Where Giants stand on surging prospect Bryce Eldridge after trade deadline sale originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants traded three of their five longest-tenured players at last week’s deadline, but they didn’t necessarily view it as fully raising the white flag.
They remain on the fringes of the playoff race — FanGraphs gives them about an eight percent chance of making it — and they have two series left against a San Diego Padres team they’re trying to chase down. If they can keep playing the way they did over the weekend in New York, they can certainly remain in the mix.
Another brief slip, though, would make the climb too steep and lead to real conversations about how best to handle September. And even if the Giants stay within range of the final Wild Card spot, at some point, they’ll have to take a different approach.
“We’ll probably get some different looks at some different players over the next couple of months,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said after dealing away Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval and Mike Yastrzemski last week.
There’s one name at the top of that list, and Posey knows he’ll be asked about Bryce Eldridge every time he speaks publicly until the end of the season. Eldridge, the organization’s top prospect, certainly is doing his part to force the issue.
The 20-year-old homered twice on Saturday and again on Sunday, giving him seven in just 56 at-bats since returning from the IL. Overall, Eldridge is hitting .237 with a .802 OPS and nine homers in Triple-A, but he has a .999 OPS over his last 15 games. Since returning from a hamstring strain, he has a .338 on-base percentage and has raised his average to .268.
Asked about Eldridge and other young players right after the deadline, Posey said he would “probably downplay the Eldridge piece a little bit” because he missed time with injury. On Thursday’s “Giants Talk” podcast, he explained why the Giants will continue to be cautious.
“I think he’s making progress,” Posey said. “Bryce, I think what’s exciting about him is he wants to not only be a great hitter — he wants to be a great defender, as well. He knows there’s work to do and he was hurt a little bit this year with the hamstring and missed some time. For him, it’s repetition, getting the reps, being in situations in games that can only be provided by being in that game.
“You can do as much as you want in your pregame work, which he is doing that. We’re in a good spot, I feel like with him. We’re really happy with the way he’s progressing, but we want him to keep getting reps.”
Giants officials who have been to Sacramento recently say Eldridge continues to make strides at first base. He remains susceptible down in the strike zone — he has a 30 percent strikeout rate — but is absolutely punishing mistakes, showing the kind of raw power that should be on display at Oracle Park for years to come.
It has not been hard for the front office to preach patience, though, in part because there’s no great need at the big league level at the moment. Rafael Devers also is learning first base and Dominic Smith continues to contribute when he gets opportunities.
Wilmer Flores had a rough July, but he is as respected as anyone in the clubhouse, and Posey held him at the deadline despite the fact that he’s coming up on free agency. The Giants will continue to get him opportunities while they view themselves as being in the race.
If that changes in a few weeks, Eldridge will be a short drive away, and his promotion certainly would bring a jolt to a fan base that has packed Oracle Park this summer. Posey once was in that situation himself, although his initial cup of coffee wasn’t notable.
The Giants called Posey up for the first time in September 2009, but he got just 17 at-bats, picking up a pair of singles. He doesn’t anticipate calling up Eldridge and adding him to the 40-man roster later this year if the playing time isn’t there.
“I think if it’s a guy you see as part of the future, you want them to be able to play, too, and you want to feel good about (the fact that) they’re going to get some steady playing time,” Posey said on Giants Talk. “We’ll have these discussions, but again, I think it’s important for Bryce to keep growing, keep getting the reps. He’s still just 20 years old, so we’ve got time.”
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