When the Giants Come to Town, It's Bye-Bye Baby

02.19.2008
Bullpen List, Updated

In my haste to dash off a post before going off-grid for a couple days, I missed a couple bullpen contenders. As comments to the previous post mentioned, veteran Scott Williamson has received a non-roster invitation from the Giants. Since his Rookie of the Year award in 1999, he's always had strikeout stuff, even in the years he mostly spent in the training room. To make the squad he needs to come out of the gate firing bullets and not stop 'til March 30. Even with that, the Giants have too many young guys out of options to sacrifice for an injury-prone NRI guy who is anything less than supercalifragilistic in spring training.

Such as Merkin Valdez. He's out of options, too, which I failed to note in the last post. So I expect the Giants to give him every chance to make the team. They've invested too much time in him to cut adrift.

So, my updated list:

IN
Wilson
Walker

LIKELY
Chulk
Hennessey

IN WITH A KNOCKOUT SPRING
Threets
Capellan
Valdez

DON'T GET TOO COMFY, PAL
Messenger
Kline

EXPENDABLE
Taschner (with an option)
Sanchez (to the AAA rotation)
Misch (to the AAA rotation)
Williamson and all other non-roster invitees
Also on the Network:



[February 19, 2008 4:59 AM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

And as I mentioned in the other post, the Giants appear to be leaning towards starting the season with only 6 bullpen spots, though I suppose a knockout spring could change things.

And I agree, Williamson probably goes down to AAA so the Giants can check out what the young guys got.

[February 19, 2008 11:46 AM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

>Williamson probably goes down to AAA

only if he wants to. I believe that, as an NRI, he gets his release if he doesn't make the team. My guess is he either makes the big squad or leaves the organization.