Why signing Alex Wood was an obvious move that creates obvious questions for the SF Giants
The Giants also announced two players with major league experience joined the club on minor league deals Friday.
When the San Francisco Giants announced they signed left-hander Alex Wood to a one-year, $3 million deal Thursday, it came as little surprise to anyone who’s followed Farhan Zaidi’s tenure closely.
The Giants’ president of baseball operations has spent the last two-plus seasons searching for diamonds in the rough, bounce back candidates and players with strong track records looking to reestablish their value at the major league level.
Wood, a 2017 All-Star who finished ninth in National League Cy Young voting that season, has an impressive pedigree and emerged as an inexpensive option in free agency due to recent injury issues. Zaidi’s projection that Wood will start every fifth day for the Giants is a modest gamble, but it’s no bigger of a risk than the recent ones the Giants have taken with other left-handers in Drew Pomeranz and Drew Smyly.
Signing Wood was a fairly obvious move for the Giants because the team didn’t have another left-hander slated to open the season in the starting rotation, Wood has a relationship with Zaidi dating back to their days together in the Dodgers organization and because Wood is the type of a low-risk, high-reward acquisition who could help the Giants remain competitive in the daunting National League West.
The Giants may also see value in having Wood follow Kevin Gausman in the rotation as the veteran right-hander relies on a high-velocity fastball thrown at the top of the strike zone to get batters out. Wood offers hitters an entirely different look.
“What’s pretty obvious from watching Alex, there’s a lot of funk to the delivery, there’s good deception,” Zaidi said Friday. “He’s actually most effective when he keeps the ball down, which is in contrast with where the game’s been going. He’s got an unusual delivery and a pitching style that is becoming less common.”
Wood’s 2020 numbers –nine appearances with a 6.39 ERA– won’t excite Giants fans, but Zaidi said the front office still has reason to believe there’s plenty of competitive innings left in the 30-year-old southpaw. In two World Series appearances with the Dodgers, Wood tossed a combined four scoreless innings while striking out five Tampa Bay Rays hitters.
It’s a small sample size, but Zaidi flipped Pomeranz for Mauricio Dubón at the 2019 trade deadline based on four impressive relief appearances while Smyly turned 26 1/3 innings with the Giants into a one-year, $11 million deal with the Atlanta Braves this offseason. When a player turns the corner, it sometimes jumps off the screen.
“He pitched incredibly well in the playoffs, including in the World Series. For me, watching him pitch in the playoffs was really reminiscent of when I’ve seen him at his best,” Zaidi said. “As a group we just felt like the trend line for him from a health and performance standpoint and the way he finished the year, we have a lot of optimism that he can carry that into 2021.”
The challenge Zaidi and the Giants have created for themselves is determining what the rotation will look like beyond 2021. With Wood, Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani and Johnny Cueto penciled into the first four spots of this year’s rotation and all four expected to hit free agency in the offseason, the organization could be looking at massive turnover.
The changes to the pitching staff would also coincide with Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Donovan Solano and potentially Wilmer Flores becoming free agents, so Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris may need to prepare for an overhaul of the front half of the Giants’ 40-man roster.
The good news for the Giants’ top baseball executives is there’s plenty of time to alleviate any concerns. The Giants could pursue a long-term extension with Gausman, re-sign Wood or DeSclafani if they enjoy their time in San Francisco and also have other arms in the pipeline ready to assume bigger roles.
The organization has expressed optimism in Tyler Beede’s potential to start every fifth day as he recovers from a March, 2020 Tommy John surgery while Logan Webb is also viewed as a pitcher who could finally enjoy a breakthrough. With prospects including Sean Hjelle and Seth Corry likely to inch closer to the majors this year, there are several internal candidates who could be on the Giants’ radar soon.
It’s far too soon to know what the Giants’ rotation beyond 2021 will look like, but it’s obvious to start asking questions now that the team’s top four projected starters could have the freedom to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Giants sign Jackson, Alcantara to minor league deals
The Giants announced Friday the organization agreed to terms with relief pitcher Jay Jackson and utility man Arismendy Alcantara to minor league contracts that include invitations to spring training.
Jackson, 33, has 34 games of major league experience, including 28 with the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2019 season when he posted a 4.45 ERA and struck out 47 batters in 30 1/3 innings.
Alcantara, 29, made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2015, but hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since a 2017 stint with the Reds. The speedy switch-hitter batted .294 with an .866 OPS with Triple-A Syracuse in 2019 as a member of the Mets organization.
Jackson should have a strong opportunity to secure an Opening Day bullpen job as the Giants anticipate a wide open competition due to the number of inexperienced right-handed relief arms on their 40-man roster. Alcantara may have a tougher time finding playing time, but his positional versatility and speed are important qualities for a player who should upgrade the organization’s depth during spring training.