San Francisco Giants: Patience or Panic with 5 Troubling Early-Season Starts
The San Francisco Giants won their first series of the year against Arizona and then went through a tough stretch. The team lost eight consecutive games and is fighting to get back to the .500 mark.
The Giants currently have a record of 7-10 and are in last place in the NL West. They trail the Dodgers and Padres, who lead the division, by three games.
The Giants are fresh off a three-game sweep of the Dodgers and will now head to Colorado for three games against the Rockies.
It was originally hoped that one of the main cogs of the Giants lineup, Hunter Pence, would be back by May 1. However, in a report filed by Henry Schulman on SFGate.com, manager Bruce Bochy is not expecting him back that quickly.
Pence's absence has created a void in the middle of the Giants batting order, and the team misses his enthusiasm and all-out hustle.
Nevertheless, Pence will be back in due time, but several other Giants have had more problems over the first part of the season.
Let's take a look at five other Giants who are off to slow starts or have had injury setbacks. We can determine if it's time to practice patience or panic at this early stage.
In general, patience is always warranted in April, but from the perspective of the player, that may not always be the case.
No. 5: Ryan Vogelsong
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Ryan Vogelsong has struggled throughout the early part of the season, and even with a good outing against the Dodgers this past Thursday, his numbers are poor.
In 16.1 innings of work, Vogelsong has allowed 23 hits and 10 walks while striking out 15. He has an ERA of 7.71 and a WHIP of 2.02. Opposing batters are hitting a robust .324 against him.
Vogelsong will need to build on his most recent outing, when he went six innings and allowed two runs. That's not great, but it was a step in the right direction.
Vogelsong will be 38 years of age in July, and if he has another bad outing or two, it may be the end of the line for him. Another bad outing would be cause for panic, so this most recent performance was critical for his tenure with the Giants.
Patience is running thin for Vogelsong, but with Cain and Peavy both hurting, Vogelsong is an important member of the Giants pitching staff.
No. 4: Hector Sanchez
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Hector Sanchez opened the season on the Giants' 25-man roster. He is back to full health, after his 2014 season was cut short by multiple concussions.
Sanchez' cause was aided by a wrist injury that slowed Andrew Susac. The early season, with Susac in the minors, became an opportunity for Sanchez to solidify his position as the backup catcher.
Unfortunately, he has not performed well, and his stock is falling as a result. In 24 at-bats, Sanchez has only three hits for an average of .125. His OPS is a dismal .292, and his defense has also not been stellar.
Susac was recently called up from the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento and has looked good.
An ominous sign of the future for Sanchez occurred in the first game of the Giant-Dodgers series. He typically catches Tim Lincecum's starts, but he was on the bench, as Susac caught Lincecum.
Lincecum pitched well, guiding the Giants to a 6-2 victory. In addition to doing a good job behind the plate, Susac went 2-for-3 with a walk.
In only eight at-bats, Susac has as many hits, three, as Sanchez has in 24 at-bats. Looking at the roster, had Travis Ishikawa not suffered a setback in his rehab assignment, he would have likely replaced Sanchez on the roster.
Carrying three catchers is a luxury and not something the Giants are likely to stay with for long. Unless Sanchez suddenly turns it on, once either Pence or Ishikawa returns, Sanchez will most probably be sent back packing.
Is it time to panic?
If I'm Sanchez, the answer is a definite yes. His job is in jeopardy, as Susac again seems to have moved past him.
No. 3: Matt Cain
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This past August, Matt Cain underwent surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. It was hoped that he would be ready for the start of the 2015 season, but that was not the case.
The Giants brought him along slowly in spring training, but he suffered a setback and opened the season on the disabled list. Henry Schulman originally reported on SFGate.com that the Giants expected the injury to be a short-term "two-week thing."
Unfortunately for Cain and the Giants, that has not been the case. He has a strained flexor tendon in his pitching arm. This can put more pressure on the ligaments surrounding the elbow, and if Cain were to suffer ligament damage, he would be headed for Tommy John surgery.
Cain is still not throwing, so it does not appear that he will be back anytime soon.
The Giants have promoted Chris Heston to replace Cain, and Heston has done well in his stead. In three starts, covering 20.2 innings, Heston has allowed only 15 hits and five walks while striking out 16. His ERA is outstanding at 0.87, to go along with a WHIP of 0.968.
From the Giants' perspective on the field, Heston has more than adequately replaced Cain.
However, from Cain's perspective and because of the huge contract that he signed in 2012, both Cain and the Giants should be in panic mode.
Cain's career is in jeopardy, as any further arm issues could send him on his way to another surgery. It is uncertain whether his arm will ever withstand the rigors of pitching again.
The Giants and Cain are doing the only thing they can do at this stage, which is wait and hope for a full recovery. From that standpoint, patience is needed, but the overriding issue is definitely cause for alarm.
Cain will make nearly $21 million over the next three years. Including a 2018 buyout, the Giants still owe him roughly $70 million through the 2018 season. If he is unable to pitch this year or in the future, the money that will be flushed away could have been used for other valuable players.
Contract data courtesy of BaseballProspectus.com.
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No. 2: Jake Peavy
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The San Francisco Giants made a serious run at both Jon Lester and James Shields this winter. Lester ultimately signed with the Cubs, and Shields chose the Padres.
In order to fortify the starting rotation, general manager Brian Sabean opted to sign Jake Peavy to a two-year, $24 million deal.
Peavy came to San Francisco at the trade deadline, and his performance helped lead the Giants into the postseason. Had it not been for his heroics, the Giants would never have won their third world championship in five seasons.
In 2015, however, Peavy has struggled with back problems and is currently on the DL.
Prior to landing on the DL, in two starts, Peavy lasted only 7.2 innings. He allowed 12 hits and four walks while striking out seven. His ERA is an alarming 9.39, and his WHIP of 2.087 is equally putrid.
Back injuries are worrisome, especially for pitchers. The torque required to effectively pitch is such that Peavy needs to be fully healthy before he goes back out to the mound.
At this point, patience is warranted. Peavy is an integral part of the Giants' success, and they need him to be at full strength when he returns.
The Giants cannot afford Peavy to suffer a relapse, which will keep him out even longer. That will put even more pressure on a thin starting rotation.
No. 1: Brandon Belt
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Brandon Belt is a streaky hitter. When he's going well, he is dangerous, but when he's not, he is frustrating to watch.
Belt had a poor season in 2014, and it was hoped that he would have a breakout year in 2015. However, he has gotten off to a slow start, and one of the problems is that he is slow to make adjustments. The tendency is for him to keep making the same mistakes and getting himself out.
In 39 at-bats, Belt has only seven hits, all singles. He is hitting .179 with an OBP of .289 and OPS of .468. Belt's OPS trails all of the other position players on the team, except Hector Sanchez.
Opposing defenses have increasingly employed a defensive shift on Belt, as he has repeatedly been trying to pull the ball. He continually hits into the shift and often rolls over on pitches, hitting weak grounders to the right side of the infield.
When he first came to the majors, he used the whole field. More recently, he has become "pull-happy" and often looks lost at the plate.
It was thought that Belt had the potential to consistently hit .300 or more. Instead, opposing pitchers have found his weaknesses and exploited them.
Fastballs in on his hands and off-speed pitches down-and-away are Belt's problem areas. He has yet to make consistent adjustments, and until he does, pitchers will continue to get him out the same way.
With the injury to Hunter Pence and the departures of Michael Morse and Pablo Sandoval, the Giants need Belt to start driving the ball.
Although it is too early to panic, patience with Belt has got to be wearing thin. If the Giants fall out of the playoff hunt and Belt continues to struggle, he could be trade bait at the July trade deadline or potentially this winter.
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