More bad news: Moronta to undergo surgery
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SAN FRANCISCO >> Giants manager Bruce Bochy has no shortage of options when it comes to picking relievers.
With expanded September rosters, the Giants have 12 healthy arms in their bullpen, all ready to pitch at a moment’s notice. The number of familiar names, however, is dwindling.
The Giants received more bad news Monday regarding
Pirates (Keller 1-3) at Giants (Cueto 0-0), today, 6:45 p.m., NBCBA
set-up men Reyes Moronta and Tony Watson, who are both out with injuries. Prior to the team’s three-game series against the Pirates, Bochy announced that Moronta will undergo surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder today in Los Angeles.
“Truthfully we lost one of our most dependable bullpen pieces,” bullpen coach Matt Herges said. “We lost a sixth, seventh, eighth inning guy that Boch relies on to get a swing and a miss.”
Moronta is out for the season and it’s possible Watson will miss the remaining 19 games as well. The left-hander suffered a small fracture in his left wrist while making a diving tag in Wednesday’s 9-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
After an initial X-Ray revealed no significant damage, Watson played catch on Sunday in Los Angeles and continued to feel pain. An MRI indicated Watson has a minor fracture and the left-hander will have his wrist immobilized for the next 10 days.
Watson said he was surprised to learn of the fracture and frustrated that it could force him to miss the remainder of the season.
“I would like to just to finish it out so I can finish it out on a good note,” Watson said. “But I also am aware of the timeline and where
we are in the season.”
Closer Will Smith is the only member of a 12-man bullpen who was pitching in relief for the Giants on July 1. Over the last two-plus months, the Giants traded relievers Sam Dyson, Mark Melancon and Drew Pomeranz, designated pitchers Derek Holland, Travis Bergen and Nick Vincent for assignment and have lost Moronta, Watson and right-hander Trevor Gott to injury.
Watson planned to meet with team hand specialist, Dr. Scott Hansen, on Monday evening to discuss his recovery timetable. The Giants need to open a spot on the 40-man roster to activate starter Johnny Cueto, so it’s possible Watson could be transferred to the 60day injured list on Tuesday.
Moronta will likely open the 2020 season on the 60-day injured list after tearing his labrum while throwing a pitch against the Padres on August 31. The right-hander already underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow in 2013, but recovering from a torn labrum has often proven to be more difficult for pitchers.
The Giants do not have specifics regarding Moronta’s timetable for a potential return, but the surgery puts his ability to pitch in 2020 in jeopardy.
“He’s just a solid bullpen stud,” Herges said. “It’s a big hit.”
Trades involving Dyson and Melancon robbed the Giants of two former closers under team control for 2020 with experience pitching in high-leverage situations. The July 31 trades coupled with Moronta’s injury have significantly increased the likelihood the Giants will extend a qualifying offer to Smith, who is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Outside of Watson, who is likely to pick up a player option for 2020, the Giants do not have any significant funds tied up in veteran relievers for next season. A qualifying offer of a one-year deal slightly north of $18 million will limit Smith’s chances of signing elsewhere in 2020 and could give the Giants additional leverage if they approach the left-hander about working out a multi-year deal with a lower average annual value than what he would earn in one season if he accepted a qualifying offer.
If the Giants pursue alternative options or Smith decides to sign with a different club next season, Moronta’s injury could compel president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to be active in the free agent relief market.
Despite massive turnover in the team’s bullpen in the last eight weeks, the Giants are thrilled with the manner in which several unproven relievers have handled key situations in recent days. Herges pointed to the team’s 1-0 victory over the Dodgers on Saturday in which six relievers — none of whom opened the season in the big leagues — combined to toss four innings of shutout ball behind Tyler Beede as a significant moment for the bullpen.
“This is a big audition,” Herges said. “Moving forward, looking ahead, who do we want to keep? Who do we want to build around? That’s what’s so cool about what they did in L.A.”