Giants rookie first baseman Bryce Eldridge was the subject of some early-offseason trade speculation. San Francisco entered the winter seeking pitching but didn’t appear poised to spend at the top of the free agent market. That led to chatter about Eldridge being included in a trade package for a controllable starter with a top-of-the-rotation ceiling (e.g. MacKenzie Gore).
That kind of move has always seemed like a long shot, as position player prospects of Eldridge’s caliber rarely get moved. The 21-year-old has taken the rumors in stride, saying over the weekend that he has worked to ignore the speculation. “I try not to get too wrapped up in anything going on. … I don’t know how far those talks got,” Eldridge said at Giants FanFest (link via Maria Guardado of MLB.com). “But I want to be here. I want to play for this team. I don’t plan on leaving here anytime soon. I hope they don’t plan on making me leave anytime soon.”
The 16th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Eldridge spent most of last year between the top two minor league levels. He hit 25 homers while combining for a .260/.333/.510 batting line across 433 plate appearances. The 6’7″ Eldridge struck out in more than 29% of his trips to the plate but was an above-average hitter at both minor league stops at age 20. The Giants called him up in the middle of September. He’s not a lock to break camp because of the strikeout questions, yet they’ll surely expect him to play a big role over the course of the season.
Eldridge underwent postseason surgery to address a bone spur in his left wrist. He said he’s essentially at full strength, noting that he’s in the final stages of his hitting program. Eldridge should enter camp healthy as he battles for the starting first base/designated hitter job in what would be a split between the two positions with Rafael Devers.
There’s also uncertainty at the other position on the right side of the infield. The Giants are reportedly making a push for second baseman, and they’ve been linked to Brendan Donovan and to Stanford product Nico Hoerner (a longer shot to move). If they don’t land a big-ticket upgrade, the starting job would fall to Casey Schmitt. He took over from the struggling Tyler Fitzgerald midseason and turned in a league average .237/.305/.401 line in 95 games.
Schmitt is also working back from left wrist surgery — a carpal boss removal, in his case. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle relays that the righty-hitting infielder resumed hitting off a tee last week. He might be a little behind schedule in March but seems to be well on track for Opening Day. Schmitt would vie for his first career Opening Day start if he’s healthy and the Giants don’t come away with a marquee trade pickup.
If they do land someone like Donovan, Schmitt would probably work as a multi-positional infielder off the bench. He’s a natural third baseman and has some shortstop experience, but there aren’t many reps available in a left side infield featuring Matt Chapman and Willy Adames. Slusser reports that the Giants have gotten calls from other teams about Schmitt in the two years since they signed Chapman, but his versatility and remaining minor league option mean they’re not under any pressure to deal him.
While Giants fans hope for some kind of big swing to improve the MLB roster, they made a notable move on the minor league side last week. San Francisco officially signed Venezuelan infield prospect Luis Hernández on January 15. His $5MM signing bonus was the biggest for any player in this year’s international period.
MLB Pipeline also ranked the right-handed hitter as the best prospect in the class on talent, praising his polish and all-around skillset. Ben Badler of Baseball America writes that many scouts consider Hernández the top amateur prospect though BA itself doesn’t rank international signees. Hernández, who turned 17 last month, isn’t the biggest player at 5’10” and certainly won’t be an MLB factor for years but represents an intriguing add for the player development department.
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