Top Giants prospect Bryce Eldridge watches the ball off his bat fly foul during a spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona on March 6.
Chris Coduto/Getty Images
PEORIA, Ariz — Even before Bryce Eldridge struck out in his three at-bats Monday, big-league scouts suggested the San Francisco Giants’ 21-year-old prospect might be best served by opening the season at Triple-A Sacramento.
The majority of scouts the Chronicle spoke to who’ve seen Eldridge play multiple times this spring agree he needs a little more time in the minors — but not much. “Maybe a month, that’s all,” one AL scout said Monday. “But he’s going to be good. That’s not a question.”
Manager Tony Vitello said after the Giants’ 3-1 loss to the Padres that he’d overheard Eldridge speaking to coaches in the dugout about not feeling comfortable in the box Monday. “He’s not getting done what he wants to get done, so taking a look at it and potentially making some adjustments,” Vitello said. “I would say, a couple of those pitches that he was just under, they were comfortable-looking swings, but he didn’t have anything to show for it today.
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“No excuses at all, but for a guy who’s a bat, it would be nice if you could get five at-bats three days in a row, and then we could stand here and say that was a good series or not a good series. Obviously not ideal, but he did look comfortable to me.”
Eldridge’s average has dipped to .231 and he played in only 66 games at Sacramento last year, Teams often want to bring up young players when they’re swinging the bat well, not in a funk. And, of course, any extra time in the minors allows Eldridge to hone his play at first base.
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His defense hasn’t been much of a concern, for what it’s worth. Eldridge has looked decent to good there, making the plays he should, scooping tricky bounces, synching well with pitchers on plays at first, even diving for tough grounders.
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The thing that might matter most when it comes to a roster spot for Eldridge might not even be Eldridge. The bigger consideration: Jerar Encarnacion, who plays first and the outfield, has come on strong, with huge power — a 463-foot homer Sunday — and all-out hustle defense. For a big man, he’s surprisingly nimble, and he makes good decisions, cuts balls off well and throws well.
“He’s a guy who is a lot better defensively than he looks like he’d be,” said one scout who’d inquired what the Giants might do with Encarnacion. Many teams would pounce if Encarnacion went through waivers.
The same is true for Luis Matos. All spring, he’s been the first name scouts bring up as a player their team would try to grab were he available.
Asked several days ago if there were a scenario in which both out-of-options players could make the roster, Vitello said, “I think so. I wouldn’t rule out anything.”
There are two ways that could happen and one is just for a handful of days, in the fairly likely event the Giants leave one starter off the Opening Day roster because they don’t need a fifth starter until April 3. The team potentially could carry Encarnacion, Matos and Eldridge — or they could carry a third catcher such as super-utility man Jesus Rodriguez, or a blazing fast base stealer such as Jared Oliva.
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The other way is getting Eldridge regular at-bats at Sacramento, where he can play first, too. Rafael Devers is likely to get the bulk of time at first with San Francisco.
The potential downside to this plan is the Giants’ bench is entirely right-handed (already very likely) and the DH spot, too, is right-handed (Encarnacion).
The catcher question is interesting too, and if top baseball exec Buster Posey wants to maximize roster flexibility, always a valuable consideration, Daniel Susac is the backup catcher. He’s not the best defensive catcher on the team and certainly not the most experienced — that’s Eric Haase — but he’s a Rule-5 player, he’s batting .313 and — just like the Giants’ out-of-options players — Susac would be taken on waivers or the A’s would reclaim him.
“I don’t think he’d even fall to us,” said one scout from a projected playoff team. “A catcher with power? There aren’t many of those available.”
Rodriguez — another right-handed hitter — has raised his profile, too, with a hot spring (.333, a homer, five steals) and his ability to play most every position except shortstop and pitcher. “He’s the guy, for me,” one scout said. “You can find all sorts of ways to get that bat into the lineup.”
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The good news for all those eager to see Eldridge regularly is that the Opening Day roster will change, even by the next game. If he doesn’t open the season with the Giants, all it takes is a hot spell from him, or a cold streak or an injury for someone else, and he’s back.
“Special talent,” one NL scout said Monday. “We’ll be seeing enough of him this year as it is.”