SF Giants Press Clips Friday, March 24, 2017

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1 San Francisco Chronicle Giants Posey on the WBC: I d do it again Henry Schulman SF Giants Press Clips Friday, March 24, 2017 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Buster Posey passed Johnny Cueto in a clubhouse hallway Friday morning, smiled, pumped his fist and dropped a "USA! USA!" on his teammate. Cueto, who would have pitched for the Dominican Republic had it reached the final round, smiled right back. Posey, Crawford and Mark Melancon returned from the World Baseball Classic on Friday and went straight to work two days after the U.S. team enjoyed a Champagne celebration after winning the title. Crawford and Posey are in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies. "I'm ready for Cactus League games!" Posey joked. He did not bring his gold medal to work. The last he saw of it, his 5-year-old twins were playing with it. Posey brought something different back to the Giants, a sense of national pride and a greater appreciation for a tournament that many players dismiss. In fact, Posey is eyeing the 2021 WBC after telling everyone before this year's tournament that this was going to be a one-and-done. "If I had a chance to do it again, I think I would," he said. "If you had asked me three weeks ago, I'd probably say I wouldn't. It was that much fun." The competitor in Posey made it tough to sit out Wednesday night's championship game against Puerto Rico, but he knew from the get-go that manager Jim Leyland would alternate catchers. Jonathan Lucroy caught instead. Posey said Lucroy was the one teammate he was glad to get to know better. "It's a great tournament," Posey said. "If they were able to do it where it was part of the Olympics. I don't know if they could do that without shutting the season down, but after playing in it I'd be up for figuring out how to do that." 1

2 San Francisco Chronicle Giants reliever Will Smith leaning toward Tommy John surgery Henry Schulman SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Giants reliever Will Smith is leaning toward Tommy John surgery after both orthopedists he saw, Dr. Ken Akizuki in San Francisco and Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, recommended it, manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday night. Smith will decide Friday after speaking with his agent. If the 27-year-old left-hander has the surgery to rebuild his ulnar-collateral ligament, he will miss all of the 2017 season and likely some of the 2018 season. He is under team control through They could rehab it, but if that doesn t work, then he s going to be behind a couple of months, said Bochy, who hopes to decide by the end of camp Tuesday who will replace Smith as an eighth-inning reliever. Steven Okert, Josh Osich and Ty Blach are the left-handed candidates. Blach s starting experience could be valuable because he can pitch multiple innings and retire lefties and righties, as Smith was adept at doing. Starter Matt Moore, who had Tommy John surgery in 2014, has spoken to Smith, more as a friend. They have a kinship after arriving in midseason trades last year. Moore said he hopes to provide guidance to his teammate should he decide to have the operation. Zack Greinke solid against Cubs Baseball bigger than all of us? SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Eduardo Nunez #10 of the San Francisco Giants plays during a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on September 23, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) Giants Nuñez joins growing injury list It s not a good place to be in, Moore said. I feel for him. Beckham released: The Giants crossed one of the infield hopefuls off the list Thursday, releasing Gordon Beckham at his request after team officials told him he would not make the Opening Day roster. The club officially did not have to decide Beckham s fate until Tuesday, but as the Giants often do with experienced players in camp with minor-league invites, they acceded to Beckham s request to give him more time to find a big-league job before Opening Day. Beckham was a long shot to make the team from the start, then went 7-for-36 (.194) in the Cactus League. Fellow nonroster invite Aaron Hill is a favorite to win the open backup infield job, with Kelby Tomlinson, Jimmy Rollins and Jae-gyun Hwang also in the running. He still has value to a major-league team, general manager Bobby Evans said. We have a number of options, and we ve still got to sort through those options. We felt we had to make a call for his benefit. Age was not an issue. Beckham is 30. He simply has not lived up to his first-round selection in the 2008 amateur draft, by the White Sox, three spots after the Giants selected Buster Posey. 2

3 The Giants have many such decisions left about players including Hill, Rollins, Chris Marrero, Michael Morse, Tim Federowicz and relievers David Hernandez and Michael Roth. Most of those will go down to the wire before the April 2 opener. Nuñez vs. clock: Third baseman Eduardo Nuñez revealed that he had two cortisone shots in his inflamed throwing shoulder, one in the rotator cuff and the other in the back of the joint, and said he asked for an MRI exam after the pain would not subside. Nuñez might be able to be a designated hitter by the weekend but cannot say when he can return to the infield, imperiling his status for Opening Day. Missing the opener is the last thing Nuñez wants after a hamstring strain cost him the final week and most of the playoffs last season. I think we re good for Opening Day, Nuñez said. Briefly: Brandon Crawford and Posey will return from the World Baseball Classic and start against the Rockies on Friday.... Jose Alguacil hopes to return to the first-base coaching box before the Giants break camp and said he will not need to wear any protection around his nose and eye socket, which were broken by a foul ball March 4 Mariners 9, Giants 2 Notable: One of the Giants worst games of the spring. Matt Moore had a terrible outing, getting five outs and allowing four runs. Manager Bruce Bochy pulled him in the second after 56 pitches.... Hunter Strickland lasted two-thirds of an inning and allowed three runs before he got an out, although leadoff hitter Mitch Haniger reached on a two-hopper off Jae-gyun Hwang s glove. Strickland had not allowed a run in his previous five games.... Felix Hernandez faced a lineup with two everyday players, Joe Panik and Jarrett Parker, and retired 18 of his 19 hitters. Parker cued a double past third base in the fourth. Quotable: Giving up two-strike hits is worse than giving up 2-0 hits, by a lot. It s a good sign I was able to get to two strikes, but I ve got to be a lot more consistent finishing the at-bats. Moore, who got ahead of most of the hitters who then hurt him. Friday s game: Giants vs. Rockies, at Scottsdale-Salt River, 1:05 p.m. San Jose Mercury News Giants notes: Tommy John surgery recommended for left-hander Will Smith Andrew Baggarly SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. The season won t begin for another 10 days, but the Giants bullpen is getting hit hard already. Left-hander Will Smith has received two opinions recommending that he undergo Tommy John surgery and he is leaning toward having the reconstructive elbow procedure, manager Bruce Bochy said. The surgery would end Smith s season before it begun, and likely imperil the start of the 2018 season as well. 3

4 Smith wanted to speak to his agent before making a final determination. But both Giants orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki and Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles have recommended surgery over an attempt to rehab the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. Smith s injury is a major loss for a bullpen that blew a franchise-record 32 saves last season most of them before the ninth inning and was counting on the left-hander s durability and versatility to build a bridge to $62 million closer Mark Melancon. We ll have to have somebody step up in the seventh and eighth innings, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. That was going to be Will s role with his experience and his ability to go through left-handers and right-handers. He s a guy we were leaning on to be one of those guys. That s a big piece of the bullpen we have to replace. Left-hander Steven Okert hasn t allowed a run this spring and left-handed starter Ty Blach could become an important relief presence if Matt Cain can hold down the No.5 spot in the rotation. Left-hander Josh Osich has the power stuff to pitch in a setup role but is coming off a rough season and has been inconsistent this spring. The loss of Smith probably means that Bochy will rely at times on right-handers Hunter Strickland and Derek Law to retire some left-handed batters. We re not ruling out anybody, Bochy said. We ve got seven or eight games here. We ve got to figure out where guys line up out there. Smith, 27, will make $2.5 million after going through the second of his four arbitration years. He remains under club control through 2019 one of the reasons the Giants didn t hesitate to trade backup catcher Andrew Susac and right-hander Phil Bickford, a former first-round pick, to acquire him from the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline last season. Smith s durability was attractive to the Giants. He led the NL with 78 appearances in 2014 and pitched in 76 games the following season. But he developed a sore elbow early in camp, and received two weeks of rest and rehab. Smith was pitching in his second exhibition game this spring last Monday when he gestured toward trainers after throwing a pitch against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. Eduardo Nuñez is expected to be the opening day third baseman despite his sore right shoulder, but all parties are acknowledging that it ll be close. Another setback would force Nuñez to begin the season on the disabled list. Nuñez had two cortisone shots in an effort to bring down inflammation in the shoulder. He s expected to DH over the weekend, Bochy said. 4

5 Matt Moore threw his first stinker of the spring, somehow wedging four runs on four hits and two walks plus a balk and a wild pitch into 1 2/3 innings in a 9-2 exhibition loss against the Seattle Mariners Thursday night. Bochy wondered if Moore might have been thrown off because he began warming up before word came down that the game would begin 15 minutes late because the Mariners bus was stuck in traffic from Peoria to Scottsdale Stadium. His outing included a broken-bat hit and a few interesting hops off an infield that played like a parking lot. Brandon Belt was a healthy scratch from Thursday s lineup. He ll play instead on Friday so he can get a look at Colorado Rockies right-hander Jonathan Gray. Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford will return from Team USA and join Belt in Thursday s lineup, too. San Jose Mercury News Buster Posey appreciates World Baseball Classic experience Daniel Mano Buster Posey expressed his enjoyment of playing in the World Baseball Classic with an Instagram post Thursday. Great experience playing in the WBC! the Giants catcher wrote. Some of the most fun baseball I ve ever played! Posey hit two homers in four games of action for the Americans as the United States secured its first championship baseball s version of the World Cup. He had two more hits and drove in four runs while splitting the eight games with Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy. San Jose Mercury News Giants reduce their infield competition, release Gordon Beckham Andrew Baggarly SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. The Giants subtracted the first veteran infielder from a crowded bench competition, granting Gordon Beckham his release on Thursday so he could pursue other opportunities. Beckham, 30, requested his release after Giants officials informed him that he would not make their opening day roster. The club almost certainly had no intention to keep Beckham beyond Tuesday, when he would have been owed a $100,000 retention bonus. Non-roster veteran Aaron Hill remain in camp along with Jimmy Rollins, who is batting.088 this spring. Rollins is in Thursday night s lineup at shortstop, but the available innings are about to tighten up at the position with Brandon Crawford s return from the World Baseball Classic. 5

6 Beckham was on the Giants roster for the final five games last season and his lighthearted personality made him an immediate fit in the clubhouse. The Giants had acquired him from the Atlanta Braves as insurance following third baseman Eduardo Nuñez s hamstring injury. Nuñez is dealing with a different injury this spring. He received cortisone injections in his sore right shoulder in an effort to knock out inflammation that has bothered him since the start of the exhibition schedule. But Giants officials were confident that Nuñez s shoulder would be ready to start the season. They also have Conor Gillaspie to play third base, and Hill has played his way into a potential bench role. Kelby Tomlinson, who played left field in a minor league game Thursday, is another depth piece who could be optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Beckham was taken three picks behind Buster Posey and three rounds ahead of Crawford in the 2008 draft. He s a career.240 hitter in eight seasons for the White Sox, Angels and Braves. Beckham had played an acceptable shortstop this spring as well as second base while also taking fly balls in left field. But his right-handed bat might have been a lithe lighter than what the Giants wanted after lacking for power last season. He s got value at the major league level, but we ve got options here and we felt we should make the call as soon as possible for his benefit, Evans said. He s a pro. It s just important when you re dealing with a veteran player to give them all the time you can. MLB.com Nunez expects to be ready for Opening Day Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Giants third baseman Eduardo Nunez was in good spirits Thursday after returning from San Francisco where he had two cortisone shots. Nunez's recurring shoulder soreness flared up earlier in the week, and he flew to San Francisco on Tuesday for an MRI and an anticipated cortisone shot. Nunez got one shot in his rotator cuff and another in the back of his shoulder, but downplayed the injury and anticipates being ready to play on Opening Day. "I can still throw," Nunez said Thursday, noting that he's been playing through pain all spring. "If you see me throw, you'd think I'm fine. I've been playing. People didn't even know [anything was wrong]. People say, 'He's excited' [when they see my expression]. No, I'm in pain." General manager Bobby Evans agreed with Nunez's assessment, confirming he could play Thursday if he needed to. "With cortisone, you're trying to get the inflammation out and promote any healing that may take a little longer if you don't address it," Evans said. "We're trying to limit any progression of any further problems, and also so the guy feels at his best." 6

7 Evans did a double-take when asked if the MRI results revealed anything that might need surgical attention down the road. "That would give me a heart attack if that were true," Evans said. "There's nothing that we have any indication that would need future surgical procedure of any kind. I don't have anything that I know that would give me concerns." Typically, a player needs at least a couple of days off to recover from one cortisone shot. If Nunez were to open the season on the disabled list, he would not be available until April 8, giving the new backdating regulations for putting a player on the DL. While there's no specific timetable for Nunez yet, he should have ample time to get back in the swing in time for Opening Day. "A couple, three games, I'll be fine," Nunez said, indicating he doesn't need much to get his timing back. Nunez is hitting.235 (8-for-34) with three doubles in 12 Cactus League games this year. He hit.269 with four homers and 20 RBIs in 50 games for the Giants after coming over in a July 28 trade that sent righthanded pitcher Adalberto Mejia to the Twins. "The good news for us is with [Conor] Gillaspie, you have the ability to rest Nunez as you need to, especially with as well as Conor has played this spring and at the end of last year," Evans said. "You feel confident Nunez can go out there and recover. At the same time, he's an important part of our club, an important part of our offense, so he'll get his off-days, but you don't want it to necessarily be because there's problems." MLB.com Tommy John surgery recommended for Smith Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Giants reliever Will Smith flew to California this week to get a second opinion about his left elbow. When he returned, he brought the news that both doctors agreed -- his recommended course of action is Tommy John surgery. "They had similar opinions," manager Bruce Bochy said after Thursday's 9-2 loss to the Mariners. "There is a little tear there. You can try to rehab it. If that doesn't work, then you're going to be behind a couple months probably. Or you go ahead and have the surgery. I think it could be the way Will is leaning, but he's going to talk to his agent about it." Whether Smith opts for surgery or to try to rehab his elbow, the Giants will be faced with a gaping void in his absence. The left-hander was positioned to be the primary setup man for closer Mark Melancon. "We're going to have to have somebody step up and help us in that seventh and eighth inning," Bochy said. "That was going to be Will's role. His experience, his ability to go through lefties and righties, he's the guy that we were leaning on to be one of those guys. And now we've lost him." Smith, 27, was 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 26 relief appearances for the Giants in 2016 after a July 31 trade that sent catcher Andrew Susac and Minor League right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford to the Brewers. 7

8 Smith has pitched in parts of five big league seasons with the Royals and Brewers, compiling a 3.88 ERA over 292 1/3 innings. "That's a big piece of the bullpen that we have to replace," Bochy said. "The only way that's replaced is if somebody steps up and assumes that role. We have some candidates. Hopefully we have it figured out before we leave camp." Some of the burden will likely fall to right-handed bullpen stalwarts Derek Law and Hunter Strickland. Bochy also mentioned left-handers Josh Osich, Steven Okert and rotation candidate Ty Blach. "We're not ruling out anybody," Bochy said. "We have seven or eight games here. We've got to to figure out who's going to help out." Thursday's starting pitcher, Matt Moore, went through Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and could easily relate to what his good friend is going through. "It's not a very good place to be mentally," Moore said. "I feel for him. As a buddy I reached out to him and let him know if he wants something, needs to know anything, wants to bounce something, he knows I'm there for him. "Who knows? Will's still a young guy. The good part about being young is things find their way back to where they were pretty easily. So we'll keep our fingers crossed for him." MLB.com Giants grant release to infielder Beckham Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants got one step closer to a final roster Thursday when the club granted Gordon Beckham's request to be released from his Minor League contract. "We informed him today that he wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster, and as is his right, he requested that we grant him his release so he can look for some other opportunities," general manager Bobby Evans said before Thursday evening's game with the Mariners. "So we let him go, and he'll begin pursuing some of those other scenarios." Beckham was a non-roster invitee battling for a spot on the Giants' bench as an infield utility player. He was hitting.194 (7-for-36) with two doubles and two RBIs. Beckham logged 43 innings at shortstop, 18 at second base, and 17 at third during Cactus League play. "There's a timeline on him that's kind of short, and we needed to let him know sooner than later, just so he would have the opportunity to look at some other options," Evans said. "We knew that going in, and so I think we were up against the clock and feeling like we had to go ahead and let him know where things stood. I think he's got value at the Major League level, but there's a number of different options [for us] here. We've still got to sort through those options, but we feel like it was best to make the call on his situation as soon as possible, for his benefit." 8

9 Beckham, 30, has played eight big league seasons with the White Sox, Angels, Braves and Giants. After playing most of the season in Atlanta in 2016, he was traded to the Giants on Sept. 27 and played three games, going 0-for-5. He is a career.240 hitter with 74 homers and 335 RBIs in 953 games. "He's a pro," Evans said. "He's never been a non-roster [invitee] that I know of, other than maybe early in his career before he got added to a [40-man roster], but I don't know if he was even that. It's important when you're dealing with a veteran player just to give them every bit of time that you can." Beckham was one of three Giants with a "retention bonus" built into his contract. The retention bonus has a deadline of Tuesday for teams to execute one of three options with a player. "You have the option of, in writing, committing to add them to the Major League roster, even though you don't have to add them right then," Evans said. "You put it in writing between you and the player. Or you release them. Or you commit in writing to the $100,000 retention bonus. The only one that would be public would be the release." The other two Giants with a retention bonus are infielder Aaron Hill and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, who started in center and led off Thursday. MLB.com Moore has short night in matchup with King Felix Greg Johns and Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Mariners blanked the Giants for six innings Thursday, riding a masterful pitching performance behind their ace, Felix Hernandez. The Giants could muster only one hit through the first six innings as Seattle went on to a 9-2 triumph. Hernandez was in rare form in his first start since pitching a pair of games for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. The Mariners' Opening Day starter was perfect through 3 2/3 innings before Jarrett Parker hit a grounder to third that went into left field for a double. The Mariners infield was shifted far to the right side of the diamond, leave a gaping hole at third. No other Giant reached base in Hernandez's six innings on the hill. "Today was the same thing," Hernandez said of carrying his strong performance for Venezuela over to a smooth 73-pitch outing. "Good mechanics, good pitches, around the zone, trying to finish hitters. It was really good." The Mariners had a big second inning, sending nine men to the plate and taking an early 4-0 lead. Catcher Mike Zunino led it off with a ground-rule double over the left-field fence. Tyler Smith, Leonys Martin, Mitch Haniger and Kyle Seager each had RBI singles, with Haniger's two-out hit knocking Giants starting pitcher Matt Moore from the game. Moore had his shortest outing since his first Cactus League start Feb. 26. He lasted 1 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits, two walks, a balk and a wild pitch while striking out three. All of the hits and runs came in the second, when he faced seven batters in an extended inning that saw his Cactus League ERA skyrocket to Moore was consistently ahead of hitters before ultimately losing the battle. 9

10 "If there's an important pitch, it's the one with two strikes," Moore said. "You don't want to give them something too good. I think I maybe got in my own head and tried to be too fine with a couple 3-2 pitches, one to Seager.... It's a good sign I was able to get to two strikes, but I've got to be more consistent with the pitch and the at-bat." Seattle added three more in the fifth, when the first five batters reached base against reliever Hunter Strickland. Haniger sparked the rally with a leadoff double and scored on Danny Valencia's single to left. Taylor Motter capped the rally with a two-run single, and Ben Gamel added his third homer of the spring with a two-run shot in the seventh. Mariners Up Next: Hisashi Iwakuma gets the ball for Friday's split-squad game against the Royals, bumped up from an expected Minor League outing because of illness to James Paxton for the 1:10 p.m. PT start at Peoria Stadium. Ariel Miranda starts Seattle's other split-squad contest at 5:10 p.m. PT against the Angels in Tempe. Both games can be seen live on MLB.TV Giants Up Next: Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford, fresh off their Team USA championship run in the World Baseball Classic, should be in Thursday's lineup along with Brandon Belt, who was originally in Thursday's lineup, but opted out so he could start Friday instead against a division foe when the Giants face Rockies right-hander Jon Gray at 1:05 p.m. PT, live on MLB.TV. The Giants send Jeff Samardzija to toe the rubber. Samardzija has been lit up in his last two outings, giving up a combined 11 runs on 17 hits and four walks while striking out nine in 7 2/3 innings against the Rangers and Brewers. Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area GIANTS RELIEVER WILL SMITH LEANING TOWARD SEASON-ENDING TOMMY JOHN SURGERY Alex Pavlovic SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Left-hander Will Smith, a key piece of a revamped bullpen, is leaning toward having Tommy John surgery, manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday night. Bochy said surgery was the recommendation of both doctors who examined Smith's elbow this week. Smith will talk to his agent before coming to a final decision on Friday. The procedure would keep Smith out the entire 2017 season and likely would cause him to miss the start of the 2018 season. Smith, 27, missed the first month of camp because of pain in his throwing elbow. He returned March 17, but during a March 20 outing he again felt pain and called for a trainer. A second round of diagnostics revealed a strain and a sprain in the elbow. Smith saw team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki in San Francisco and flew to Los Angeles this week to get a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlen-Jobe Clinic. "They had the same opinion," Bochy said. "There is a tear there. You can try to rehab it and if that doesn't work you're behind a couple of months... It's not a definite he's going to have it done, but two doctors are in agreement on what this is." Smith was expected to serve as the late lefty for the Giants, getting setup work in the seventh and eighth innings. With Smith out, the Giants will lean on young lefties Steven Okert, Josh Osich and Ty Blach. 10

11 "We're going to have to have someone step up and help us in the seventh and eighth," Bochy said. "That was going to be will's role. He's a guy we were leaning on." Smith was acquired from the Brewers at the deadline last season in exchange for right-hander Phil Bickford (who is currently serving a 50-game suspension) and catcher Andrew Susac (who is currently injured). After a shaky start, he finished the regular season with 18 consecutive scoreless appearances. The Giants have for the most part avoided Tommy John for 40-man roster pitchers. Hunter Strickland, Derek Law and Josh Osich have all had it during their time in the organization, along with outfielder Mac Williamson. Prospect Ian Gardeck is currently recovering from Tommy John. The last Giants pitcher who was likely headed for the roster before having Tommy John was left-hander Eric Surkamp. He had surgery in The timetable is different for every pitcher, but the general consensus is that the procedure sidelines a pitcher for at least a year, and usually closer to 16 months. Matt Moore, Thursday night s starter, had Tommy John on April 23, He did not return to a big league mound until July 2, 2015, and even then, he was under restrictions. Smith is under team control for two more seasons after this one. Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area GIANTS SPRING TRAINING DAY 39: NUÑEZ RECEIVES PAIR OF CORTISONE SHOTS Alex Pavlovic SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford will return to camp Thursday, show off their WBC championship medals, and then head to nearby Salt River Fields to take on the Colorado Rockies. It'll be a few more days, however, before the Giants have their full infield on the field. Eduardo Nuñez said he actually got two cortisone shots in his right shoulder, since an MRI this week showed something in two separate spots. Nuñez asked for the MRI because, while he was able to play and make strong throws, he felt pain on a daily basis. He might DH this weekend, but it'll be a few more days before he's cleared to begin throwing. The Giants are hopeful that the shots calm all this down, and Nuñez anticipated being ready for Opening Day. Still, it certainly sounds like this will be a close call. Conor Gillaspie, who is having a huge spring, could get plenty of early time at third. Manager Bruce Bochy doesn't anticipate Nuñez missing Opening Day. "He should be ready," Bochy said. The Giants need all the good injury news they can get. It is expected that Will Smith will announce Friday that he's having Tommy John surgery. ICYMI: From this morning, a feature on George Kontos and his rise over the last few years. Also, one of the bench candidates, Gordon Beckham, asked for his release. The Giants will soon have to make decisions on Hill and David Hernandez, who have similar retention bonuses due March

12 GAME RECAP: The Giants played one of their uglier games of the spring, losing 9-2 to King Felix and the Mariners Matt Moore lasted just 1 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on four hits, two walks, a balk and a wild pitch. It was the same old thing: Moore just all of a sudden lost his command, and because he got up past the 30-pitch mark in the second inning alone, the Giants cut it off. Moore went down to the bullpen and got up to around 80 pitches. He'll make one more start down here, Tuesday against the Cubs... Joe Panik had a hard double, one of just four hits for the Giants Chris Marrero hasn t played a whole lot of left field this spring, and he didn t show much to the coaches on a couple of opportunities to throw home. The left field situation remains a mystery. POSITION BATTLES: Kelby Tomlinson played six innings of left field in a minor league game, and he had to wait until the sixth to get his first and only fly ball. There seemed to be a lot of interest from decisionmakers about how Tomlinson fared, and his action today opens up an intriguing possibility. There s a roster permutation that has the Giants keeping just one reserve outfielder (Gorkys Hernandez) and three backup infielders: Conor Gillaspie, Aaron Hill and Kelby Tomlinson, with the latter two being options in left field. FAMILIAR FACE: Angel Pagan made it through the WBC healthy, and he apparently is drawing interest from the Phillies and Blue Jays. Giants people are confident Pagan will get a big league job somewhere over the coming week. Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area POSEY THRILLED BY WBC EXPERIENCE, SAYS HE WOULD PLAY AGAIN IN 2021 Alex Pavlovic SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Before he left camp on March 6, Buster Posey was telling teammates and team officials that his involvement in the World Baseball Classic was a one-and-done deal. On Friday, Posey returned to camp with a new outlook. "It's a great tournament," Posey said. "If you were able to do it in the actual Olympics, it would be even better. I just don't know how to do that other than shutting down the season. But after playing in this tournament, I would be up for that. "If I had a chance to do it again, I think I would. If you had asked me that three weeks ago, I would have said I don't think I would. That's how much fun I had." Posey, Brandon Crawford and Mark Melancon were greeted by one teammate after another Friday morning, many of them fellow Americans congratulating the group on helping lead Team USA to its first WBC title. Posey and Crawford, who missed most of March, had kept in touch with teammates via text, and some who reached out said they often got the same message back: "If you have a chance to do this, don't pass it up." Posey and Crawford will be hitting their mid 30s the next time around. It's no lock that they're still in position to play, but they made the most of their experience this month. Crawford had 10 hits and played his usual stellar defense, earring new fans who don't watch his Gold Glove on a nightly basis. Posey hit a pair of long home runs in four starts. Most importantly, both of them returned healthy and ready to play Friday. 12

13 "I'm ready for some Cactus League!" Posey said, laughing. Despite being gone for nearly three weeks, Posey hasn t actually played that much this month. He started half of Team USA s games but he was on the bench for the title game. He said that didn t bother him. Manager Jim Leyland talked to Posey and Jonathan Lucroy before the tournament. Of course, as a competitor, you want to be in that game, but Lucroy is a great catcher and he did a great job with (Marcus) Stroman and the rest of the staff, Posey said. You can t go wrong with having him out there. Asked if there was one player he enjoyed getting to know, Posey chose Lucroy, saying he has played against him for a long time but never really gotten to know him. He noted how sharp Luke Gregerson's two-seamer was from behind the plate and said he enjoyed catching Pat Neshek and Stroman. Team USA grew close over the course of the month, and got better and better as the tournament wore on. Posey said the foreign fans at the early games in Miami helped get the juices flowing, and once the action moved to San Diego, there were loud American fans joining the fray. Team USA defeated the Dominican Republic to get out of that round (Posey hugged Johnny Cueto on Friday morning and chanted USA! USA! as he walked off) and then beat Japan in the semis. Wednesday night s championship came via a blowout of Puerto Rico. Posey has won at every level, but the moment was not lost on him. It s cliche but there is a certain amount of pride when you have your country s name on your chest, he said. It s a vibe you get. A lot of us come from different parts of the country and you get to go out and play the game the way you played as a child. It s America s pastime, and it was a fun tournament and experience. That made it fun to win it. Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area GIANTS RELEASE VETERAN INFIELDER GORDON BECKHAM UPON HIS REQUEST Alex Pavlovic SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants released veteran infielder Gordon Beckham on Thursday. Beckham had requested his release after being told he would not make the Opening Day roster. The veteran infielder was in camp in hopes of winning a backup infield job, but in a crowded field, he was not headed for a spot. The Giants like Beckham's glove and love his presence in the clubhouse, but they're looking for bigger bats on their bench. Aaron Hill and Jae-gyun Hwang are among the newcomers who were ahead of Beckham on the depth chart. "As is his right, he requested and was granted his release so he could look for other opportunities," general manager Bobby Evans said. "We were up against the clock. We needed to let him know where things stood. There are a number of (other) options here." Beckham hit.217 with the Braves last season before being acquired by the Giants in the final week of the season. He would have been due a $100,000 bonus on March 28. The Giants were preparing to release him before that date. 13

14 Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area POSEY DESCRIBES WBC: SOME OF THE MOST FUN BASEBALL I VE EVER PLAYED CSN Bay Area Staff Buster Posey already has three World Series rings to his name. And after Team USA's 8-0 win over Puerto Rico Wednesday night, Posey can add 2017 World Baseball Classic champion to his ever-evolving list of accomplishments. On Thursday, Posey went to Instagram to show how much he truly enjoyed his time with Team USA. Posey wrote: "Great experience playing in the WBC! Some of the most fun baseball I've ever played!" To preserve the catcher's health, manager Jim Leyland rotated Posey and Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy every other game, playing four each. Posey finished the 2017 WBC hitting.267/.313/.667 and tied for the team lead with two home runs while driving in four runs. Santa Rosa Press Democrat MLB officials thrilled with success of World Baseball Classic GREG BEACHAM LOS ANGELES Even before the United States took the field to face Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic championship on Wednesday night, Rob Manfred was confident in declaring this sometimestroubled tournament to be a smashing success. The Major League Baseball Commissioner s confidence seemed well-founded when the Americans claimed their first WBC title in grand style with an 8-0 victory at raucous Dodger Stadium. The fourth edition of the WBC was the best-attended, the most-viewed worldwide and likely the most entertaining. And this tournament s long-term health is undeniably improved by the fact that the home team won it all for the first time. We ve had crowds that not only were record-number crowds, but had passion that it s hard to think where you saw something that good the last time, Manfred said shortly before the first pitch. Just really amazing. And best of all, the games on the field have been absolutely unbelievable, compelling. Our players at their best, combined with a little nationalism, has really been a great thing. Manfred and players union head Tony Clark appear to be in complete agreement on the success of the 2017 WBC, which attracted more than 1 million fans for the first time and expanded its television reach as a unique worldwide platform for the game. Even before the enthusiastic worldwide reception and the U.S. team s winning surge at home, the WBC was expected to top $100 million in revenue this year for the first time, according to organizers. 14

15 Although no deal is firmly in place, Manfred and Clark are confident there will be a fifth WBC, most likely in 2021 after baseball makes its Olympic return in Tokyo in I think when you have a tournament that gets the kind of traction that the 2017 edition did, it will make it easier to get players the next time around, Manfred said. Not only for the U.S., but for all the countries. The robust ratings for MLB Network s game broadcasts and the raucous crowds of costumed, singing fans in Los Angeles and Miami belied the WBC s biggest problem, one that still prevents a dwindling number of American fans and players from taking it seriously. While the WBC sells out stadiums and sparks baseball curiosity from Tokyo to Tel Aviv, the event still must persuade U.S. players and fans that it s a world-class competition while the biggest American stars are skipping it. Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Kris Bryant, Madison Bumgarner, Chris Sale and Bryce Harper were among the American luminaries who stayed in their big-league camps. The confetti-strewn celebration in Chavez Ravine should have a few superstars realizing they missed out on something great. I don t mean this to sound wrong, but for the most part, up until this point, the other countries were probably into this event a little bit more than the United States, manager Jim Leyland said. But in talking to our players, I know they re going to spread the word. I ve had some players already tell me this is the greatest experience of their life. So hopefully we can get guys to play. But we had the right players. We had players that wanted to be here, and that s the kind of players you want. The international appeal of the WBC still was a tough sell to MLB teams and players understandably preoccupied with their paying jobs. Yet dozens of lesser American big-leaguers filled out the rosters of other nations by virtue of their ancestry, and the current U.S. team is likable and entertaining, from its thrilling finishes to the bald eagle statue adopted as their cheesy mascot. Signing up for this, I didn t really know what to expect, said Christian Yelich, the Miami Marlins outfielder. The way this team came together and just went out every night and did anything we can to win, it was special to be a part of. It was the most fun I ve ever had playing baseball. This group of 18 All-Stars got the U.S. into the final for the first time. The U.S. then capitalized with a championship game rout, capping a streak of three consecutive dramatic victories in must-win contests the last two against previously unbeaten Japan and Puerto Rico. Clark believes many more players appreciated the WBC s unique appeal after watching this tournament. Shortly after the opening games, he began getting calls and texts from players who wished they had taken advantage of the chance. The opportunity to wear your country across your chest is something, particularly if you haven t experienced it before, Clark said. 15

16 While the U.S. works on the proper formula for success, other nations are generating enormous benefits from the WBC. The tournament is the biggest sports news story in Japan, the winner of the first two tournaments, and it took off in attention everywhere from South Korea to the Netherlands this time out. Puerto Rico is the latest team to ride the WBC wave after its charismatic collection of dyed-blond stars reached the final in style. Thousands of fans crowded the downtown streets in San Juan to watch the game broadcast. After years of flagging interest in a once-popular sport on the island, manager Edwin Rodriguez sees huge changes in Puerto Rico s baseball culture over the past eight years. He credits them partly to the nation s WBC success in 2013 as the runner-up to the Dominican Republic. There s more youngsters playing baseball, Rodriguez said. (In the previous) 10, 15 years, those good athletes, they were either playing baseball or volleyball or basketball, and now soccer. Right now, because we have so many talented young players in the big leagues, those very good athletes, when they get to that age of 15-, 16-year-olds, they re more inclined to stay in baseball. Around the Foghorn San Francisco Giants Release Gordon Beckham, Roster Battles Get Narrowed Down Daniel Sperry The San Francisco Giants have released Gordon Beckham today, according to multiple sources. Gordon Beckham made an early feature in the potential roster spot battles this spring, but really hasn t done much since. With how well others ahead of him have done this spring, he didn t have much of a chance to make the San Francisco Giants roster. Beckham joined the team at the end of last season to help provide some bench depth when Eduardo Nuñez got hurt. He didn t do a whole lot, as Connor Gillaspie clearly won his spot ahead of him. Now it seems as if his time was headed towards the expiration date. The Giants felt that way, and so did he. According to Hank Schulman of the San Francicso Chronicle, he was the one who asked for the release. Follow Henry Confirmed. Beckham sought release and #sfgiants granted it. 2:58 PM - 23 Mar Retweets likes That really isn t that surprising. Guys like Jae-Gyun Hwang, Aaron Hill, and Kelby Tomlinson are clearly ahead of him for any roster spot competition. Their defense, is simply better, and so is their bats. Hwang has shown signs of his hitting prowess in spring training, and Aaron Hill is a seasoned vet. Kelby Tomlinson is a known quantity for the Giants as well. Right now, I see the infield shaking out like this: 16

17 Brandon Belt (1B) Joe Panik (2B) Brandon Crawford (SS) Eduardo Nuñez (3B) Connor Gillaspie (3B) Aaron Hill (2B/SS/3B) Overall, the San Francisco Giants are probably going to be set. This was a move that should really shock nobody. The amount of potential additions in the infield that they have is promising. With Aaron Hill, they would have a seasoned veteran on the roster, capable of playing all three infield spots as a backup. While Kelby provides a good bat, good speed, he doesn t necessarily have the wide ranging positional flexibility that others have. CBS Sports The Giants are likely to lose key reliever Will Smith to Tommy John surgery Mike Axisa The Giants were done in last season by a shaky bullpen, and now it appears likely the team will not have one of their top relievers for Left-hander Will Smith has missed most of spring training with pain in his elbow, and after a recent battery of tests and second opinions, Tommy John surgery is likely. Manager Bruce Bochy confirmed the news to reporters Thursday, including Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. From Pavlovic: They had the same opinion, Bochy said. There is a tear there. You can try to rehab it and if that doesn t work you re behind a couple of months... It s not a definite he s going to have it done, but two doctors are in agreement on what this is. The extent and nature of the tear are unknown. A few Tommy John surgery alternatives have been developed over the last year or two, including a stem cell procedure used by Garrett Richards and a rebuttressing procedure used by Seth Maness, though it s unclear if Smith is a candidate for either. Those methods don t work for severe or full ligament tears. Both procedures would still sideline Smith for months. San Francisco acquired Smith from the Brewers at least year s trade deadline to help improve their bullpen. He struggled in his first few outings with the Giants (six runs in 4 2/3 innings), though he settled in after that and finished with a 2.95 ERA (142 ERA+) and 26 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings with the club. Smith had a 3.24 ERA (123 ERA+) with 225 strikeouts in 169 1/3 innings from This coming season Smith figured to be the primary left-handed setup man for new closer Mark Melancon. The Giants do have some other lefty bullpen candidates, namely Josh Osich and Steven Okert, possibly Ty Blach too, though they don t have Smith s track record. Righties Hunter Strickland and Derek Law figure to be Melancon s primary setup men for the time being. A quality lefty reliever is a necessity in the NL West given all the big lefty bats (Corey Seager, Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson, Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, etc.), so it s possible the Giants will look 17

18 outside the organization for help. The free agent market has been picked clean, though a lefty relief option could emerge as a trade candidate as teams finalize their rosters at the end of spring training. MLB Trade Rumors Will Smith To Undergo Tommy John Surgery Connor Byrne 1:23pm: Smith will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, per Pavlovic. His doctors are optimistic that he ll be healthy by the start of next season (Twitter links). 7:08am: Giants left-hander Will Smith will decide Friday whether to undergo Tommy John surgery on his ailing elbow, but it doesn t appear he ll avoid the procedure. Both doctors who examined the reliever s elbow this week have recommended the surgery, manager Bruce Bochy announced Thursday (via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area). Smith s elbow has been an issue since the outset of spring training in late February, when the Giants had to shut him down for a week on account of inflammation. The injury didn t look serious at the time, but the discomfort returned Monday and is likely to yield surgery. If he does go under the knife, Smith will still accrue service time for the next year-plus that he misses. The 27-year-old is in his second of four arbitration-eligible seasons and will make $2.5MM in This would have been the first full season in San Francisco for Smith, whom the Giants acquired from the Brewers at last year s trade deadline. Playoff-bound San Francisco gave up right-hander Phil Bickford, who s now suspended but was among Baseball America s top 50 prospects prior to the deal, and catcher Andrew Susac in an effort to bolster its bullpen. Smith warranted that return thanks to his quality output in Kansas City and Milwaukee from 2013 through the first half of last season, and he also fared nicely in his first action with the Giants. Over an 18 1/3-inning span, he recorded a 2.95 ERA ball with 12.8 K/9 against 4.4 BB/9. All told, Smith logged a 3.13 ERA, K/9, 3.58 BB/9 and a 42.6 percent ground-ball rate in 198 2/3 frames over the previous four years. The loss of Smith will clearly be a significant one for the Giants, whose bullpen was a mediocre group last year that suffered no shortage of late-game meltdowns. Smith would have been San Francisco s top lefty option in relief this season, but the bullpen will instead have to rely on Josh Osich, Steven Okert and perhaps fifth starter candidate Ty Blach as its primary southpaws. MLB Trade Rumors Giants Release Gordon Beckham Mark Polishuk 5:05pm: The Giants have officially released Beckham, the club told reporters (including Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group). 4:10pm: The Giants will release Gordon Beckham from his minor league contract with the club as per Beckham s request, MLBTR has learned. Beckham originally joined the Giants in a late-september trade with the Braves and re-signed with the club in February, joining a very crowded battle within the Giants camp to decide the third base and utility infield jobs. 18

19 The 30-year-old Beckham will now look for a clearer opportunity elsewhere with teams in need of infield depth. Most of Beckham s MLB experience has some at second base dating back to his days as a regular with the White Sox, though he has also seen substantial action at third base over the last three seasons and even some action at short, starting seven games at the position for Atlanta in Beckham has hit.211/.285/.340 over 516 PA since the start of the 2015 season, though he does own a career.260/.360/.458 slash line coming off the bench (in 114 PA) over his career. 19