The San Francisco Giants are nowhere close to where they thought they would be at the end of this season.
The Giants felt they had a veteran group of hitters and a top-of-the-line starter in Logan Webb to help them contend again in the National League. Instead, president of baseball operations Buster Posey and his staff, which included new manager Tony Vitello , were caught in a circle of injuries and underperformance that they couldn't dig their way out of.
Posey's miscalculation and putting together the bullpen was just salt in the wound.
San Francisco faces several decisions this offseason. But none is bigger than the first decision they'll make after the World Series. Actually - there are 17 of them .
San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader. Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The San Francisco Giants had so many injuries that at times they had close to a 26-man roster on the injured list. During the regular season teams can use the 60-day injured list for long-term injured players. The upside is that those players come off the 40-man roster. The downside? Eventually those players must be put back on the 40-man roster.
San Francisco's first big decision will be the fifth day after the conclusion of the World Series. That is the deadline by which the Giants must move those 17 players back to the 40-man roster. It's not as easy as it sounds.
The 40-man roster is the Major League roster. Some of these players are in the minor leagues and haven't made their Major League debut. When a player comes off the 10- or 15-day injury list and is moved back to the 26-man roster, in many cases the Giants just option a player back to the minor leagues to make room.
To move a player from the 60-day IL to the 40-man roster, the Giants must clear a spot. In this case, San Francisco can't option a player to the minors. They must either cut a player by designating him for assignment, trade him or non-tender him a contract to make space. Or, San Francisco could do the same to the injured player.
San Francisco must execute 17 of these decisions by the fifth day after the end of the World Series. This is a baseball version of a bloodletting. And the Giants must ensure they get these decisions right.
San Francisco may have to get draconian about some of these decisions. For instance, veteran outfielder Harrison Bader has been on the injured list since June. San Francisco must do something with him in November. Who will they sacrifice? Scott Bandura? Victor Bericoto? Bo Davidson? Drew Gilbert? The list goes on. To keep Bader, San Francisco must do something with another player and risk losing them.
Or, they could release Bader. But the Giants are still on the hook for the remaining year of his contract. Trading him will be problematic due to the injury.
That binary decision is hard enough. The Giants will have to make 17 of those calculations to make sure their roster has 40 players and is legal by the deadline. It's not a situation to be envied. The Giants stand to lose several good players who will be picked up by other teams.
Posey and his management team will have to get each of these moves right to ensure San Francisco has the talent to compete next season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/giants/onsi as First Move the San Francisco Giants Front Office Must Make This Offseason .
