{"id":611100,"date":"2026-04-16T16:55:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/611100\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T16:55:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:55:13","slug":"sf-giants-mailbag-part-2-webbs-slow-start-eldridge-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/611100\/","title":{"rendered":"SF Giants Mailbag Part 2: Webb\u2019s slow start, Eldridge questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Giants shook up their roster<\/a> on Wednesday morning and then they didn\u2019t waste any time shaking up their lineup.<\/p>\n

Will Brennan and Drew Gilbert joined them from Triple-A Sacramento, replacing injured outfielders Harrison Bader and Jared Oliva, and both left-handed hitting newcomers went straight onto the lineup card to face Cincinnati Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder.<\/p>\n

Brennan and Gilbert are both left-handed hitters who can handle every outfield spot. Gilbert had a .789 OPS in Triple A, while Brennan was at .938, with a .392 average in 11 games.<\/p>\n

The Giants are lacking run production everywhere \u2014 they\u2019d scored the fewest runs in the major leagues entering Wednesday \u2014 but their struggles have been most acute in their outfield, where they rank last wRC+ and have combined for just two home runs. Bader was batting .115 while trying to play through a lingering left hamstring injury. Oliva, who fractured a hamate bone in his wrist, wasn\u2019t adding much value to the roster because the Giants weren\u2019t generating the leads and late-game opportunities to use him as a pinch runner.<\/p>\n

We talked a bunch about the Giants\u2019 offensive woes in Part 1<\/a> of the first regular-season Mailbagg. When will Bryce Eldridge be the answer? What other issues have cropped up as early-season concerns? You asked. We attempted to answer. Let\u2019s get to the rest of your questions.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the problem with Logan Webb? Burnout from the WBC? Hiding an injury? Umps squeezing the strike zone more because of ABS? Or? \u2014 Ralph B.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting that Webb didn\u2019t get a single pitch out of the zone called a strike in his last start at Baltimore. You might assume that ABS will be very, very bad for him, given all the calls that Patrick Bailey helped flip for him over the past few seasons. Except teams still get just two challenges and they appear to be saving them for the highest-leveraged spots. And Webb had nine out-of-zone strikes in his first two starts, according to crack researcher Eno Sarris. (It is wonderful to have Eno just a text message away when you need him.) Webb had 99 of those calls in 34 starts last season, so he\u2019s just a shade off pace.<\/p>\n

The main problem I see with Webb is a little less zip on the four-seam he likes to use as a kill pitch at the top of the zone. Perhaps that\u2019s WBC-related, although he insists that starting two games for Team USA hasn\u2019t affected him. The four-seamer is also a single-digit percentage of his pitch mix. His changeup and slider shapes look good to me. I don\u2019t see anything resembling a red flag.<\/p>\n

Have there been any discussions with Robbie Ray and his agent about an extension? He\u2019s 34 and pitching well. I would think an extension for Ray would be attractive to both the player and team. \u2014 Jay O.<\/p>\n

Gotta give Farhan Zaidi his flowers for the Robbie Ray trade. Maybe Zaidi didn\u2019t leave as much positive residue as anyone would\u2019ve liked, but he really nailed this one while erasing a couple of his other mistakes (Mitch Haniger deal, Anthony DeSclafani extension). Ray is pitching like a front-of-the-rotation presence again and he\u2019s got his slider shape back from his 2021 Cy Young Award-winning season, too.<\/p>\n

But the Giants took great pains to avoid handing out a three-plus-year contract to a starting pitcher this past offseason, so I doubt they\u2019ll have any appetite to go down that road with Ray now. Especially when he\u2019s in his mid-30s, and who knows if there\u2019s even going to be a baseball season in 2027. Free agency is definitely on Ray\u2019s mind. There\u2019s no doubt he would\u2019ve signed up for the WBC if he weren\u2019t looking at one last legitimate shot to strike big on the open market.<\/p>\n

Watching the Giants so far in this young season has all the excitement of one of those naps they make kids take in kindergarten whether they\u2019re tired or not. Therefore, I\u2019m still taking mental shelter by thinking about the butterfly effect if Bonds had signed with the Yankees, as he mentioned on opening night. What do you think Bay Area baseball would like in 2026 had Bonds played in pinstripes? Fremont A\u2019s? San Jose A\u2019s? San Francisco A\u2019s? Please write a book about this. \u2014 Chris W.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll save myself the time writing that book (and your time reading it) by merely pointing this out: Barry Bonds is an unreliable narrator.<\/p>\n

Is Tony Vitello a conservative manager (similar to Bob Melvin) when it comes to offensive strategy? I haven\u2019t seen any hit-and-runs or bunting for hits, and they\u2019ve only attempted six steals. \u2014 Bob J.<\/p>\n

A Vitello question! (There were two or three of them.) I\u2019d say it\u2019s too early to tell. In fairness, Vitello is still learning his roster and his players\u2019 capabilities. Same with his coaching staff. You tend to lean conservative under those circumstances. You also have to play conservatively when you\u2019re playing from behind. And the Giants \u2026 have usually played from behind. I\u2019d imagine this coaching staff would love to be aggressive and put pressure on opponents. That\u2019s just so difficult to do when you aren\u2019t grabbing early leads.<\/p>\n

What on earth are the Giants trying to do with this bullpen? They couldn\u2019t sign a single high-leverage guy at all? \u2014 Marlon A.<\/p>\n

Couldn\u2019t? Well, sure, they could have. And they almost certainly should have. The bullpen isn\u2019t the main reason that they\u2019re 6-11 (through Tuesday), though.<\/p>\n

Why did they let (Joey) Lucchesi go and keep (Ryan) Borucki? \u2014 Clancy D.<\/p>\n

As a left-on-left guy, Lucchesi wasn\u2019t exactly a lockdown presence. He\u2019s more of a bulk lefty and the underlying metrics showed that he probably performed better than the Giants had a right to expect last season. That\u2019s why they didn\u2019t tender him a contract in arbitration. Borucki didn\u2019t fare well in his first leveraged spot against a left-handed lineup pocket (Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper), but he\u2019s pitched over parts of nine big-league seasons and held lefty batters to a .181 average. Having him along with Matt Gage to attack a lefty pocket in the sixth or seventh means the Giants can save Erik Miller for that pocket in the ninth. Miller has the stuff to get right-handers out in save situations, too. (Eventually, if Sam Hentges can make a full recovery, the Giants will be tasked with reassessing their complement of left-handed relievers.)<\/p>\n

Plus, Borucki looks a lot like Jeremy Allen White, and who doesn\u2019t love \u201cThe Bear\u201d?<\/p>\n

\"Ryan<\/p>\n

\n Ryan Borucki had allowed five earned runs, two homers and nine hits in 5 1\/3 innings entering Wednesday. (Lachlan Cunningham \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

This lineup has the same problems as in the past. Too much swing-and-miss, non-productive outs, and poor, non-aggressive base running. Do you think these problems can be solved, or is it just the pitfalls of this lineup? \u2014 David C.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve had three encouraging games out of 16. There was the 16-hit game at San Diego. There was the 11-hit performance against the Phillies\u2019 Cristopher S\u00e1nchez. And there was the series opener at Baltimore. They\u2019re capable. They just haven\u2019t been consistent. I\u2019d agree with you that they haven\u2019t put nearly enough pressure on opposing starting pitchers, especially right-handers. We\u2019ll see if the changes to the outfield mix yield any results. At least they have a couple of lefty bats now and they can give Heliot Ramos a much-needed mental break against tougher right-handers.<\/p>\n

What is the course of action if the Giants feel they need to call up Eldridge? Does he DH every day and slow his progress at 1B? Does he split time at 1B with Devers? Devers clearly prefers to play in the field over DH, and I think that checks out with the eye test. What happens with the Schmitt\/Arraez situation if Schmitt continues to produce and Arraez hits the way he always does? \u2014 Doug H.<\/p>\n

With the offensive lull that is undeniably here, why wouldn\u2019t they bring up a hot Bryce Eldridge and simply let it rip? \u2014 Phil S.<\/p>\n

Given the extraordinary lack of production by the Giants\u2019 starting outfield, is there some reason the Giants can\u2019t groom Eldridge to learn how to play left field? I recall an eventual Hall of Famer with the same basic physical dimensions as Eldridge, whom the Giants brought up in 1959, who started in the outfield because they already had a star (Orlando Cepeda) playing first base. I would assume Eldridge, who is 21 years old, has enough athletic ability not to embarrass himself running down fly balls in the outfield. \u2014 Zausmer R.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve reached the Bryce Eldridge portion of the Mailbagg. Let\u2019s start by maybe not comparing him to Willie McCovey, OK? We\u2019re past the point in a season when you introduce your top-rated prospect to a new defensive position. Eldridge spent a few days shagging flies in batting practice in Scottsdale. That\u2019s not exactly on-the-job training. When he gets promoted, he\u2019ll be a first baseman and DH.<\/p>\n

Given the Giants\u2019 defensive issues at first base, they\u2019re probably best served by giving Devers a chance to settle at the position and incorporating Eldridge as the DH. If their lefty hitters continue to struggle against right-handers, then it\u2019ll become more and more appealing to call up Eldridge. He\u2019s hitting .360 with a homer in his first 13 games for Triple-A Sacramento. He\u2019s also striking out in 38 percent of his at-bats. I really don\u2019t think we\u2019ll see Eldridge in the majors until he can improve that strikeout rate in the Pacific Coast League. If it\u2019s an issue down there, it\u2019ll definitely be an issue up here.<\/p>\n

\"Bryce<\/p>\n

\n Bryce Eldridge has made 11 starts at first base and three as the DH for Triple-A Sacramento. (Norm Hall \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

What is this team\u2019s strategy for spending (on players)? From my perspective, it seems paradoxical: on the one hand, they have entered into some huge contracts with a handful of players, yet they seemed uninterested in spending far less to bring back Tyler Rogers, Dominic Smith, etc. (and in the past, Kevin Gausman). Imagine right now if we had Dominic Smith playing defense at first base (who is batting .353 for the Braves so far!) \u2026 Tyler Rogers as a reliable arm in the bullpen, etc. I\u2019m having a hard time understanding their allocation of resources. \u2014 Christopher A.<\/p>\n

Is Dom Smith better than the current and future 1B options? \u2014 Vince C.<\/p>\n

Boy oh boy, Dom Smith would be a perfect fit on this roster. I\u2019d imagine the Giants\u2019 front office would agree with me on that. I also think they\u2019d be quick to point out that player acquisition and retention are usually not that simple. The Giants probably felt that they couldn\u2019t offer a guaranteed contract to Smith when they had Devers at first base and Eldridge on the way. And Smith, if he had to sign a non-guaranteed contract, probably felt he\u2019d have better opportunities elsewhere. That\u2019s how the offseason goes sometimes. It\u2019s just a shame because Dom Smith sure makes a lot of sense as a Giant right now.<\/p>\n

As for Tyler Rogers, the Giants weren\u2019t in the market to give three-year, $37 million contracts to any relievers this past winter. We\u2019ll have to check back and see if that decision was a mistake.<\/p>\n

What was the point in losing Luis Matos and sending down Drew Gilbert for the sake of keeping Jared Oliva if Oliva was barely going to be used? Oliva\u2019s selling point was speed, but the Giants, as usual, are dead last in stolen bases. \u2014 Barry G.<\/p>\n

Oliva isn\u2019t here to start games, although he\u2019ll need them on occasion. I\u2019d agree with you if you feel that the bench hasn\u2019t been incorporated well thus far. Christian Koss shouldn\u2019t have to wait for the 13th game of the season to get his first plate appearance. The problem has been that there simply haven\u2019t been enough spots to use these guys as pinch runners or for late-inning defense. The Giants haven\u2019t scored enough early runs to make those kinds of moves. And you don\u2019t take out your core guys when you\u2019re constantly playing catch-up.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for Oliva, the timing of his hamate fracture couldn\u2019t have been worse. He worked hard and persevered to earn his first big-league experience in five years. The game can get taken away from you so suddenly and heartlessly.<\/p>\n

Jesus Rodriguez is intriguing for his own sake, but if he were promoted to the Giants for a utility role, it could also free up (Daniel) Susac to pinch hit or even DH sometimes, since there would be a third catcher. What do you think is the plan for Rodriguez? \u2014 Dana F.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re on the same wavelength here. Rodriguez gives you so much more versatility off the bench in addition to a nifty contact bat and he allows you to expand Susac\u2019s role. I still think they need another lefty hitter more than anything. But Rodriguez could be the next guy we see from that Sacramento roster.<\/p>\n

The Giants have the fourth pick in this year\u2019s draft. Four of the top six prospects are shortstops, but one of the six is a pitcher, Jackson Flora, from UC Santa Barbara. What do you see the Giants doing with this pick? \u2014 Russell M.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t draft for need, but the Giants\u2019 system is so tilted toward position players. Regardless, after talking to amateur scouting director Michael Holmes the other day, the Giants are confident that they\u2019ll get a potential franchise player. I don\u2019t think they\u2019d let the Joey Bart experience scare them off from taking another Georgia Tech catcher, Vahn Lackey, if he\u2019s the top guy on their board.<\/p>\n

With ABS providing a more definitive strike zone and the ability for both sides to challenge any given pitch, how badly does this downgrade Patrick Bailey\u2019s value in his elite framing ability and open the door for Susac (or Jesus Rodriguez) to become the primary option at catcher? \u2014 Jeff W.<\/p>\n

Well, Codify Baseball posted on social media Tuesday morning that Bailey has already caught 40 out-of-zone pitches this season that were called strikes and unchallenged. I counted a few more in Tuesday\u2019s game with Robbie Ray on the mound at Cincinnati. So Bailey continues to do valuable things behind the plate.<\/p>\n

Why do fans of the Dodgers (and presumably other teams as well) troll Giants threads so much, and why do so many Giants fans fall for it? Seems it really ramped up after the 2021 season. \u2014 Anonymous U.<\/p>\n

If I had to guess, I\u2019d say \u2026 hey! Wait! Are you a double agent?<\/p>\n

Why do you hate Skyline Chili? \u2014 Justice D.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your question, totally random reader named Justice D. You know the answer to this. We can talk about it the next time you rope me into appearing on your podcast.<\/p>\n

If the moon were made outta cream cheese, would you eat it? \u2014 Craig T.<\/p>\n

If my choices were moon cheese or Skyline, I go moon cheese every time.<\/p>\n

Will the Giants ever give me a reason to go on? \u2014 Jeff D.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s your decision. Free will is a wonderful thing. But this Mailbagg will go on no further. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and continues to engage with our coverage!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Giants shook up their roster on Wednesday morning and then they didn\u2019t waste any time shaking up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":611101,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[64,63,591,5157,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-611100","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-san-francisco-giants","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=611100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/611101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=611100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=611100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=611100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}