Tag: San Francisco Giants

Hunter Pence’s Surgery Must Be a Call to Action for Sputtering Giants Offense

Down goes Hunter Pence. Again.

Rest of the San Francisco Giants offense, that’s your cue to get going now.

After playing in only 52 games due to injuries in 2015, Pence has hit a major snag at the 50-game mark of his 2016 season. As reported by Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area, the veteran right fielder needs surgery to repair a torn right hamstring.

The timeline in the air for Pence’s return is eight weeks. But as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports, it could be longer:

Considering the circumstances, it wouldn’t be surprising if Pence ends up missing more than eight weeks. The surgery he’s having is to repair a hamstring tendon that was torn clean off the bone when he came up lame while running to first base Wednesday in Atlanta. Good luck reading that without saying, “Ow.”

If there’s a bright side here, it’s that the Giants are arguably better suited to withstand Pence being out for a while than they were in 2015. 

Last year’s Giants had plenty of offense, but the struggles they had with their non-Madison Bumgarner pitchers rendered many of the runs they scored moot. It’s been a different story in 2016. The Giants’ Big Three of Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija has combined for a 2.35 ERA, and their starting rotation as a whole owns a 3.45 ERA that’s good for fifth in Major League Baseball.

The Giants’ much-improved pitching is the reason they are where they are. The club has responded to a slow April with a 22-9 showing since May 1. Their pitching has surrendered only 3.2 runs per game in this span, allowing for a fairly large margin of error.

This being said, Pence’s injury is indeed a threat to make that margin of error significantly smaller.

With a .298/.375/.486 batting line to his name, Pence has been San Francisco’s second-best hitter after Brandon Belt. And because the club’s offense as a whole has only a .734 OPS (eighth in the National League) despite their efforts, Belt is right on the money with his assessment of the situation:

Replacing Pence will indeed be hard. Neither Angel Pagan, who is due back from his own injury before long, nor Gregor Blanco packs a high-upside bat. Mac Williamson hasn’t fared well against major league pitching. Fellow youngster Jarrett Parker could do the trick if he picks up where he left off in an explosive 2015 debut, but that’s asking a lot. 

What the Giants can do, however, is hope to replace Pence in the aggregate.

All the key members of last year’s offense, which ranked in the NL’s top five in both runs and OPS, are back this year. The problem is that too many of them just haven’t gotten rolling yet. Just take a look at where each Giants regular is in OPS+, which adjusts OPS to be on a scale of league average (100):

After star turns in 2015, Matt Duffy and Joe Panik have been below-average hitters in 2016. Denard Span is also in that realm. Brandon Crawford has barely been above-average. And though Buster Posey has been good, he’s well short of his usual production.

These guys are largely responsible for the sputtering nature of the Giants offense this season. They’ve been able to get away with that until now, but Pence’s absence needs to be the call to arms that gets them to snap out of it and live up to their capabilities.

For Duffy and Panik, that means doing something anything to recapture what was working for them in 2015, when they spent the season whacking line drives in every direction. But for the others, it only means they need to keep doing what they’ve been doing recently:

Posey, in particular, could give the Giants a huge boost if he builds on his recent surge. That would mean him turning back into one of the NL’s best all-around hitters and also back into the engine in the middle of Bruce Bochy’s lineup.

“He does make us go,” the skipper said after Posey’s recent two-homer outburst at Coors Field, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. “When he goes, it just relaxes everybody.”

If things don’t come together for Posey and the others, the Giants will head into the heart of the summer trade season with some decisions to make. As Jeff Todd highlighted at MLB Trade Rumors, Ryan Braun and Jay Bruce figure to be available. Josh Reddick and/or Colby Rasmus could be as well. There’s also bound to be a selection of solid platoon guys there for the taking.

But for now, the Giants have the time to see if they can solve the Pence problem in-house. Though they don’t have the guys to fill his shoes, they do have enough offensive talent to make everyone forget he’s gone.

All it needs to do is finally show up.

 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Cueto-Samardzija Stardom Gives Giants Vindication for Missing Out on Greinke

As any poker player will tell you, two aces are better than one. 

Ask the San Francisco Giants, and they’ll confirm as much.

This winter, the Giants went shopping with money to burn and holes to fill in the starting five. According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, they pursued reigning ERA king Zack Greinke, who opted out of his contract with the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers. But Greinke wound up spurning San Francisco and Los Angeles and inking a six-year, $206.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

So the Giants shifted to Plan B and signed Jeff Samardzija for five years and $90 million. Then they tossed six years and $130 million at Johnny Cueto. 

Both pitchers crossed the Golden Gate toting baggage, as we’ll get into shortly. Two months into the season, however, they’ve been nothing short of fantastic and have joined stud left-hander Madison Bumgarner to form one of the best top-of-the-rotation trios in baseball.

As Greinke struggles in Arizona, the Giants are basking in some early even-year vindication. 

Through 11 starts, Samardzija sports a 2.84 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 18 walks in 76 innings. Cueto, meanwhile, owns a 2.31 ERA and has fanned 72 while walking 14 in 81.2 innings.

Most importantly, San Francisco is 17-5 when Cueto and Samardzija take the hill. 

“As well as they’re throwing, it’s been impressive,” manager Bruce Bochy said of his shiny new weapons, per Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com. “You do your homework and watch these guys, and we knew we were getting two outstanding starters that could throw 200 innings and have good years for us.”

Indeed, Cueto and Samardzija have notable track records. Samardzija was a breakout All-Star in 2014 with the Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs, and Cueto led MLB in strikeouts and innings pitched that same year with the Cincinnati Reds.

Last season, however, both men wobbled.

In his first and only season with the Chicago White Sox, Samardzija led all pitchers with 228 hits and 118 earned runs allowed and watched his ERA balloon to an unsightly 4.96.

Cueto finished with better numbers, posting a 3.44 ERA, but he struggled in stretches after a trade-deadline swap to the Kansas City Royals and entered the winter trailing doubts about the health of his elbow

The hope for San Francisco was that the injury bug wouldn’t bite and both pitchers would benefit from the Giants’ excellent infield defense, the steadying influence of franchise catcher Buster Posey—the second-best pitch-framer in baseball, per StatCornerand the spacious confines of AT&T Park.

So far, so great.

With Samardzija and Cueto meeting or exceeding expectations, the Giants—who sit in first place in the National League West—don’t need to bask in schadenfreude. Still, it has to feel at least a little good to glance at Greinke’s 4.71 ERA and .281 opponents’ batting average. 

Maybe Greinke would have fared better in San Francisco, for the reasons explained above. Or, maybe not.

Right now, the Giants don’t need to play the what-if game. They know what they’ve got, and the results speak for themselves, as CSN Bay Area’s Ahmed Fareed spelled out:

It’s not as if Cueto and Samardzija are getting by on smoke and mirrors either. Samardzija’s FIP—a stat that’s supposed to strip away factors beyond a pitcher’s control, such as luck and sequencing—is 2.95. Cueto’s is 2.42.

Samardzija has lasted seven innings or more in six of his 11 starts, and Cueto has hit or exceeded that threshold nine of 11 times. Along with Bumgarner’s reliable workhorse tendencies, that’s saving the bullpen and taking pressure off back-end starters Matt Cain and Jake Peavy, who have shown flashes but struggled with injury and inconsistency.

Samardzija is locked in for the duration of his deal, but Cueto can opt out after two years. Depending on how things go, that could be the best result for the Giants, as I argued in April. 

Then again, as Schulman recently opined, “during [Cueto’s] ongoing honeymoon with San Francisco, the thought of him not being with the Giants in 2018 seems as absurd as his performance thus far.”

For now, the Giants’ focus is on getting back to October and doing their every-other-year thing. The success of Samardzija and Cueto along with Bumgarner and a balanced, largely homegrown lineup make that seem attainable.

Greinke got away. But sometimes, Plan B works out pretty well.

 

All statistics current as of June 1 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Hunter Pence Injury: Updates on Giants OF’s Hamstring and Return

Hunter Pence‘s injury woes don’t seem to be going away, as the San Francisco Giants outfielder is battling a serious hamstring strain and has been placed on the disabled listIt is unclear when he will be able to return.

Continue for updates. 


Pence Comments on Injury

Friday, June 3

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Pence said, per Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. “I’ll be back in a flash.”


Latest on Pence’s Recovery Timeline

Friday, June 3

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reported the Giants are leaning toward surgery for Pence, which would put him out eight weeks after he tore the hamstring completely off the bone.


Bochy Comments on Pence Injury

Thursday, June 2

“Unfortunately, he did a pretty good job on it,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, per Baggarly. “And it’s a shame.”


Pence Has Struggled with Injuries After Long Stretch of Durability

Prior to 2015, Pence had been one of the most durable players in Major League Baseball, playing at least 154 games every season since 2008, including all 162 in 2013 and 2014. 

He started 2015 on the disabled list with a fractured left forearm suffered during a spring training game, forcing him to miss the first five weeks, and only managed to play 52 games as a result of various ailments. 

Things had been going smoothly in 2016 for Pence, who looked like his old self to start the year. He was hitting for average and power and getting on base at a high clip. 

The Giants were able to get by without Pence’s bat in the middle of their lineup for stretches last season. Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford picked up their games, though the lineup lacks depth without Pence in the middle.

San Francisco’s front office did bolster the starting rotation this offseason, signing Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto, to try to offset any potential offensive shortcomings. Sitting first in the NL West, the Giants can afford to be without Pence for a bit. But it’s obvious this has become a recurring problem. 

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Matt Cain Injury: Updates on Giants Pitcher’s Hamstring and Return

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain exited his start against the Colorado Rockies in the second inning Friday after suffering a hamstring injury, and the team has subsequently placed him on the disabled list. It’s unclear when he will return.

Continue for updates.


Latest on Cain’s Playing Status

Saturday, May 28

Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reported the Giants recalled Chris Stratton from Triple-A and placed Cain on the disabled list.


Injuries Slowing Cain Late in Career

Cain was once a pillar of consistency. Between 2006 and 2013, he made an average of 32 starts and pitched 209 innings per season. But he started just 26 games in 2014 and 2015 combined.

In August 2014, Cain had bone chips removed from his right elbow, and the recovery process affected his preparation for the 2015 season. Compounding his bad luck, he then suffered a right flexor tendon strain, which delayed his first start of the year to July 2.

Giants fans likely wondered whether this was going to be another one of those seasons after doctors removed a cyst from Cain’s throwing arm in February. However, the right-hander had remained injury-free until Friday.

Leaving aside his health issues, it’s fair to wonder how good Cain can be at this point in his career. His ERA climbed to 4.00 for the first time in seven years in 2013, and his next two campaigns were worse. He had a 4.18 ERA in 2014 and a 5.79 ERA in 2015.

Through nine starts in 2016, he is 1-5 with a 5.37 ERA.

After Cain finished sixth in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2012, it looked as though he could become the ace of the San Francisco staff. But that hasn’t happened.

As Cain will miss his next few starts, manager Bruce Bochy might reinsert Chris Heston in the rotation. Heston made four appearances out of the bullpen in April before being demoted, but he made 31 starts last year, going 12-11 with a 3.95 ERA.

Clayton Blackburn could be another option after he put together a strong season in Triple-A in 2015.

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Brandon Belt Injury: Updates on Giants 1B’s Ankle and Return

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt suffered an ankle injury Wednesday against the San Diego Padres. It is unclear when he will be able to return to the lineup.

Continue for updates. 


Belt Out vs. Rockies 

Friday, May 27 

The Giants announced Belt was not in the lineup against the Colorado Rockies on Friday.


Injuries Nothing New to Belt

Belt has had trouble avoiding the injury bug each of the past two seasons, with a concussion, thumb ailment and a minor meniscus tear all cropping up. However, he’s been a solid contributor when healthy. 

All told, Belt finished 2015 with a career-high 18 home runs, 68 RBI and a .280 batting average. Entering Wednesday’s clash with the Padres, Belt was batting .281 with four home runs and 22 RBI through 47 appearances. 

Giants manager Bruce Bochy has the luxury of shuffling pieces around and moving catcher Buster Posey up the line to first. Last season, Posey logged 323.2 innings at first base and posted a defensive wins above replacement total of plus-1.8 between the two positions, per Baseball-Reference.com. This year, Posey has accrued 29 innings worth of work at first. 

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Angel Pagan Injury: Updates on Giants OF’s Hamstring and Return

San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan left Monday’s win after suffering a hamstring strain. He was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday, and it’s unclear when he’ll return to the field.

Continue for updates.


Pagan Announce Pagan’s Replacement 

Tuesday, May 24

The Giants announced that they placed Pagan on the DL with a left hamstring strain and recalled outfielder Jarrett Parker from Triple-A Sacramento.


Pagan Set for MRI

Monday, May 23

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reported Pagan will undergo an MRI.

“There is some concern because it is the same hamstring,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, per Baggarly.


Pagan’s Absence is Significant Blow to Giants Depth

RotoWire (via CBS Sports) noted Pagan’s hamstring forced him to miss a May 21 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The outfielder finished 0-for-3 with a walk Monday before exiting the game with the hamstring concerns. Coming into the contest, he was hitting .282 with two home runs, 13 RBI, five steals and a .734 OPS.

Pagan has never been much of a power threat, recording only one season in his career with double-digit home run totals, but he is solid on the basepaths (he stole 29-plus bases in three seasons in a row from 2010 to 2012) and sports a .280 career batting average and .330 career on-base percentage.

The Giants will miss his ability to set the stage for the sluggers in the middle of the order by getting on base if he is forced to miss extensive time.

Brandon Belt moved to left field after Pagan exited Monday, while Conor Gillaspie took over at first base for Belt. San Francisco can turn to Belt with Pagan out since the former is a dangerous offensive threat who is fresh off a breakout performance in 2015 with a .280 batting average and career-best marks of 18 home runs and 68 RBI.

The Giants also have veteran Gregor Blanco as a potential candidate to fill in since he is versatile enough to play all three outfield positions. Blanco hit .291 last season and flashed his impressive speed with 13 stolen bases.

While Belt and Blanco give the Giants some reliable options if Pagan is out, they are also needed at other positions (Belt is a first baseman, and Blanco can play everywhere in the outfield). San Francisco sits in first place in the National League West and could use a healthy Pagan as it chases a postseason spot.

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Matt Cain’s Resurgence Yet Another Weapon for Streaking Giants

The San Francisco Giants were coming up short for a while there. After going into 2016 amid loads of hype, they were under .500 as recently as May 10.

But all of a sudden, the Giants are making it look suspiciously like an even year.

It took a confrontation with reigning Cy Young winner/freak of nature Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs Friday at AT&T Park to snap the Giants’ eight-game win streak. But they got right back in the proverbial driver’s seat Saturday, beating the Cubs 5-3 to run their record to 26-19. 

That’s one bit of good news for the Giants. The other bit of good news is that an old standby is beginning to resemble his old self for the first time in a long time.

Matt Cain was the Giants’ biggest contributor in Saturday’s win, clubbing a two-run double and stifling the Cubs’ high-powered offense with six one-run innings. That’s now three strong starts in a row for the veteran right-hander, as he allowed only three runs across 15 innings in his previous two. 

Like that, an ERA that was a problematic 7.84 is now down to a considerably less problematic 5.37. And quite possibly even falling further.

There’s certainly no ignoring that Cain’s recent travels have been fraught with peril. He was terrific (and literally perfect one time) in posting a 2.93 ERA between 2009 and 2012, but he managed just a 4.37 ERA and struggled with injuries between 2013 and 2015. After having surgery on his arm during spring training and then getting off to a slow start, it seemed like 2016 was going to bring more of the same.

Things seem different now. Asked to explain what Cain has found in his last couple of outings, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy theorized the big change has been a mental one.

“His bullpens have been fine, and his pregame warm-ups,” Bochy said after Cain silenced the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 15, per Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group. “In the game, it just wasn’t going well for him. I think he’s realizing, ‘Hey, I’m fine, and my stuff is great. I’m healthy.’ It’s all about the confidence now that he’s settled in with.”

The most noticeable difference is in how aggressively Cain is going right at hitters. He was throwing first-pitch strikes 62.1 percent of the time in his first six outings. He upped that to 70.7 in his next two and kept it going with first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 25 Cubs (72 percent) he faced Saturday.

That’s one way to snap out of a slump, but it never hurts to also have better stuff. Though data for Saturday’s outing isn’t available yet, Baseball Savant reveals that Cain’s average spin rates this season break down like so:

  • First 6 GS: 2,437 rpm
  • Next 2 GS: 2,526 rpm

It’s going to take more than just three starts for a definitive conclusion to form, but Cain’s resurgence doesn’t appear to be well-timed good luck playing a trick on the Giants. He’s pitching like a guy who wants to be a weapon again.

And at the thought of that, you can almost hear the rest of the National League letting out a groan.

For the competition, the thought of the Giants having another weapon in their starting rotation alone is distressing enough. This is, after all, one of only two rotations in the league that features three qualified starters with ERAs 2.70 or under.

That’s the trio of Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. The Giants knew what they were going to get from Bumgarner this year, and they’ve gotten even more than they bargained $220 million for out of Cueto and Samardzija. They’ve been worth every penny and then some.

“They’re definitely the catalyst,” right fielder Hunter Pence said this week of the club’s star-studded rotation, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. “It makes you look really good when your starting pitching is doing that kind of exceptional work. It’s not to be taken lightly but enjoyed.”

The Giants lineup isn’t too shabby in its own right. All the key figures from an offense that finished fourth in the National League in OPS in 2015 are back. And though the 2016 offense has been guilty of starting and stopping, it could soon get going for good. Pence and Brandon Belt are having terrific seasons, and Brandon Crawford and Denard Span are showing signs of life.

So is Buster Posey. After narrowly missing a home run Friday, he definitely didn’t miss against Jon Lester in Saturday’s game:

Where things aren’t all happiness and sunshine is in the Giants bullpen. Following yet another home run served up by Santiago Casilla, it now has a 4.01 ERA that ranks in the bottom half of the league.

It’s a bit soon to say the sky is falling, though.

The Giants bullpen’s collective ERA is skewed by some especially bad performances by Vin Mazzaro, Chris Heston and Mike Broadway. With a 2.04 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 17.2 innings, even Casilla is doing well despite the home runs. And with Chris Haft of MLB.com reporting right-hander Sergio Romo is close to returning from a strained flexor tendon, the Giants bullpen is about to get a key piece back.

That is to say, the Giants may not be far from pretty much having it all. Cain’s return to effectiveness means their rotation is about more than just its three best guys. The starters are backed by an offense with plenty of potential and a bullpen that could soon be stabilized. 

As it is, the coming-together process the Giants are undertaking has already been good enough to put them atop the NL West. Coming into the year, that’s where they expected to be sooner or later.

And from the looks of things, they mean to stay there.

 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Tim Lincecum Comments on Hip Injury, Future in MLB, More

Former San Francisco Giants pitcher and current free agent Tim Lincecum will try to prove to representatives from more than 20 MLB teams that his surgically repaired hip is healthy during a throwing session Friday, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

After going 33-12 over a two-year stretch with two Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009, Lincecum’s last four years have seen him go 39-42 with an ERA worse than 4.00 in each season before he underwent hip surgery in September.

The hype is building, though, thanks to Lincecum’s father telling Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports that his son’s curveball is “the best curveball I’ve seen in four years.”

On Wednesday, Lincecum spoke with Passan about the injury that nagged him throughout his struggles:

I didn’t know which days were gonna be the good days and which were gonna be the bad ones. Some days my hip would bite at me. Some days it would be fine. But I didn’t have a lot of stability and strength in it. I wasn’t able to sustain the end of my motion, when my foot hit. It felt very erratic, very wild. It didn’t feel like much of a drive. It felt like I was jumping. That’s where I lost it all. The power was lost in my legs, and it didn’t drive through my hips, my mid-back and up into my shoulder. I was throwing a lot with my arm. 

Even with that uncertainty, he managed to go 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA in 2015 before shutting down for the year, though there were certain moments when the injury flared up:

Eight months after surgery, Lincecum is ready to get back to baseball, though he told Passan that he would “need a few minor league starts to acclimate himself to live games before he’s ready for the major leagues.”

Though many teams may be interested, there is a chance that he’ll return to San Francisco, as he told Passan: “Where I end up is where I’ll end up. [The Giants] already have six starters. I’ve got to just look out for me, and if they’re the No. 1 piece in the puzzle when it comes down to decision time, I’ll be excited to go back.”

If Lincecum is able to show off a fastball that reaches 90-plus mph with a dynamic curveball, he may see some offers from teams that are looking for help in their rotations. 

 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Johnny Cueto’s Leadership, Poise Are Behind His Smooth Transition to Giants

Johnny Cueto’s tenure with the San Francisco Giants had begun in earnest just a few hours prior with his 2016 debut, a start against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park in which the right-handed pitcher guided his team to a 2-1 win.

As is customary in every winning clubhouse around baseball, music was blaring as a caucus of media members surrounded Cueto’s locker. The awaiting contingent eyeballed Cueto near the visiting team’s cafeteria. A reciprocal gesture acknowledged he was coming.

Cueto walked into the center of the circling reporters and then bobbed his head toward a Giants staffer, indicating he would like the music turned off, knowing it could pose problems for the upcoming Q&A session.

It might seem like a benign request—or one players might think is self-promoting if they didn’t otherwise know Cueto. But his willingness to kill the music, typically reserved for a more senior member of the organization, speaks to his comfort in the San Francisco clubhouse.

His play that night validated what the Giants thought when they signed him this offseason: Cueto is capable of carrying the team on any given night.

“I felt comfortable with my teammates from day one since I signed the new contract,” Cueto said through a translator.

“It’s normal in me. I felt very comfortable from day one. I’m going to be here for a very long time based on the contract that I signed. So that’s just my personality.”

Cueto has two wins in as many starts for the Giants—both of which went seven innings. He allowed six hits and just one earned run in his season debut, but he needed the Giants to come through offensively after allowing the Los Angeles Dodgers five runs in the first inning of his second start on April 10. And they did.

Of course, two games, including a particularly bad start to his second, won’t earn Cueto exalted status in the Giants clubhouse. And if the team were living in baseball’s version of Siberia, there would still be questions about Cueto’s capability as a starter.

But this organization knew Cueto and ace Madison Bumgarner could form one of baseball’s best starting pitching tandems long before he donned an orange and black jersey.

From 2011 to 2014 with the Cincinnati Reds, Cueto had a cumulative ERA of 2.48. In the three seasons he has pitched at least 200 innings, the 30-year-old has had a WAR of at least 4.1, according to FanGraphs.

Belief in Cueto is grounded in his history of success, his 4.35 ERA in a 13-start stint with the Kansas City Royals last year notwithstanding (though it should be noted his WAR last season was 4.1).

Giants manager Bruce Bochy is so convinced of his capabilities that, early in Cueto’s first start, he made a move specifically because he knew who was on the mound.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning, one out and the Brewers‘ Jonathan Villar on third, Bochy brought his infield in. As a result, when right fielder Domingo Santana grounded to San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford, the Giants were able to throw Villar out at home. That saved what would have been the go-ahead run.

Typically, such a move wouldn’t be made so early in the game, especially with a Giants offense capable of scoring in bunches. The Giants currently lead all of MLB with 50 runs scored.

Limiting an opponent from generating big innings is typically the strategy for teams heavy on offense. 

The conventional theory: Early in the game, conceding a run to get an out—by playing the infield at normal depth—likely doesn’t matter. Also, bringing in the infield risks a soft single and the potential start of a big inning.

Bochy thought differently with Cueto on the mound.

“I thought it would be a tight ballgame,” Bochy said. “But, worst case, I have confidence in Johnny to get out of it.

“He just keeps a calmness about him in traffic, and he showed it tonight. He doesn’t panic.”

The team’s comfort with Cueto may stem from his even-keeled personality. But the pitcher’s confidence in his team lies in his willingness to work quickly.

In both of his starts, Cueto, as he has with his other MLB teams, worked very quickly in between pitches. That’s an indication that he is comfortable with Giants catcher Buster Posey, rarely disagreeing with a sign. Otherwise, we would see drawn-out pitching sequences.

His first start lasted only two hours, 29 minutes. Despite the high run total, his second start lasted 3:07.

It’s like two actors with great chemistry. They don’t need many takes to get a scene right. While it is a small sample size, if there were chemistry issues between Cueto and Posey, we would see them early.

“I just enjoy the pace that he works at, really quickly, and I think anybody on defense appreciates that, whether you’re catching or in the field,” Posey said.

“From the start of spring training, he kind of came in with a plan. He didn’t feel like he needed to come in and impress anybody.”

But that’s what he has done, nonetheless.

The four other starters—Bumgarner, fellow offseason signee Jeff Samardzija, Jake Peavy and Matt Cain—pitch every fifth day regardless of who is in the rotation.

Obviously, they never play with one another.

But Cueto’s experience gives the other pitchers a sounding board—someone who has knowledge on how to pitch to different lineups in different situations.

Remember, this is a guy, despite an overall disappointing tenure with the Royals, who pitched a complete-game two-hitter in Game 2 of the World Series last year.

“It helps everyone out, and aside from just having guys that have been around and can pitch and have been very successful, just being able to talk to each other in the clubhouse,” Bumgarner said. “When you got guys with a lot of experience and a lot of success, chances are they’ve faced adversity and had problems here and there and been successful.”

There aren’t many guarantees in baseball. And Cueto isn’t one of them. But already he has proved how great he can be for a team eyeing the World Series.

No question: A big season from Cueto could get it there.

San Francisco is hoping its right-hander has to turn down that music many more times.

 

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise specified.

Seth Gruen is a national baseball columnist for Bleacher Report. Talk baseball with Seth by following him on Twitter @SethGruen.

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Buster Posey Injury: Updates on Giants Star’s Foot and Return

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is dealing with a foot injury suffered last week. However, he’s ready to make his return to the field. 

Continue reading for updates.


Posey Active vs. Rockies

Thursday, April 14

The Giants announced Posey is starting and batting third on Thursday against Colorado. 


Posey Comments on Playing Status

Tuesday, April 12

Posey told reporters he thinks he can play Wednesday and hadn’t tested his foot running Tuesday.

When asked if he would have to be more limited in his running upon his return, Posey said, “I hope not. That’s a big part of my game,” per Andrew Baggarly of Bay Area News Group.


Posey Crucial to Giants’ Hopes

As the face of the Giants franchise during its semi-dynastic run of three World Series titles in five seasons, Posey is the signal-caller for San Francisco’s pitching staff and one of the most productive bats in the lineup.

In seasons during which he’s played at least 100 games, Posey has never hit below .294 or fewer than 15 home runs. It’s helped him garner three All-Star appearances, three Silver Sluggers and a batting title in 2012.

He’s solidified his spot as the No. 3 hitter in a Giants lineup that is lacking power. Posey was second on the team in home runs in 2015 with just 19, trailing shortstop Brandon Crawford’s 21.

 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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