When the San Francisco Giants signed Pablo Sandovalto a minor league deal in late June, hardly anyone knew what to expect. His return to AT&T Park on August 5 was met with plenty of mixed emotion, but those hurt feelings began to melt away when the Panda showed signs of his previous form.
Unfortunately, Sandoval quickly fell back into a slump and it became evident that his time with the Giants this season is nothing more than a feel-good story that is justified by the team’s subpar year. This reality left the Giants asking the question, “what is to be done at third base next season?”
During Spring Training, the Giants looked to Aaron Hill to provide depth in the hot corner, but when he started the season batting .132 he was eventually designated for assignment. Although the Giants list for third baseman is sparse within their organization, they have several options in the upcoming free agent market to take care of their need in the hot corner.
When the Giants drafted Christian Arroyo No. 25 overall in the 2013 MLB draft, only good things followed. He went on to receive MVP and the Topps AZL Player of the Year honors in 2013 to eventually become the team’s top prospect in 2016. Given his success, it was only a matter of time before he hit the major leagues.
Despite all this anticipation, Arroyo’s debut with the Giants was underwhelming. In 34 games, he batted .192 with three homers and 32 strikeouts.
Things only got worse once he sent back down to the minor leagues in early June. In his first game back after getting hit in the hand sent him to the disabled list for two weeks, Arroyo was hit in the exact same spot and eventually underwent season-ending surgery.
Regardless of his ups and downs, Arroyo remains one of the Giants best options for third base. Although he spent most of his time in the minor leagues at shortstop, his phenomenal fielding translated over to third and the major leagues. Arroyo played 22 games at third, in which he committed only two errors and started five double plays in 59 total chances. If he can maintain his reputation as a strong fielder and work to find his swing next season, Arroyo could see himself become the Giants’ every-day third baseman.
Similar to Christian Arroyo, Ryder Jones is another viable option for third base next season, despite a disappointing first go in the major leagues. The Giants selected Jones in the second round of the 2013 MLB draft, immediately after drafting Arroyo. Like Arroyo, Jones excelled through the minor leagues, earning a 65/80 rating for his arm earlier this year.
Yet, since his debut on June 24, Jones only put together a .193 batting average when his batting average with Triple-A Sacramento was .312. Even after being sent down for nearly the entire month of July, Jones has yet to find his swing in the major leagues.
Although he primarily manned the hot corner in the minor leagues, Jones took over first base when Brandon Belt went down with a concussion on August 4. With 40 games at first base during his five years in the minors, Jones is no stranger to the position, but he is naturally a third baseman.
With this positional adjustment, Jones’ struggles at the plate become more understandable and with that added pressure alleviated, we could see Jones put up offensive numbers similar to those he posted in the minor leagues.
Despite his dramatic entrance into the major leagues, Jae-Gyun Hwang’s
future with the Giants is up in the air. When Hwang struggled to a .154 batting average following his debut, he did not receive a September call-up and can opt for free agency following this year. From there, it is uncertain whether Hwang will continue his pursuit of a major league career or return to the Korea Baseball Organization.
“For sure, I would love to,” Nunez said (per knbr.com). “It’s a great organization, great city, great fans. I love the family here, they are my brothers, true bothers.”
He was traded to the Giants from the Minnesota Twins in late July 2016 and help his new team grind their way into the postseason. He returned the following year and batted .308 with 18 stolen bases before being traded mid-game on July 26.
Although Hwang had his fair share of offensive struggles, both are proven candidates for the third base. However, it would take a faith in Hwang and an offseason signing for Nunez to bring either back to the hot corner at AT&T Park.
The Giants became quite familiar with Moustakas during the 2014 World Series. Although he batted only .217 in their losing effort, the following year he batted .304 as the Kansas City Royals became the 2015 World Series champions. After dealing with injuries in 2016, Moustakas went on to bat .278 with 36 home runs this season and received his second All-Star nomination.
After 11 years in the major leagues, Escobar is bound for his first round of free agency. Most recently, he has spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, where he batted .304 in 2016 and .274 this season. Although his 12 errors this season are a point of concern, he is nonetheless an experienced third baseman.
Finally, Reynolds is not only another experienced third baseman, but if the Giants were to sign him, they’d take him away from their division rival Colorado Rockies. Since joining the Rockies in 2016, Reynolds turned his career around and is batting .272 with 28 home runs this season. After 11 years in the major leagues, Reynolds averaged 25 homers per season, which satisfies the Giants need for power in their lineup.
