season in Seattle,” mentioned Farhan Zaidi, president of baseball operations. “We type of take a look at some fundamental metrics of the plate’s self-discipline, how he strikes across the subject, his operating speeds are good, and we simply see him as a very good candidate for a change of surroundings. He has numerous relationships with individuals right here, gamers he is performed with earlier than, and I do know that All of those guys are actually excited to have him as a result of he is simply such an amazing presence on the membership.
“He fills a short-term want on the sphere with Yaz taking place, however even with gamers coming again I believe there’s a function for him to be a part of our rotation and help us.”
The Giants chased Bullock within the offseason But he ended up with Mitch Haniger. Nevertheless, the sphere is at the moment with out Hanegger and Yastrzemski, who injured his left hamstring for the third time on Sunday. The Giants had signed up Bullock earlier than Yastrzemski was injured and it was nearly no price so as to add him on Monday.
Satirically, Bullock is at the moment at IL with a hamstring pressure, however he took BP in Seattle earlier than transferring on and can have a exercise on Tuesday at Oracle Park. He might be energetic as quickly as Tuesday night time towards the Diamondbacks.
Pollock’s total numbers had been very low, however his common outing pace, stroll fee, and strikeout fee are in keeping with final season, when he was best for the Chicago White Sox. Even on the age of 35, he remained within the 89th percentile in dash pace, one thing that each Kapler and Zaidi cited.
If Bullock cannot flip it round, the Giants haven’t got a lot to take a position and may flip this place over to Yastrzemski or Haniger in a couple of weeks, or whoever. Proper now, they’re hoping to catch the Lightning in a Bottle with a participant who’s been an above-average hitter and all-rounder for many of his profession with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.
“We expect he has so much within the tank,” al-Zaidi mentioned.
