Giants’ Opening Day roster starting to take shape
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. >> The Giants didn’t shock the baseball world after Monday’s 6-5 win over the A’s, but they did provide early hints as towhat their Opening Day roster will look like after announcing their first cuts of the spring.
Of the 13 players optioned or reassigned tominor league camp, 10 were pitchers, including lefthanded reliever Steven Okert and former Cubs’ prospect Pierce Johnson.
Okert has two seasons of experience with the big league club and posted a 1.93 spring ERA while battling for a specialist role. Johnson ranked among the Giants’ sharpest relievers, making six Cactus League appearances and logging five innings while allowing just one hit and no runs.
With Okert heading to minor league camp, lefties Josh Osich and nonroster invitee Derek Holland will likely compete for the 25-man roster spot expected to remain vacant until southpaw Will Smith returns from Tommy John surgery around May 1.
The Giants haven’t decided whether they’ ll keep 12 or 13 pitchers on their Opening Day roster, but aside from free agent signee Tony Watson they’ll likely save a place for at least one other lefthanded relief pitcher. Holland is still battling for a role as a starter or reliever, but he and Ty Blach are capable of locking down a job as a left-handed long man if neither wins a rotation spot.
Gunning for the final bullpen spot, Pierce Johnson quickly evolved into one of the surprise standouts in camp, logging five innings over six appearances and allowing just one hit and no runs.
The Missouri State product was a top prospect in the Cubs’ farm system before the organization asked him to overhaul his mechanics for precautionary reasons in 2016.
“When you’ve been throwing the same way for 20- something years and changing that, it’s kind of a drastic change,” Johnson said. “I never really felt comfortable on the mound and that messed with my head a lot.”
After posting a 6.14 ERA with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs in 2016, Johnson rebounded with a stronger campaign in his first full season as a reliever before the Giants claimed him on waivers in September.
The Giants believe Johnson has the talent to develop into a late-inning bullpen presence, and he’ll likely start the season with Triple-A Sacramento.
• For the first time this spring, the A’s and Giants met in the normally subdued context of a Cactus League game. By the late innings, the traditional atmosphere had deteriorated as home plate umpire Mike DiMuro was left with no choice but to issue warnings to both clubs.
Tensions began to escalate after Giants’ reliever Sam Dyson surrendered a two-run home run to A’s infielder Franklin Barreto. Dyson threw his mid-90s fastball high and tight to the A’s next hitter, Khris Davis, who didn’t take kindly to the offering.
In the eighth inning, Giants’ infielder Orlando Calixte was plunked in the back by A’s reliever Daniel Gossett. That triggered warnings from DiMuro.
“You feel bad,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “Here you’ve got one of the nicest kids in Calixte, he gets hit in the back in spring training. It’s not worth talking about.”
• Third baseman Evan Longoria is expected to return from an ankle injury today.
• Closer Mark Melancon will pitch on two days’ rest for the first time this spring and throw an inning on Wednesday.
• Johnny Cueto will pitch in a “B” game at the Giants’ minor league complex Wednesday to avoid facing the Mariners for the second straight week.