SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, September 1, 2018

Transcription

1 SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, September 1, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Giants eventful day: McCutchen in the Bronx, Shaw in left field, Posey on crutches John Shea Friday s pregame vibe was different from most. Buster Posey, four days after hip surgery, walked into the Giants clubhouse with crutches. Pablo Sandoval walked in with his leg in a brace, in the wake of hamstring surgery. Steven Duggar is next on the operation table, and he was speaking positively about his upcoming shoulder procedure and five-month recovery, giving him plenty of time to be at full strength for spring training. The Andrew McCutchen trade was completed early in the day, and by all accounts, he ll be missed greatly as he joins the playoff race as a Yankee. His replacement was getting hugs on his first day in the big leagues, and Chris Shaw was looking forward to his first start in left field, where he ll be playing regularly, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Shaw, Duggar and Austin Slater spent much time together in Triple-A and spoke in a Chronicle interview in May about playing together in the big leagues. This isn t how they imagined it, however, with Duggar absent. But maybe another day. Here are some highlights on a day of transition: 1

2 Bochy thanked McCutchen for his five months in a Giants uniform and said, Obviously, we were hoping this year would go a little bit better than how it did and he would be a huge part of it. I hope it goes well for him over there. I really do. Brian Sabean on McCutchen: We liked what we saw of Cutch, on and off the field. It was a great honor to have him. He was a pleasure to be around, a breath of fresh air. He was as advertised. Both Bochy and Sabean said they re open to McCutchen returning in 2019, but that s probably a long shot if only because the Giants need to get younger. Plus, McCutchen is the type of player who d get interest from a lot of teams. When Duggar was hurt sliding back into second base Tuesday, he was relieved it wasn t his throwing shoulder and wondered how long he d be out. Those are two things that went through my mind when it first happened, said Duggar, relieved that he ll be ready to go for training camp. The injury wasn t easy to take. It was tough, Duggar said. I cried. I threw stuff. Just privately by myself. Once I got that out of my system, it s been a laser focus. A date for surgery hadn t been set. Sabean said the Giants were open to trading McCutchen, who ll be a free agent after the season, because, It was the prudent thing to do. Three teams in front of us, and we were running out of games. The trade allows the Giants to get a long look at Shaw. He s a bat that we think is going to play here at some point on a regular basis, Bochy said, so this is a chance to show what he could do up here. Bochy didn t want to put added pressure on Shaw, who hit 24 homers with Sacramento. I don t want him coming up here trying to hit home runs. Just hit the ball hard. Get the barrel on that thing, Bochy said. That has been an issue. In 422 plate appearances, Shaw struck out 144 times and drew just 21 walks. One of Shaw s biggest supporters is Gregor Blanco, who s back in the majors and lockers next to Shaw. 2

3 He ll change those numbers in right field, said Blanco, referring to the splash hits number count. I think he ll put more balls in the bay, for sure. He s got the power, he s got the swing, he listens. works hard. He s just the type of guy the Giants need. Blanco wasn t fully confident he d return to the Giants after being designated for assignment in early June, but here he is. You ve got to go back to Triple-A, it was hard, definitely, Blanco said. This is a great opportunity again, especially because I was missing was the fans, the city, the grind itself. It s definitely fun to be back. San Francisco Chronicle Giants finalize McCutchen trade, prepare Duggar for surgery John Shea The Giants completed a trade Friday that sent right fielder Andrew McCutchen to the Yankees for two prospects. We liked what we saw of Cutch, on and off the field, Giants executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean said. It was a great honor to have him. He was a pleasure to be around, a breath of fresh air. He was as advertised. The Giants received Triple-A infielder Abiatal Avelino, who was a Double-A Eastern League All- Star this year and had 15 home runs between the two farm clubs, and right-hander Juan De Paula, a 20-year-old who had 46 strikeouts in 471/3 innings for the Yankees short-season rookie team in Staten Island. The Giants and Yankees both will pay the $2.4 million remaining on McCutchen s contract. Sabean didn t rule out re-signing McCutchen as a free agent and said the trade was made because, It was the prudent thing to do. Three teams in front of us, and we were running out of games. The Giants acquired McCutchen in January for pitcher Kyle Crick, outfielder Bryan Reynolds and international bonus slot money. Manager Bruce Bochy thanked McCutchen for his five months in a Giants uniform and said, Obviously, we were hoping this year would go a little bit better than how it did and he would be a huge part of it. I hope it goes well for him over there. I really do. 3

4 Hoping the trade is a win-win-win for the Giants, Yankees and McCutchen, Sabean said he s pulling for McCutchen to win a World Series ring. Duggar surgery: The decision to undergo shoulder surgery was easy for Giants center fielder Steven Duggar, but the realization that he d miss the rest of his rookie season was the tough part. I cried. I threw stuff, Duggar said. Just privately by myself. Once I got that out of my system, it s been a laser focus. The Giants were trying to set a date for Duggar s operation to repair a torn labrum after he dislocated the shoulder while diving headfirst back to second base Tuesday. Duggar said he was told recovery time is five months, meaning he should be at full strength for spring training. He agreed surgery was better than trying to rehab because he wants the shoulder fixed so he could be fully confident when diving into a bag or to make a catch. I don t want to hold my breath every time, Duggar said. I m a pretty aggressive player. If I have to dive for a ball in center field, I don t want to think about second-guessing that play because (of the risk of) getting hurt. That s not how I play. Duggar was hurt when he stretched for the base and got tagged on the shoulder. San Francisco Chronicle Giants youth movement: Garcia, Shaw, Suarez highlight 7-0 win John Shea You gotta like these kids, to steal a slogan from That was the year Will Clark and Robby Thompson burst onto the scene and introduced a new, vibrant brand of Giants baseball. Clark and Thompson made their big-league debuts in the same game, and Clark homered in his first at-bat against Nolan Ryan. It happened again Friday night, for the first time in 32 years. Two Giants position players debuted in the same game and were difference-makers in a 7-0 victory over the Mets at AT&T Park that neither player will soon forget. 4

5 On the day the Andrew McCutchen trade was completed, Chris Shaw was called up from Triple- A Sacramento, started in left field and hit a seventh-inning sacrifice fly off former Giants prospect Zack Wheeler to drive in the game s first run. Also, catcher Aramis Garcia, who was recalled Saturday to replace Buster Posey, finally got in a game and not only caught the shutout but hit an eighth-inning home run, his first big-league hit and added an eighth-inning RBI single. You just dream of getting here, Garcia said. You want to do well and make your family proud. To get a shutout win tonight and two hits, it s special. Garcia got the home run ball from the fan who retrieved it, exchanging two bats, some batting gloves and a signed ball. The home run ball went to Garcia s dad, whose name is Jose but also goes by Aramis. I don t think he ll let anybody else have it, Garcia the younger said. That baby s going up on my case, Garcia the elder, one of several family members in attendance, said outside the Giants clubhouse. Grandpa can have the second hit. Andrew Suarez, another rookie, pitched seven innings of two-hit ball he and Garcia played together in a summer league in high school (the Florida Legends) and Tony Watson and Ty Blach completed the all-lefty shutout. Garcia s homer began a six-run rally. Brandon Belt hit a two-run triple and scored on a single by Austin Slater, the fourth rookie in the lineup. Gorkys Hernandez singled home another run, and Garcia got his second hit of the inning to close the rally. It s a dream being answered, Garcia s father said. When he was 9 years old, he told my wife and me, I m going to be a major-league ballplayer. We said, OK. He wasn t that good. No, he stunk. So what happened? He practiced, practiced and practiced. As he got older, he kept going to the park, kept throwing, working on his hitting. In high school, he was the first to practice and last to leave. He was totally dedicated. He made it. He gave up a lot of his youth. That s what he wanted to do. He wanted to play baseball. 5

6 The aforementioned slogan from 1986, the brainchild of former Giants marketing guru Pat Gallagher, was part of a campaign to promote a promising young team two years removed from a 100-loss season. Well, the current Giants are one year removed from 98 losses and trying to move in a younger direction, and Friday s game put them on the right path. Shaw might not have been called up this year if McCutchen hadn t been traded to the Yankees. Now, Shaw will get most of the time in left field. He s a bat that we think is going to play here at some point on a regular basis, manager Bruce Bochy said, so this is a chance to show what he could do up here. Shaw hit 24 homers for Sacramento, and now he s playing in a park that s not always friendly for left-handed batters. He struck out in his first two at-bats (on six pitches), and he did that far too often in Triple-A, where he struck out 144 times while drawing just 21 walks. I don t want him coming up here trying to hit home runs, Bochy said. Just hit the ball hard. Get the barrel on that thing. I don t want to put that pressure on him. San Francisco Chronicle Giants Brian Sabean on trade of Andrew McCutchen John Shea Brian Sabean is a fan of Andrew McCutchen, the right fielder who was traded from the Giants to the Yankees on Friday. We liked what we saw of Cutch, on and off the field, said Sabean, the Giants executive vice president of baseball operations. It was a great honor to have him. He was a pleasure to be around, a breath of fresh air. He was as advertised. With the Giants falling from contention and McCutchen eligible for free agency after the season, Sabean and Co. traded him for two prospects infielder Abiatal Avelino and pitcher Juan DePaula. The Giants filled McCutchen s roster spot by calling up power-hitting outfielder Chris Shaw from Triple-A Sacramento. 6

7 Sabean didn t rule out re-signing McCutchen as a free agent and said the trade was made because, It was the prudent thing to do. Three teams in front of us, and we were running out of games. Hoping the trade is a win-win-win, Sabean said he s pulling for McCutchen to win a World Series ring. San Jose Mercuery News A dream realized: Travel ball teammates lead Giants to picture-perfect win Kerry Crowley SAN FRANCISCO Baseball players grow up dreaming of the day they ll step foot on a major league diamond. They think of the home runs they ll hit and the shutouts they ll throw, but over time, only a select few are able to complete their journey. Almost everyone does it on their own. Giants rookies Andrew Suárez and Aramís Garcia did it together. In a picture-perfect 7-0 win over the Mets Friday, Suárez and Garcia lived out a dream they ve shared since high school. He s known me forever, Suárez said of his battery mate. I told him nothing s changed. It s the same game plan. As teammates on the Florida Legends travel ball team in high school, the Miami-area natives envisioned a major league future. They couldn t have imagined a game like Friday s. That was incredible, it was an incredible moment, I m so thankful right now, Garcia said. Suárez arrived in the big leagues in April, but he saved the best game of his rookie season for the night Garcia put on his chest protector and made his big league debut. The left-hander threw seven shutout innings and yielded just two hits, the same amount Garcia recorded in an unforgettable eighth inning. With his club ahead 1-0, Garcia launched a solo homer into the left field bleachers and became the 18th Giants player to record a home run for his first major league hit. After adding an RBI single to cap off a six-run frame, Garcia became the first San Francisco era Giant to pick up his first two hits in the same inning. It s a dream being answered, Garcia s father Jose Aramis said. Since he was nine years old, he said I m going to be a major league ballplayer and he fulfilled his dream. 7

8 Garcia and left fielder Chris Shaw became the first set of rookie position players to debut together for the Giants since Robby Thompson and Will Clark were in the same lineup April 8, Shaw went hitless in his first game, but he broke a scoreless tie with a crucial sacrifice fly off former Giants prospect Zack Wheeler in the bottom of the seventh. Both pitchers were throwing extremely well and to be able to put us up 1-0 late, to have our bullpen come in and do some really good things, it was incredible, Shaw said. After trading Andrew McCutchen to the Yankees in exchange for infield prospect Abiatal Avelino and right-handed pitching prospect Juan De Paula earlier in the day, Giants executives Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans expressed frustration the 2018 season hasn t gone according to plan. It crushed the duo to admit the Giants have too much ground to make up to jump back into the playoff race, but as the franchise shifts its attention toward 2019, at least the view is filled with promise. We ve got to keep going hard and something like tonight can be a shot in the arm for you, manager Bruce Bochy said. A couple of young kids come up and contribute and it s a big win for us. With McCutchen on his way out of town, Bochy started a quartet of rookies Friday including Austin Slater, who replaced the veteran in right field and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. The Giants manager said Slater will earn most of the starts in right field down the stretch while Shaw will play consistently in left, allowing the club an opportunity to evaluate what some of their younger assets have to offer. Their journeys will include ups and downs, but for the four rookies who starred in a blowout win over the Mets, the thrill of arriving and producing together will be difficult to top. We ve got to have probably five or six guys up here now that started in (Triple-A) Sacramento, Shaw said. It s really cool to see and especially to come up and play a role in a game like this tonight and have as much fun as we did. No player, coach or front office executive had as much fun as Garcia s father, who was overcome with emotion watching his son deliver his first big league home run. It s picture-perfect, you couldn t ask for a better script to be written, Jose Aramis said. Hometown kids pitching to each other. After the game, the rookie catcher traded autographed bats, balls and batting gloves to the fan who caught his first major league home run. Garcia was elated to retrieve the ball, but he knows it won t be in his possession for long. 8

9 Oh absolutely not, that baby is going up in my case, his father said. The son didn t seem to mind the idea of giving his father the ball. He ll keep the memories from Friday s game, knowing he ll hold onto them with a fellow rookie who has always shared the same dreams. San Jose Mercury News Sabean leaves door open for McCutchen reunion, Bochy outlines plan for Shaw Kerry Crowley SAN FRANCISCO Brian Sabean wanted to see Andrew McCutchen lead the Giants back from a 98-loss season and provide the spark to fuel a playoff push. Sabean still envisions McCutchen wearing a World Series ring, but it won t come in San Francisco. The Giants dealt McCutchen to the New York Yankees Friday in exchange for a pair of prospects in a move that cleared the way for the franchise to promote top prospect Chris Shaw. I hope he wins a ring, Sabean said. He s invested a lot in the game, he s the real deal. We need more McCutchens in baseball. Shaw, 24, was the organizational leader in home runs this season with 24 for Triple-A Sacramento. Manager Bruce Bochy said he ll start regularly in left field over the final month of the year, but the Giants don t want to rush an evaluation on the 2015 first round draft choice. I don t want him coming up here trying to hit home runs, Bochy said. Just try to hit the ball hard. Get the barrel on it. I don t want to put that pressure on him. He s got good power the other way too. Shaw said general manager Bobby Evans met with members of the Triple-A roster Thursday to discuss September call-ups and Evans told Shaw the Giants had yet to make a decision regarding his immediate future. However, the McCutchen trade cleared a spot for him to play regularly in the outfield and Shaw received word of his promotion Friday morning. I just kind of broke down, Shaw said. It s something you dream about your entire life. To finally have that vision and that dream come to fruition, I still can t even put it into words. While Shaw said he s not intimated by the pitcher-friendly dimensions of AT&T Park, he s taking over the roster spot of the team s biggest power threat. McCutchen led the Giants in home runs (15) and RBIs (55) this season, but the rest of the offense failed to live up to expectations. 9

10 If you look at his body of work in a lineup that literally wasn t much help to him personally, the trade itself which I m sure was jarring and with the change in venue which means he s coming to this ballpark, we like what we saw from Cutch on and off the field, Sabean said. Sabean hoped to keep McCutchen for the remainder of the season if the Giants swept the D backs and narrowed the gap to 5.5 games in the National League West, but the franchise opted to trade him as their playoff odds took another blow with a loss Wednesday. Three teams in front of us and we re running out of games, Sabean said. The Giants vice president of baseball operations said other teams expressed interest in McCutchen and the club wanted to find the outfielder a destination where he has an opportunity to make a deep playoff run. McCutchen will become a free agent this offseason and should rank among the top options on the market in the winter. If the Giants feel the need to add an outfielder in free agency, Sabean did leave the door open for a possible reunion. Sabean admitted the move was particularly difficult to make because the Giants don t believe in waving a white flag. We don t like to surrender, Sabean said. Contrary to some general managers, our front office, we don t necessarily relish the trade deadline and being involved in this. You ve got people going out the door that you re invested in. Duggar details recovery timetable The Giants hoped to pair Shaw in the outfield with fellow rookie Steven Duggar, but the starting center fielder suffered a season-ending shoulder injury Tuesday. Duggar said he has not scheduled a date for surgery to repair a torn labrum, but he anticipates the operation will take place soon and he expects to be cleared to play by the start of spring training. According to Duggar, a full recovery process will take about five months and he ll be doing plenty of baseball activity by December. It was tough, I cried, I threw stuff privately by myself, Duggar said. Once I got that out of my system, it s just been a laser focus. Duggar quickly emerged as one of the most exciting players on the roster as he played a starring role in three wins at the beginning of the week. Though he has plenty of room to improve at the plate, Duggar showcased impressive range in the vast outfield territory at AT&T Park. 10

11 There was obviously some trials along the way and I knew that coming into it, Duggar said. I knew I was going to fail, but I felt like I stayed with it and made adjustments along the way. I really felt like I was starting to put some things together. San Jose Mercury News The 10 most damaging injuries the Giants have suffered in 2018 Kerry Crowley SAN FRANCISCO Baseball players preach about their ability to survive in a game based in failure, highlighting the mental fortitude it takes to recover from losing streaks, slumps and routine plays they botch. They accept that struggles are part of the game, but for most, accepting the physical toll the sport takes is much more difficult to process. The 2018 Giants know the pain all too well, as 19 players have missed a combined 781 games due to injury. Rookie Steven Duggar, the team s most exciting player in August and a promising center fielder of the future, will add 27 games to that total. An MRI revealed Duggar suffered a dislocated left shoulder and torn labrum that will cut his season short. His absence is devastating for the Giants, but Duggar is hardly the only player who will spend more time in the doctor s office than on the field in September. In a season full of catastrophic injuries, Duggar s is just the latest. To put Duggar s loss and the Giants injuries in perspective, we looked at the 10 most damaging injuries of the season. 10. Mark Melancon (Right elbow flexor strain, 56 games missed): After undergoing seasonending surgery to heal an ailing pronator last September, Melancon expected to regain the closer role heading into His arm ached during the spring, forcing Melancon to miss the first two months on the disabled list. Relievers are easier to replace than starters and position players, but the $20 million the Giants paid him to serve as the closer makes Melancon s injury tougher to swallow for the front office. 9. Steven Duggar (Dislocated left shoulder, 1 game): Duggar s shoulder injury left the Giants clubhouse deflated, especially after the team fell 7.0 games back of Arizona Wednesday. Though Duggar wasn t going to lead the club on a miracle run to the playoffs, his season-ending 11

12 labrum tear will rob the rookie of crucial September at-bats. Instead of having a head start on preparing for 2019, Duggar will be forced to rehab while Giants fans will miss out on the chance to watch a compelling young talent. 8. Joe Panik (Fractured left thumb, left groin sprain, 48 games): Panik opened the year with promise, slamming two home runs in the first two games of the season at Dodger Stadium. He ll end it trying to prove he belongs on the 2019 roster, as injuries derailed his season and interrupted a once-encouraging year. Panik s.305 on-base percentage is a career-low, and though he s healthy now, separate disabled list stints clearly took a toll. 7. Evan Longoria (Fractured left hand, 34 games): Right when Longoria started to look comfortable in a Giants uniform, his season took a turn for the worst. A fractured hand on a hit by pitch took one of the team s best power hitters out of the order at a point in the season when San Francisco simply couldn t hit left-handed pitchers. The schedule was favorable and the Giants could have made a run in late June and early July, but they lost a corner infielder who has hit just four homers since the injury. 6. Jeff Samardzija (Right shoulder inflammation, 90 games): The Giants penciled Samardzija into the No. 3 spot in the rotation, but he made just 10 starts and is doubtful to pitch again this season per manager Bruce Bochy. Though Samardzija has weaknesses teams have exploited through the years, he s built his reputation on durability and working deep into games. A shoulder injury suffered during spring training never healed, and now, it s unclear what the Giants can expect from Samardzija in the final two years of his contract. 5. Mac Williamson (Concussion, 27 games): It s possible to argue Williamson is nothing more than a Triple-A power hitter who can t cut it in the big leagues. It s much more difficult to say that after watching him crush the ball in March and April. The slugging outfielder was poised for a breakout season after hitting three home runs in his first five games with the Giants. However, a tumble over the bullpen mounds at AT&T Park left Williamson with a devastating head injury he s still trying to overcome. Was 2018 finally the year a homegrown outfielder finally became a middle-of-the-order force? If not for Williamson s concussion, the answer might be yes. 12

13 4. Madison Bumgarner (Fractured left hand, 60 games): Had Bumgarner s injury taken place in July instead of March, he might top this list. But when the Giants ace returned to a.500 club at the beginning of June, the team still carried a sense of hope and confidence. Over the past two months, Bumgarner has proven he s still a true No. 1, but the Giants don t look like they ll have any must-win playoff games to have him start. When Bumgarner was on the shelf, the club s offense was good and the starting staff struggled. Since his return, it s been the opposite. 3. Brandon Belt (Appendicitis, hyperextended left knee, 30 games): Belt s absences cost the Giants a top hitter for 30 games, but the impact goes far beyond the missed time. It s clear the starting first baseman hasn t been the same threat at the plate since returning, and he s still not moving at 100 percent after his knee injury. After posting a.995 OPS in April and a.921 OPS in May, Belt s mark is.388 in August and he s hitting.149 in the second half. Though his defense is still strong, a player that carried the lineup early in the year isn t doing much at all of late. 2. Johnny Cueto (Right elbow sprain, sprained left ankle, 99 games): When Cueto is at his best, he s an All-Star-caliber pitcher. And during the month of April, no starter in baseball dominated quite like Cueto. The veteran was on pace for a career year and had found the magic touch with his changeup, but his season came crashing down. Cueto will miss all of next season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, a brutal loss for a franchise that has watched aging pitchers break down too often over the last 10 years. 1. Buster Posey (Right hip impingement, 4 games): Posey is the face of the franchise and when healthy, the most important player on the Giants roster. He s a true two-way catcher, but this year, he never looked like the Posey fans are accustomed to watching. Posey found a way to hit.284 and catch 88 games, but he played through pain and his power numbers are all careerlows. The Giants have found a way to overcome Cueto s loss and post the best team ERA in baseball since June 1, but there s no replacing a healthy Posey. That s why his injury hurt the most. 13

14 MLB.com Debuting Giants back stellar rookie Suarez Martin Oppegaard SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants will get a good, long look at the future of their organization in the final month of the season. The Chris Shaw era began Friday, but it was a collection of youngsters that carried the Giants to a 7-0 win over the Mets in the series opener at AT&T Park. View Full Game Coverage Andrew Suarez pitched one of the best games of his rookie campaign, striking out five in seven brilliant innings. The left-hander allowed two hits and walked none, dueling with Mets starter Zack Wheeler pitch for pitch. Suarez was caught by a familiar face making his Major League debut, Aramis Garcia. The two have been batterymates since they played together on the Florida Legends summer league team as juniors in high school. "I told [Garcia] nothing's changed and it's the same game plan," Suarez said. "I probably shook him off like twice but that's about it. I love the way he calls a game." "We've been working together since high school," Garcia said. "To have my first start with him pitching, I think definitely put me at ease a little bit. It was awesome. He did an unbelievable job tonight." Garcia caught all nine innings of the Giants' shutout and collected the first two hits of his Major League career. In the eighth inning, Garcia became the 18th player in franchise history to make a home run his first hit in his first career game. "The way my first two at-bats were going, I was just hoping to put something in play," said Garcia, who struck out on a total of six pitches in his first two at-bats, "That was incredible, it was an incredible moment. I'm so thankful right now." Garcia's home run added insurance after Shaw, also making his Major League debut, plated the game's first run with a sacrifice fly one inning prior. "It's a situation you come up, less than two outs, runner on third, your job is to find a way to get him in," Shaw said. Shaw's RBI proved to be the game-winner, while another rookie, Austin Slater, was a catalyst in 14

15 a six-run eighth inning that put that game out of reach. The Giants started four rookies Friday night; each of them responded with resounding contributions, providing the organization a glimpse of what the future may look like in San Francisco. "Something like tonight can be a shot in the arm for you," manager Bruce Bochy said. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED After Jeff McNeil doubled with one out in the first inning, Suarez retired a career-high 17 in a row before running into trouble in the seventh inning. With one out and runners on the corners, the lefty induced a double play from Jay Bruce that was niftily started by Brandon Belt. It preserved a scoreless tie, and the Giants took the lead in the bottom half. SOUND SMART Garcia collected his first two Major League hits, a home run and an RBI single, in the eighth inning. Since they moved to San Francisco, the Giants had not had a player have his first two Major League hits come in the same inning. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS Belt extended the Giants' lead in the eighth inning with a two-run triple off the facade in right field. It was just the second triple of the season for the first baseman, who cruised into third base standing up. HE SAID IT "It's everything. I'm here because of them and seeing their reaction on the board for a few seconds was awesome. My dad reacted like he thought I would. He's been doing that since I was in the Minor Leagues. To see the rest of my family in tears was emotional." -- Garcia, on what his family being at AT&T Park to see his debut means to himup NEXT The Giants will hand the ball to Derek Holland (7-8, 3.65 ERA) for the second installment of a three-game series against the Mets on Saturday. He's been consistent lately, amassing a 2.60 ERA across five starts in August. The Giants have been victorious in five of his last six outings, and the Mets counter with fellow left-hander Steven Matz (5-11, 4.36 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PT. 15

16 MLB.com Giants plan to take long look at slugger shaw Martin Oppegaard SAN FRANCISCO -- In the wake of trading Andrew McCutchen to the Yankees on Friday, the Giants looked within the organization to find a replacement corner outfielder, selecting the contract of Chris Shaw from Triple-A Sacramento. Shaw, ranked the No. 4 prospect in the Giants' system by MLB Pipeline, slashed.259/.308/.505 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs in 101 games with Sacramento this season. He assumed McCutchen's spot on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters. View Full Game Coverage "It's something that you dream about your entire life," Shaw said of being called up, "and to finally have that vision, that dream come to fruition, I still can't even put it into words. I can't even really recall a lot of what happened right after because it's such an emotional whirlwind." Manager Bruce Bochy wasted little time inserting the 31st overall pick of the 2015 Draft into the lineup. Shaw received the start against the Mets on Friday, batting sixth and playing left field. "[Shaw] will get a lot of playing time out [in left field]," Bochy said. "He's a bat that we think is going to play here at some point on a regular basis, so he's going to get a chance to show what he can do up here in September." With the departure of McCutchen and fellow outfielder Steven Duggar (shoulder) sidelined for the season, the Giants are poised to give Shaw regular at-bats in September. "I'm just going to approach it the same way I've been approaching my everyday work in Sacramento," Shaw said. "Still go up there looking to get a good pitch to hit and just try to hit it hard. Stick with my game -- it's what's gotten me here. I can't really try to vary from that now." The Giants aren't looking for Shaw's power to instantly translate to the next level. Bochy is hoping Shaw can continue to barrel the baseball, something that has helped fellow lefthanders Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt have success in a spacious AT&T Park. "I don't want him coming up trying to hit home runs," Bochy said. "Just try to hit the ball hard. I don't want to put that pressure on him. He's a hitter. It's only going to get better with him. This will give him a chance to see what he has to face up here." 16

17 Injury updates on Posey, Duggar Buster Posey was at AT&T Park on crutches before Friday's game. The catcher underwent season-ending hip surgery Monday. "He's doing fine," Bochy said. "It's good to have this behind us knowing he'll be back sooner than later instead of waiting until the end of the season." The Giants are hoping Posey will be ready for Spring Training next season. Recovery is expected to be between six and eight months. Expectations are similar for Duggar, who fielded questions from his locker in a sling Friday. An MRI on Wednesday revealed Duggar sustained a labrum tear in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, which will be surgically repaired. The procedure has yet to be scheduled. "I should be normal by right around December, to be honest," Duggar said. "I can do everyday stuff around then. I'll be full go, baseball activity ramped up, 100 percent right before camp starts if there's no setbacks." Despite his promising season cut short, Duggar was encouraged by his first stint in the Majors and felt he was producing good at-bats. "Just reflecting back, there was obviously some trials along the way," Duggar said. "I knew that coming into it; I knew I was going to fail. But I felt like I stayed with it and made adjustments along the way. And I really felt like I was starting to put some things together." MLB.com Giants deal McCutchen to Yankees Chris Haft SAN FRANCISCO -- Creating an opportunity for slugger Chris Shaw to deliver on his promise, the Giants traded right fielder Andrew McCutchen on Friday to the New York Yankees. The Giants received Minor Leaguers Abiatal Avelino, an infielder, and Juan De Paula, a righthander, from the Yankees, who will have McCutchen available in the postseason by beating Friday's deadline to acquire players and have them eligible for October rosters. View Full Game Coverage But from San Francisco's perspective, the deal was largely about getting a better look at Shaw, 17

18 the organization's top power-hitting prospect who made his Major League debut in Friday night's series opener against the Mets at AT&T Park. Manager Bruce Bochy said the left-handed-batting Shaw, who has hit 24 home runs in back-toback seasons in the Minors, will become San Francisco's everyday left fielder for the rest of the year. Austin Slater, another outfielder who's striving for consistency, likely will play both center and right during the season's closing weeks. News of the swap broke Thursday, one day after the Giants' 3-1 loss to Arizona dropped them seven games out of first place in the National League West. Had the Giants won Wednesday's series finale, which would have trimmed their deficit in the division race to five games, the timing of the McCutchen deal might have been different -- if it would have happened at all. "Simply put, we were hoping to sweep Arizona. We didn't," executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean said. "The odds became taller. It [the trade] was the prudent thing to do. Three teams ahead of us and we're running out of games. "... We don't like to surrender." Thus, the Giants' hierarchy decided the season's remaining 27 games can best be spent by taking a keener look at Shaw. "He's got the power. He's got the swing," said Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco, who spent much of the season as Shaw's teammate with Triple-A Sacramento. "He's a great, great kid. He listens. He works hard." Shaw also amassed 144 strikeouts in 394 at-bats this year. "He definitely needs to get better at that, and I think he will. He has all the tools," Blanco said. Sabean didn't rule out pursuing McCutchen in free agency this offseason. "I wish there were more McCutchens in baseball," said Sabean, adding that he hopes the 31- year-old wins a World Series ring with the Yankees. Acquired on Jan. 15 from Pittsburgh for right-hander Kyle Crick and outfielder Bryan Reynolds, McCutchen hit.255 with a team-high 15 homers andd 55 RBIs in 130 games. Sabean praised McCutchen's production "in a lineup that literally wasn't much help to him personally." Avelino, 23, hit.287 with 15 homers and 66 RBIs while dividing his season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. 18

19 "Career-wise, he's been more of a defensive player with plus speed and arm strength and the ability to play in the middle of the field," Giants general manager Bobby Evans said. "... His game is his ability to play all over and the fact that he's athletic and that he's had a good year offensively is a good sign for us. But it's not exactly the core part of his game." De Paula, who's in his fourth professional season despite being only 20, was 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) for the Yankees' affiliate in the Class A Short-Season New York-Penn League. "For us, he'll continue to progress as a starter in our system," Evans said. "Plus fastball, athletic, has a solid breaking ball and changeup." The Athletic Aramis Garcia and Chris Shaw make dual debuts, turn around a downbeat day for the Giants Andrew Baggarly Giants GM Bobby Evans runs the same errand every year when the calendar is about to turn to September. He travels to the club s Triple-A affiliate, wherever it is, so he can meet in person with the minor-league players on the 40-man roster. If they will be joining the Giants in September, he congratulates them. If they will not receive a promotion, he gives them an explanation. Evans performed the courtesy Thursday afternoon. Each of the Sacramento candidates for a call-up received a yes/no answer, along with the appropriate handshake or pat on the shoulder. Except outfielder Chris Shaw. He got a maybe. Sure, you re disappointed, Shaw said. You ve been wondering. You just want to know. But then Evans stepped into the hallway to take a call. Maybe he purposely spoke loud enough for Shaw to hear. In any event, Shaw did not need to eavesdrop for long to piece together what was happening. Evans was finalizing the trade that would send Andrew McCutchen to the contending New York Yankees and open up everyday playing time in the outfield at AT&T Park. A few hours later, as the Sacramento players boarded a bus to the airport for a flight to Las Vegas, River Cats manager Dave Brundage told Shaw that he needed to get over his disappointment and pull his focus together, because there was a game to play and his team needed him. The team in San Francisco. 19

20 The hit and run is great and all. But minor-league managers really love when they can put on the misdirection play. The Giants purchased Shaw s contract and he made his major-league debut Friday night along with catcher Aramis Garcia, who received the start behind the plate against the New York Mets after not seeing action in the four previous games since the Giants added him to their roster. Garcia s family mom, dad, brother, fiancée, grandparents traveled from Florida hoping to see his debut. They sat through four games. Manager Bruce Bochy joked that he finally gave Garcia a start because he could feel their eyes on the back of his neck. It was just the fourth time in the Giants San Francisco era that two position players made their debuts in the same starting lineup. The others involve names even casual Giants fans will recognize: Will Clark and Robby Thompson in 1986; Tom Haller and Chuck Hiller in 1961; Orlando Cepeda, Jim Davenport and Willie Kirkland in Those other three debutante balls had something in common. They were all season openers. The Giants had enough confidence in those rookies to hand them everyday jobs to begin a season, assured that they would not trip and splat and leave the club without a Plan B and six months of baseball to negotiate. Shaw and Garcia are in another category. They are here on the last day of August because two former National League MVPs are not. Buster Posey was on crutches after season-ending right hip surgery. McCutchen was on a flight to meet the Yankees. The first impulse, then, was to consider Friday a very sad day for the franchise and the fans. McCutchen brought so much spirit and professionalism to the clubhouse, that perhaps Giants executive vice president Brian Sabean, an old Yankee himself, viewed Friday s trade as a favor for two parties. I hope he wins a ring, Sabean said. He s invested a lot in the game. He s the real deal. We need more McCutchens in baseball. But the show must go on. And wouldn t you know it? Friday was not a sad night for the franchise. Not by a long stretch. The best way to set aside past laments? Looking ahead to the future. Shaw set aside the disappointment of his first two at-bats, a pair of three-pitch strikeouts, and made contact when the situation most demanded it. With a runner on third base and one out in the seventh inning, he lofted a sacrifice fly that broke a scoreless tie. Then Garcia, who also struck out in his first two plate appearances, achieved his first hit and an RBI on one swing. He lifted a home run into the left-field bleachers leading off the eighth, and before the six-run inning ended, Garcia added a bloop single. He became the first player in the club s San Francisco era to collect his first two career hits in the same inning. The debut homer has become somewhat more common for the Giants in recent years. For the first four-plus decades of the franchise s existence on the West Coast, only Cepeda, Bobby 20

21 Bonds, Will Clark and Randy Kutcher did it. Then the list got crowded: Eliezer Alfonzo, John Bowker, Brandon Crawford, Brett Pill, Adam Duvall, Jae-gyun Hwang. And now Garcia. Not all of those players became stars, or even regulars. But there is something eternally pure and promising about a big-league debut that includes a trip around the bases, an RBI in a key spot or that raucous moment when a bunch of guys break face from the silent treatment in the dugout and offer their congratulations in waves. And there is nothing more pure than a tearful embrace. Following the Giants 7-0 victory, Jose Aramis Garcia waited for his son outside the clubhouse door and burst into tears the moment he emerged from behind it. They wrapped their arms around each other. It was a dream come true, Jose Aramis said of watching his son. It s the feeling that all his hard work and dedication paid off. But if he had gone 0 for 5, it would be just fine. He will have more at-bats. And he was doing his job defensively. This is the part you couldn t script: when Garcia caught his first game, the pitcher on the mound was someone he has known since they were teenagers. Left-hander Andrew Suárez and Garcia were teammates on the same Florida Legends summer ball team in high school. If not for the two debuting Giants, the night would ve belonged to another rookie. Suarez not only replicated, but improved upon the seven shutout innings he fired in his previous start against the Texas Rangers. It was seven innings and two hits this time. The Giants started four rookies on Friday, when you count right fielder Austin Slater, who pitched in an RBI single. It should ve been a quintet, but center fielder Steven Duggar s left arm is in a sling as he awaits season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. I cried. I threw stuff, Duggar said. Just privately, by myself. Then it was time to focus on what s ahead. Duggar is expected to be fully recovered by the end of January. He could have opted to rehab the shoulder after he dislocated it on a slide back to second base, but the procedure should minimize the risk of a recurrence. As Duggar pointed out, center fielders have to leave their cleats without fear. I m a base stealer, he said. They ll throw back to first base. I don t want to worry every time I have to slide back to the base. The defining scene of the Giants season could be witnessed a little before 3 p.m. Friday, when Pablo Sandoval, his leg encased in a huge brace as he recovers from hamstring tendon surgery, limped down the hallway toward the clubhouse door. Posey, coming from the other direction and hobbling on crutches, met him there. I m faster than you! Sandoval said. On Posey, though, there was good news. His hip procedure went as planned, said Giants head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner, and while the team will stick with its six-to-eight month 21

22 recovery estimate, Dr. Mark Philippon indicated that Posey should be able to return on the short end of that prognosis. Some guys have bumps in the road, some guys take longer, Groeschner said. But the doctor felt pretty comfortable it d be closer to six months. That would seem to make Opening Day a much more realistic goal, and Posey is already moving forward in his rehab. At least, as much as one can move forward on a stationary bike. He was on Day 4 of pushing pedals. The Giants must move forward as well, and while a debut can only tell you so much about how a rookie s career will play out, it s always a blessing to get that first hit or first contribution out of the way. The Garcia family didn t have to burn through their vacation fund to extend their stay in San Francisco. It s a little-known policy, but the Giants pay all expenses for the families of players when they make their major-league debuts. A-plus, A-plus, phenomenal, Jose Aramis said. His brother was in Jacksonville, starting school. They sent a car for him, took him to the airport, got him here. His grandparents, they sent a car. They got all of us here to enjoy this moment and witness his debut. Garcia s brother, Derick, had to return to school and wasn t in the ballpark Friday night. But the rest of the family will remain through the weekend, all on the team s expense. I saw them react on the scoreboard, Garcia said of his family. My dad reacted just how I thought he would. To see my family in tears is everything. You begin to understand why so many players speak glowingly about the way the Giants treated them including McCutchen, who praised the organization on his way out the door. Yes, it is possible that McCutchen finds his way back to San Francisco. He will be a free agent this winter, and from what I understand, he was not necessarily looking for an escape hatch to a contending club. Sabean did not rule out making a pitch to re-sign McCutchen, saying, We liked what we saw from Cutch on and off the field. Great honor to have him. He was a pleasure to be around, a breath of fresh air. He was as advertised. Prior to the game, Sabean and Evans sat in the dugout and fielded questions about the McCutchen trade. It was a decidedly downbeat session on what should have been a downbeat day. Well, we don t like to surrender, Sabean said. Sometimes, though, a white flag can become sailcloth. And youth can provide a breath of fresh air. 22

23 The Athletic It isn t flashy, but the Giants got some value in return for Andrew McCutchen Melissa Lockard The Giants officially announced the trade of outfielder Andrew McCutchen to the New York Yankees on Friday morning. While the Giants didn t receive a headline package in return for McCutchen, they did get back two decent prospects who could fill roles for the Giants on future rosters. Below is a look at Abiatal Avelino and Juan De Paula. Abiatal Avelino, IF In a well-stocked Yankees farm system, Avelino hasn t received much national press, but the 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic has some skills that could make him a useful piece on a major league roster. Avelino began his professional career in 2012 in the Dominican Summer League after signing with the Yankees for $300,000 as a 16-year-old. The Yankees brought him stateside in 2013 after he hit.302 in his pro debut. He followed that up by hitting.303 with a.381 OBP in After a quad injury shortened his 2014 season, Avelino opened some eyes in 2015 when he stole 54 bases in a season split between Low-A and High-A. He reached Double-A towards the end of the 2016 season and split the 2017 season between Triple-A, Double-A and High-A. This season, Avelino has taken a step forward in his offensive game while also managing to stay on the field all year. He began the season with Double-A Trenton and hit.337 with 10 home runs in 49 games before jumping to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. With the RailRiders, Avelino has struggled to get on base (.291 OBP), but he s continued to show more pop than he had in past years. His 15 total home runs this season are a career-high (his previous career-high was six). Avelino s biggest value comes in his versatility. A natural shortstop, he can also play second and third base and even got a game in the outfield this season. He has a strong arm and is a solid athlete who covers a good amount of ground defensively. At the plate, he has above-average speed and good bat control. He doesn t draw a lot of walks, but Avelino has a good sense of the strike zone and he makes a lot of contact (he has a career K% of 15.14). Avelino uses the whole field and generally doesn t try to do too much at the plate, although he has looked to drive the ball more this season which has translated into more home runs and a few more strikeouts. He projects to be a useful bench player for a National League team. Although Avelino doesn t project as an everyday player in the big leagues, he should be a decent complementary player and one that could help the Giants as soon as next year. The Giants will need to add him to their 40-man roster this offseason or risk losing him to minor league free agency. 23