Panik: Part of solution or trade bait?
Second baseman in unclear situation as Giants head into the offseason
SAN FRANCISCO » Back in 2014, before Joe Panik played in Game 7 of the World Series, and before he made the Glove Flip Heard ‘Round the World to start one of the most clutch double plays in franchise history, he and hitting coach Hensley Meulens already had a small moment to celebrate together.
It happened after the final regular- season game, when Panik collected two hits to end his rookie season with a .305 average. Meulens made a point to congratulate him for not only making a rushed adjustment to major league pitching but also for thriving against it.
Being a .300 hitter might mean less to Big Data these days, but in a major league clubhouse, it’s a big deal.
There will be no glove flips and no Game 7s this time. The Giants have nine games to play and must win three to avoid their second 100-loss season in franchise history. They also face the unsavory prospect of watching two division rivals celebrate in front of them on this final, six-game trip to Dodger Stadium and Arizona’s Chase Field.
The Dodgers will clinch the NL West with their next victory or Arizona’s next loss. The Diamondbacks’ magic number to clinch a place in the NL wild- card game is down to four.
Beyond pride, Panik might have the most at stake among Giants players in terms of personal goals in this final stretch. His three-hit game Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies lifted his average to .291.
There aren’t many players on the Giants roster who can describe this season as a personal resurgence. Panik might qualify, after missing time to the concussion list last year and hitting .239.
His average glows more nicely off the scoreboard now. If Panik were to average four at-bats over his last nine games, Panik would need to collect 15 hits in those 36 at-bats to reach .300. That might seem like a tall order. Then again, he went 12 for 15 in a threegame series at Coors Field earlier this month. And he has been a different hitter away from AT&T Park this season.
Panik is batting just .241/. 303/. 318 at home. He is batting .333/. 392/.525 on the road. All 10 of his home runs have come away from AT&T Park. Seven of his 10 home runs last year came on the road, too.
It’s not unusual for Giants hitters to have better road splits, given the dy- namics of their ballpark. But perhaps it’s surprising to see those splits so topsy-turvy for Panik, because you’d figure that his line- drive approach would translate in any park.
“At the end of the year, it’s your final tally across the board,” Panik said. “I’m staying within myself and I haven’t really gotten out of who I am. I’ve tried to use the whole field.”
It is easily overlooked on a team with so many core players signed to long-term contracts, but Panik has themost to gain financially from shoring up his offen- sive numbers in September. He’ll be arbitration- eligible for the first time — he missed qualifying last year by a few weeks of service time — and every little bit helps in negotiations.
Panik also knows this: Giants executive vice president Brian Sabean and GM Bobby Evans have said that they will have to be creative as they seek to salvage rather than scuttle a last-place roster to contend in 2018 — and that means listening to trade overtures for players they consider part of their core.
With no long-term salary obligations weighing down his value, Panik would be among the more f lexible and attractive assets that other clubs might seek to acquire as the Giants try to address a glaring need in center field, the left side of the bullpen and a lineup that lacks right- handed power.
Those salary obligations — the Giants have more than $100 million committed even as far away as the 2020 season — also make Panik’s prospects hazy for a multiyear contract.
“I try not to think about it, but obviously it’s in the back of your mind,” Panik said earlier this month. “You see how the roster is constructed. When it comes down to it, I’m really happy here. If something happens, then it happens.”