Is it time to buy or sell at the deadline?
Cueto’s elbow just part of the Giants’ uncertainty
SAN DIEGO >> With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Giants are forced to weigh their desire to compete in the National League West in 2018 while building toward a successful future.
The decision whether to buy or sell is nuanced and burdensome, and following a long day and a longer 12-inning game, deciphering what to do has become even more difficult.
The Giants’ final onfield statement before the deadline resulted in a 5-3 win over the Padres, but it wasn’t exactly an authoritative victory. Left fielder Gorkys Hernández delivered a tie-breaking homer to push his team over the top in the 12th and help the Giants climb back to .500, but it came hours after manager Bruce Bochy revealed the reality of a situation no team wants to deal with.
Johnny Cueto, the veteran starter making nearly $22 million this season and more than $60 million over the next three years, is facing a ‘strong possibility’ of undergoing Tommy John surgery.
“Obviously there’s concern there with the elbow,” Bochy said. “There’s not been something determined yet.”
Cueto, 32, owned the best ERA in baseball through the month of April, posting an 0.84 mark before the elbow pain he battled forced
him to the disabled list at the beginning of May. The right-hander said at the time he was nearly certain the injury would require season-ending Tommy John surgery, but he opted to rest his elbow and treat the injury without needing a major operation.
The Giants placed Cueto and infielder Pablo Sandoval on the 10-day disabled list Monday, adding two second basemen to their roster as Kelby Tomlinson was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and Joe Panik returned from a rehab assignment.
Neither player started Monday, as Bochy wanted the right-handed Chase d’Arnaud to face Padres lefty Eric Lauer. The Giants manager made the right choice, as d’Arnaud ripped a three-run home run off of the Western Metal Supply Co. building beyond the left field seats at Petco Park in his first at-bat.
The home run gave Giants starter Derek Holland an early showing of support on a night when Holland tossed five innings of tworun ball and left the game in line for the win. Holland entered the game with a 2.72 ERA since June 1 and continued to show his value to a club that has plenty of uncertainty in its starting rotation.
Cueto was sidelined for more than two months but returned to the team in July and made four starts. After throwing a seasonlow four innings Saturday against Milwaukee, Cueto left the game and said he felt pain in his elbow after every pitch.
After meeting with team doctors, Cueto appears more likely to have surgery The Giants’ Chase d’Arnaud hits a three-run home run during the second inning on Monday night in San Diego. The Giants blew a 3-2 lead, but won 5-3 in 12 innings.
than throw a pitch again this season.
“We fought this elbow issue and had it looked at it and it’s just not going away,” Bochy said. “If that’s a case where he does have surgery, Tommy John, I’m sure for Johnny he would be glad to get that behind him.”
Cueto and the Giants have not made a decision regarding surgery and it’s unlikely they will before he meets with a specialist. In May, Cueto visited with orthopedic surgeon James Andrews who recommended the original treatment program.
For now, right-hander Chris Stratton will assume Cueto’s spot in the Giants starting rotation as veteran Jeff Samardzija is still dealing with shoulder inflammation. Samardzija, the second-highest paid starter
on the staff, has spent three separate chunks of the season on the disabled list.
“We haven’t determined what day he’s going to pitch,” Bochy said. “With the day off, we can give the starters an extra day and insert Strat in there.”
A possible surgery would have significant long-term ramifications for the Giants, who would be without their No. 2 starter for the rest of this season and possibly all of next season. Bochy speculated Cueto might be able to return in September 2019, but he may not be ready until the start of the 2020 season.
The Giants signed Cueto to a six-year, $130 million contract before the 2016 season so he could form a one-two punch with Madison Bumgarner atop the team’s rotation, but if
Cueto does undergo surgery, it’s possible they’ll never pitch on the same staff again. Bumgarner is set to become a free agent at the end of 2019 and will be free to pursue opportunities with other clubs if the Giants can’t agree to an extension with their ace.
Regardless of whether Cueto goes under the knife, the Giants will be forced to consider adding at least one established starting pitcher through a trade or free agency this offseason. San Francisco has been aided by the emergences of rookies Dereck Rodríguez and Andrew Suárez this season, but the organization lacks high-end pitching depth and has few starters outside of Triple-A right-hander Shaun Anderson who appear poised to contribute before the end of 2019.