It’ll take time for Giants to go young

Older players added; prospects won’t be rushed

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In just the few days since Scottsdale Stadium opened for spring training, the Giants have signed 31-year-old outfielder Gerardo Parra, 31-year-old infielder Yangervis Solarte and 31-yearold outfielder Cameron Maybin.

There seems to be a pattern here, but what could it be?

In the wake of two losing seasons, the Giants pledged to get younger and more athletic. That remains their desired destination, but with these signings, all minor-league deals for the moment, they seem resigned to a detour through Thirtysville.

The Giants have no shortage of younger position players in camp, including outfielders Steven Duggar, Chris Shaw, Austin Slater, Drew Ferguson and Mac Williamson; infielders Ryder Jones, Alen Hanson and Abiatal Avelino; and catcher Aramis Garcia.

All except Ferguson spent time in San Francisco last year. Some were rushed out of necessity. None is a major-league lock.

Although older free agents have fumed about their inability

to get work in the current climate, the Giants used the extreme buyers’ market to stock up on inexpensive experience that affords them the ability to option younger players to Triple-A if the club thinks they could benefit.

That includes Duggar, whom the club views as a bona fide bigleaguer, but not a lock for the Opening Day roster coming off a major shoulder injury.

“You look at the needs of the club,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Baseball decisions have to be made for the present, too, and right now, we need help. We’re trying to get younger, but if we have to, we’ll patch things up to be competitive.”

On the surface, this looks like more of the same “trust veterans only” approach that has saddled the Giants with a reputation as a haven for over-the-hill players, where prospects rarely get a clear shot at jobs.

But the organization is not busting at the seams with potential everyday players at the top of its farm system. There are no Ronald Acuñas or Juan Sotos in camp. The Giants want to give their organizational players a fair shot at winning jobs without being forced to keep them in the majors if they seem unready.

The Giants could be reshaped further by Opening Day. They still have their eye on a pretty good 26-year-old outfielder named Bryce Harper, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has potential trades in his back pocket.

Moreover, if the Giants trade Madison Bumgarner this summer, they could net young, bigleague-ready players in return.

There is one major difference from years past, when the Giants pursued multiyear deals with players on the wrong side of 30, often to their financial detriment.

Even if Parra, Maybin, Solarte and 34-year-old catcher Stephen Vogt all make the team, the Giants are not committed to any beyond this year. Their relatively low salaries, in the $2 million range, make them relatively fungible if the club needs one of their roster spots for a prospect who forces his way up from the minors.

Although the recent signees all have minor-league deals, Bochy speaks of them as if they will be around on Opening Day.

“They’re pros, good players and versatile,” Bochy said. “We’re a better club than we were a week ago.”

The two outfield signings were more necessary because the club came to camp with almost no big-league experience. Even if Duggar makes the team, the Giants could benefit from carrying another good center-field defender in Maybin, who is joining his eighth big-league team.

Maybin said the Giants showed interest early in free agency, and he knew they might be a good landing spot because they lacked outfield experience. He, like so many other free agents, awaited big-league deals that didn’t come.

“It has not been fun,” said Maybin, who spent most of 2018 in Miami, where players could look into the stands and count the crowd.

“I’ve always said I’d love to play for an organization like this,” he said, “with a fan base that sticks with a team through ups and downs. I thought it would be great to be part of an organization that is accustomed to winning.”