New Guys Showing Up Everywhere!

SF Giants Minor Lines, August 5-7, 2022

Whoa, what a disorienting weekend of box scores! There’s some Seymour dude starting games in Eugene, a Peters knocking around balls with Richmond — and what the heck is Curt Casali doing starting games for Tacoma? Does EVERYBODY in the Giants’ org need to appear with Seattle’s Triple A squad before the year’s out? And, c’mon, Steele Walker is NOT a real name!

Well, we’re into the Dog Days, and August baseball has always been a disorienting time of the baseball calendar. A time that makes a mockery of what you thought you knew about baseball and presents you with realities you never dreamed of instead.

So let’s rummage through the box scores for a few new ideas on another “Lessons Learned Monday!”

One lesson — that I hoped we’ve already learned by now — is that there will never be a cease to disappointing and regrettable news during the baseball calendar:

Susan Slusser @susanslusser

From MLB:

That’s the second amphetamine-related suspension of the year, following RHP Austin Reich last winter (Reich recently announced his retirement). Hopefully, the Northern California native Pagan will come back and learn from this as well.

Oh, and about that “Steele Walker” thing above — yes, the Giants once again found themselves for a matter of a few hours with a 40-man spot burning a hole in their pocket and just had to relieve the stress of it by claiming another player off of waivers. Walker fits in with many of the Giants acquisitions over the last few years — with similarities to Luis Gonzalez, Donnie Walton, and many more. Walker was considered one of the best pure hitters of the 2018 draft class, going 46th overall to the Chicago White Sox out of the University of Oklahoma, despite a lack of any real standout physical tools. Walker has long been known for his advanced hand-eye skills, his plate discipline, and his control of the zone — as is the case with most of the players the Giants acquire. He’s more of a “does a lot of things well” type player than a “does any one thing great” type, and he lacks the power typically associated with corner outfielders. He’s a career .259/.330/.417 hitter over four minor league seasons in the White Sox and Rangers’ systems (he was traded from one to the other for much toolsier outfielder Nomar Mazara). Walker made his major league debut on June 5, batting .071 with Texas over five games before being DFA’d last week. In an odd twist of fate, Walker was DFA’d by Texas on the same day they DFA’d old friend Steven Duggar (who was claimed by the Angels).

HITTER of the Weekend: Grant McCray (SJ), 5 for 12, HR, 3b, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB
PITCHER of the Weekend: Kai-Wei Teng (Rich), 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, HR