On Tuesday evening, a thrill swept through the winter meetings. The rumors were true – the San Francisco Giants were in agreement with an American League right fielder on a multi-year deal. Yes, San Francisco, it’s time to welcome a new slugging right-handed hitter to town: Mitch Haniger signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal to become a Giant, with an opt out after year two.

Oh, you were expecting Aaron Judge? That didn’t quite pan out, though the Giants are reportedly still in pursuit of another hitter in free agency. But Haniger is a first course, and he fits the Giants quite well whether they look for another outfielder or pivot to the infield for help.

At season’s end, the San Francisco outfield was predominantly a lefty affair. Joc Pederson appeared in the outfield in 120 games. Mike Yastrzemski played the outfield in 147 of his own. LaMonte Wade Jr. missed a lot of time with injury, but rotated between seemingly every position in the field when he was healthy, including both left and right. The Giants theoretically love to mix and match based on the opposition, but they did a lot of running out a squad of lefties last year.
Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. Originally written for the 2014 election at SI.com, it has been updated to reflect recent voting results as well as additional research. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Jeff Kent took a long time to find a home. Drafted by the Blue Jays in 1989, he passed through the hands of three teams that didn’t quite realize the value of what they had. Not until a trade to the Giants in November 1996 — prior to his age-29 season — did he really settle in. Once he did, he established himself as a standout complement to Barry Bonds, helping the Giants become perennial contenders and spending more than a decade as a middle-of-the-lineup force.

Despite his late-arriving stardom and a prickly personality that sometimes rubbed teammates and media the wrong way, Kent earned All-Star honors five times, won an MVP award, and helped four different franchises reach the playoffs a total of seven times. His resumé gives him a claim as the best-hitting second baseman of the post-1960 expansion era — not an iron-clad one, but not one that’s easily dismissed. For starters, he holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351. That’s 74 more than Ryne Sandberg, 85 more than Joe Morgan, and 86 more than Rogers Hornsby — all Hall of Famers, and in Hornsby’s case, one from before the expansion era (note that I’m not counting homers hit while playing other positions). Among players with at least 7,000 plate appearances in their career who spent at least half their time at second base, only Hornsby (.577) has a higher slugging percentage than Kent’s .500. From that latter set, only Hornsby (1.010) and another pre-expansion Hall of Famer, Charlie Gehringer (.884), have a higher OPS than Kent (.855). Read the rest of this entry »

The 40-man roster deadline led to the usual squall of transaction activity, with teams turning over portions of their rosters in an effort to make room for the incoming crop of young rookies. Often, teams with an overflow of viable big leaguers will try to get back what they can for some of those players via trade, but because we’re talking about guys straddling the line between major league viability and Triple-A, those trades tend not to be big enough to warrant an entire post.

Here I endeavor to cover and analyze the moves made by each team, division by division. Readers can view this as the start of list season, as the players covered in this miniseries tend to be prospects who will get big league time in the next year. We’ll spend more time discussing players who we think need scouting updates or who we haven’t written about in the past. If you want additional detail on some of the more famous names you find below, pop over to The Board for a more thorough report.

The Future Value grades littered throughout these posts may be different than those on the 2022 in-season prospect lists on The Board to reflect our updated opinions and may be subject to change during the offseason. New to our thinking on this subject and wondering what the FVs mean? Here’s a quick rundown. Note that because we’re talking about close-to-the-majors prospects across this entire exercise, the time and risk component is less present here and these FVs are what we think the players are right now. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most common arguments against the designated hitter coming to the National League was that it would cause a decline in pinch-hitting, therefore removing an element of strategy from the game. It was inevitable, after all, that pinch-hitting opportunities would dry up without pitchers to sub out. Lo and behold, offensive substitutions in the NL decreased by more than 60% from 2021 to ’22, with teams sending just 1,647 pinch-hitters to the plate this past season, compared to 4,438 the year before.

Thankfully, for those of us who missed the glorious art of pinch-hitting, there was still a way to get our fix: the San Francisco Giants. They used 258 pinch-hitters in 2022 — 95 more than the team with the next-highest total, the Athletics. It’s also a whopping 222 more than the team with the fewest pinch-hit plate appearances, the Rockies. It’s so many pinch-hitters, in fact, that the Giants wouldn’t have looked out of place in the pitcher-hitting era. They used more bats off the bench in 2022 than one NL team, the Cardinals, used in 2021. In the first full year of the universal DH, the Giants were still pinch-hitting at a pre-DH rate. Read the rest of this entry »

Dominican Summer League – Pitching Coach

Department: Player Development
Reports to: Coordinator of Minor League Pitching
Status: Full Time; Exempt

Position Summary:
The San Francisco Giants are currently seeking a Minor League pitching coach to join our Player Development Department in the Dominican Summer League in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. The ideal candidate will have strong growth mindset and the ability to connect with young pitchers. This role will be an immersive player development experience that includes the execution and implementation of development goals and organizational philosophies for individual pitcher’s in a team environment.

Position Responsibilities:

• Build trust and deep connections with individual pitchers and staff to best support development progress
• Be movement quality and intent focused while supporting the work being done in the weight room and nutrition- a priority at this level
• Communicate effectively with a diverse staff
• Aid in the creation of player plans by integrating objective information into a detailed and comprehensive player development plan
• Monitor and guide on-field baseball work, bullpens and throwing programs
• Work holistically with all departments to better serve the needs of each individual pitcher
• When asked, provide feedback to the Director of Player Development and the Coordinator of Minor League Pitching about the progress of pitchers’ development throughout the season.
• Provide daily game reports based on player plans and be process driven.
• Communicate with the team’s Manager before, during, and after the game about pitchers’ usage, availability, and game planning
• Maintain high, positive standards and expectations of pitching and teamwork for self and players

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bilingual- English and Spanish Fluency
• Ability to work non-traditional hours, including weekends and holidays as dictated by the baseball calendar
• Ability to communicate effectively with all members of Baseball Operations
• Proficiency with various pitching development tools including but not limited to; ball-tracking technology, high speed video cameras, and biomechanics reports/movement screens
• Able to demonstrate (verbal / non-verbal) expertise in pitching techniques and deliveries
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Slack
• Possess a minimum of one year of related experience and/or training. Previous experience with a Major or Minor League Baseball organization or collegiate baseball program

At the Giants, we believe we put our best work forward when our employees bring together ideas that are diverse in thought. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, medical condition or disability, genetic condition, marital status, domestic partnership status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status and any other protected class under federal, state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability or special need, we would like to know how we can better accommodate you.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Francisco Giants.

Bullpen Catcher/Rehab Development Assistant

Department: Player Development
Reports to: Rehab Coordinator
Duration: January 2023 – December 2023
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Status: Part-time/ Hourly (Non-Exempt)

Position Summary:
Assist the San Francisco Giants Player Development department through on and off the field activities. This position will include coverage of Spring Training, Extended Spring Training, Arizona Complex League, and various off-season camps. The main focus of this position lies in the rehabilitation and physical performance of our players at the Minor League Spring Training facility. Assisting both our medical and video departments creates a unique experience for this role.

Position Responsibilities:

• Handling rehabilitation bullpens along with pitcher’s and fielder’s catch play
• Ability to throw batting practice, feed machines, and other various cage work
• Ability to hit fungos
• Assist with technology set-up such as cameras for bullpens and live batting practice
• Ability to set up Trackman and other various technology equipment
• Cut video from bullpens and live batting practice sessions

Skills and Qualifications:

• High level catching experience is preferred
• Strong work ethic with a passion for baseball
• Work non-traditional hours (nights, weekends, and holidays)
• Ability to learn about technology and video
• Ability to speak Spanish is a plus
• Contribute to team culture with a positive

At the Giants, we believe we put our best work forward when our employees bring together ideas that are diverse in thought. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, medical condition or disability, genetic condition, marital status, domestic partnership status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status and any other protected class under federal, state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability or special need, we would like to know how we can better accommodate you.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Player Development Assistant (Part-Time)

Department: Player Development
Reports to: Coordinator, Minor League Operations
Duration: January 2023 – December 2023
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Status: Part-time/ Hourly (Non-Exempt)

Position Summary:
Assist the San Francisco Giants Baseball Operations department and provide comprehensive administrative support to all functions of Player Development. This position will include coverage of Spring Training, Extended Spring Training, Arizona Complex League, and various off-season camps. We value candidates who have a passion and understanding of the game of baseball while also being detail- oriented.

Position Responsibilities:

• Coordinate travel logistics, hotel reservations, and appointments for various events
• Assist in compiling and updating schedules, rosters, and databases for Player Development
• Regular communication with staff regarding daily needs/scheduling
• Assist with player paperwork and documents
• Assist with company credit card reconciliation
• Assist on tasks/projects as needed
• Man lobby desk; helping guests with questions and needs
• Provide support to the clubhouse staff with mailing duties and distribution
• Provide transportation for players or staff as needed
• Maintain all facility spaces/needs year-round

Skills and Qualifications:

• Ability to speak Spanish is a plus
• Experience using SQL is a plus
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel is preferred
• Strong work ethic with initiative and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to handle private information in a professional manner
• Work non-traditional hours (nights, weekends, and holidays)
• Ability to communicate effectively and work with all members of the organization (players, coaches, staff, and various affiliate front office/staff members)
• Contribute to team culture with a positive attitude

At the Giants, we believe we put our best work forward when our employees bring together ideas that are diverse in thought. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, medical condition or disability, genetic condition, marital status, domestic partnership status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status and any other protected class under federal, state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability or special need, we would like to know how we can better accommodate you.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Francisco Giants.

If Oakland Coliseum is indeed “baseball’s last dive bar,” as has often been asserted, then it must have one hell of a booking manager. Let’s not forget, after all, that this dive bar has a stage. And yes, that stage may be a bit far from the audience, and sure, it is housed in a hulking cement behemoth that shares a BART station with the airport, and fine, it might be subject to the occasional rodent or plumbing issue. But it still draws the same big names as other, glitzier venues. The Coliseum’s dinginess might generate headlines, but lately I’ve been struck more by the unique backdrop it offers attendees for seeing the major’s biggest names.

When I used this metaphor to describe my experience at an August 9 Shohei Ohtani start at the Coliseum, a friend likened it to seeing Metallica play an unannounced show a few years ago at The Metro, a venue just a stone’s throw up Clark Street from Wrigley Field, with a capacity of 1,100. You may remember this early-August Ohtani outing: one of those Tungsten Arm games – unremarkable but for the home run he launched into the right field bleachers and the win he secured, allowing him to reach the Babe Ruth milestone of recording 10 wins and 10 home runs in a season, though Ohtani’s home run total for the season had long eclipsed Ruth’s. The vastness of the stands only emphasized how few people I was sharing my baseball viewing experience with.

The next day, I followed up that major league masterclass with a Low-A day game in the uncovered San Jose grandstand, watching a teenager struggle to throw strikes under the blazing sun. If Ohtani at the Coliseum is Metallica at the Metro, then this game, where I went to watch prospects from the San Francisco Giants organziation, was sitting in on a garage band rehearsal. Low-A is an altogether different brand of baseball, where tweaks are made every day – sometimes even mid-game – in the hopes of tapping into young players’ potential. Read the rest of this entry »

Baseball Operations Analyst

Department: Baseball Operations
Location: San Francisco, CA; Scottsdale, AZ
Status: Full-Time; Exempt

Position Summary:
The San Francisco Giants are seeking Analysts to join the Baseball Operations department. These individuals will be part of the R&D team with primary focuses to create decision-making tools and to provide research and analysis to support the Baseball Operations department. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball.

Position Responsibilities:

• Research, design, and test predictive and statistical models using data and technology to support all aspects of Baseball Operations
• Collaborate with software engineering team to design and integrate decision-support systems and tools into baseball systems
• Perform statistical analysis and quantitative research to support various areas of Baseball Ops.
• Communicate analysis to Baseball Operations staff effectively.
• Maintain understanding of new public baseball research and emerging statistical tools, as well as all potential vendor data/technology options

Skills and Qualifications:

• Degree in a quantitative field, such as statistics, economics, engineering, computer science or applied math.
• Demonstrated work (professional or personal) using any of R, SQL, Python
• Experience in any of the following areas is a plus:
  • Machine learning
  • Computer vision
  • Spatiotemporal data
  • Statistical inference
• 1-2 years of sports experience and/or background in baseball or softball is a plus.
• Passion and curiosity for baseball analytics and problem-solving.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong work ethic with initiative and attention to detail.
• Contribute to team culture with a positive attitude.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume here

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, November 1, 2022
All employment applications are reviewed upon receipt.

Baseball Operations Associate Analyst

Department: Baseball Operations
Location: Minor League Affiliates (Sacramento, Richmond, Eugene, San Jose)
Status: Part-Time; Non-Exempt
Duration: January 2023 – October 2023

Position Summary:
This individual will travel with a minor league team and provide on-site analytics and technology support serving staff and players
while helping to implement key organizational initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess technical skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball.

Position Responsibilities:

• Provide statistical analysis and quantitative research to support the affiliate coaching staff
• Execute advance preparation and game reporting
• Conduct research for ad-hoc requests from coaches & staff
• Utilize technology and information to assess player strengths and areas of development
• Educate coaches and players on relevant baseball analytics topics
• Support on-field needs, including but not limited to operating technologies like Trackman Portable, Blast, Rapsodo, Trackman

Skills and Qualifications:

• Understanding of current baseball analytics topics
• Experience with Excel and SQL, R, or Python
• Experience with current player development technology such as TrackMan, Rapsodo, Blast Motion bat sensors, or K-Vest
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Ability to speak Spanish is a plus

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume here

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, November 1, 2022
All employment applications are reviewed upon receipt.

Video Technology Associate (Affiliate)

Department: Player Development
Reports to: Minor League Video Technology Coordinator
Duration: February 2023 – September 2023
Status: Part-time seasonal position (requirement to travel and work non-traditional hours)

Position Summary:
Provide comprehensive on- and off-field video and technological support for coaches, players, and non-uniformed staff during Spring Training and during the minor league season at an assigned affiliate. Spring Training will be utilized as a month-long training period to grasp the Giants’ video and technological collection and organizational processes, as well as build relationships with the staff and players you will be working with. The minor league season will consist of working closely with a set of staff and players and providing as much support as necessary to help the players continue their development and the team perform.

Position Responsibilities:

• Set up, capture, post-process, and distribute quality video footage for all home and road games during the season
• Utilize BATS Video Software to chart, process, and store all collected video
• Prepare, display, and organize video footage for advance purposes of each upcoming opponent
• Operate Edgertronic (high-speed) camera technology manually and through a browser to collect targeted footage during game- and non-game activity
• Operate and troubleshoot other baseball-related technology such as TrackMan V3, Portable TrackMan, Hawkeye, Blast, and Oculus headsets throughout the season
• Heavy utilization of multiple baseball-adjacent applications (Dropbox, Google Drive, remote desktop softwares, video editing softwares, etc…) to edit, move, and store video and data for short-term and long-term usage
• Manage and properly care for the various video and technology equipment you will be responsible for using throughout the season (computers, iPads, VR headsets, cameras, etc..)
• Assist with various ad-hoc projects assigned by the coaching staffs and front office

Skills and Qualifications:

• Ability and desire to relocate and work non-traditional hours (nights, weekends, and holidays) throughout the season
• Extremely detail-oriented focus and mindset on all daily tasks
• Ability to comfortably communicate and work with all members of the organization (players, coaches, staff, and various affiliate front office/staff members)
• Aptitude and comfortability with basic networking and IT processes
• Previous baseball or softball playing and/or video and technology related experience is a plus
• Possession of a strong and obvious passion and curiosity for the game of baseball

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume here

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, November 1, 2022
All employment applications are reviewed upon receipt.

Associate, Baseball Video Systems (San Francisco)

Department: Baseball Operations
Reports to: Manager, Baseball Video Systems
Duration: January 2023 – December 2023
Status: Internship

Position Summary:
This associate-level position will perform routine tasks around the video office, clubhouse, and playing field, while also providing support with basic administrative and system maintenance responsibilities. This role will be embedded in the major league clubhouse during home games and work alongside coaching staff, analysts, and video coordinators throughout the 2023 season, including spring training in Arizona. The ideal candidate will also possess demonstrated creative and storytelling abilities, and leverage these skills to regularly produce short-form video content.

In-Season Responsibilities:

• Systems checks and maintenance of organizational baseball video systems
• Staging and operation of video and tracking technologies for pre-game use
• Posting of daily channel listings and schedules for MLB, affiliate, and amateur game broadcasts
• Supporting management of MLB Dugout iPads
• Producing after-action video melts from previous games for consumption on mobile devices
• Producing lineup and roster information for clubhouse use
• Moving, packing, and unpacking of equipment to support team travel
• Other tasks as assigned by the video staff

Offseason responsibilities:

• Cataloging broadcast footage of winter league and other offseason baseball games
• Posting of daily channel listings and schedules for Winter League games
• Daily cutting up of winter league video for Giants organizational players and free agent follows
• Assisting with field level camera maintenance and installations
• Work with coaching staff on video content ideas

Skills and Qualifications:

• In-season availability to work non-traditional hours, including weekends and holidays
• Ability to communicate effectively to all members of Baseball Operations
• Experience using production-level video editing software (Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve) including knowledge

and use of 2D/3D animation and effects a plus

• Familiarity with networking and basic IT concepts a plus
• Basic experience working with programming a plus
• Passion for baseball, intellectual curiosity, baseball or softball playing experience and understanding of team dynamics is a plus
• Candidate must be available, in-person, for all San Francisco Giants home games

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume here

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, November 1, 2022
All employment applications are reviewed upon receipt.

At the Giants, we believe we put our best work forward when our employees bring together ideas that are diverse in thought. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, medical condition or disability, genetic condition, marital status, domestic partnership status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status and any other protected class under federal, state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability or special need, we would like to know how we can better accommodate you.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Francisco Giants.

Dave Raymond has fond memories of June 13, 2012. Then in his final year as a broadcaster for the Houston Astros, the now TV play-by-play voice of the Texas Rangers got to call a historic pitching performance — and it wasn’t even his biggest thrill of the day. Prior to the game, he was in the presence of a legend.

Raymond had an inkling that the season would be his last with the Astros. He was in the final year of his contract, and an ownership transition was resulting in numerous changes throughout the organization. With his future up in the air, Raymond decided that he was going to “hit all the high notes,” making sure to enjoy aspects of his job that can sometimes be taken for granted. That’s how he met Willie Mays.

“In San Francisco, Willie was always down in the clubhouse, just available to chat,” recalled Raymond, who graduated from Stanford University before becoming a broadcaster. “I’d never wanted to bother him all those years, but I decided to make it a point to talk to him, whether that was for five minutes, 10 minutes, or whatever. So I went to the ballpark early, hoping to ask him some questions and hear a few stories. For instance, he’d hit his 500th home run at the Astrodome, and they’d brought him a cake afterwards.”

The hoped for five-to-10 minutes ended up being far longer. Mays held court for hours, to the point where Raymond had to tell the iconic Hall of Famer that he needed to head upstairs, as the game was about to start. As he was getting up to leave, he added that the Astros would be returning to San Francisco right after the All-Star break, and maybe they could talk again. Mays responded by saying, “Well, you’ve got to come over to my house then.” Read the rest of this entry »

After having arguably the best season of his professional career in 2021, Carlos Rodón signed a rather modest two-year, $44 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. For a large part of the 2021 season, it looked like he was headed toward a much more headline-grabbing dollar amount. After years of missed time, first due to shoulder problems and then a Tommy John surgery, Rodón shocked the baseball world by returning with a much hotter fastball than he’d previously ever had. Never reaching the heights the White Sox expected when they took him with the third overall pick of the 2014 draft, he was bordering on bust status before suddenly re-emerging as an All-Star. Literally — he made his first All-Star team in 2021.

But a few nasty surprises kept Rodón from getting the payday aces typically get. Given his injury record — he’d only been healthy enough to qualify for an ERA title once — there were inevitable concerns about his durability, an important consideration when you’re doling out nine-figure contracts. Those fears were realized in the second half of the season, as Rodón missed time due to shoulder fatigue and soreness. It wasn’t that he struggled; most teams would have been overjoyed with his 3.26 second-half FIP. What was highly concerning was the dramatic velocity loss he experienced, an extremely inauspicious sign for a pitcher: Read the rest of this entry »