The Hunter Pence Experience has come to an end in the Bay Area once again as the San Francisco Giants have designated him for assignment.
It was to be a joyous homecoming. Hunter Pence was back with the San Francisco Giants after spending the previous season with the Rangers. He had once again become an All Star caliber player, a threat in the middle of the lineup once more. His return to San Francisco was to be a cause for celebration, where the fan favorite would once again help turn around the franchise.
Instead, that reunion ended on Sunday, as Pence was designated for assignment after the Giants acquired Daniel Robertson from the Rays.
Big corresponding move: Hunter Pence was DFAd.
— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) August 23, 2020
Robertson had been a solid piece for the Rays in 2018, and appeared to be a part of their future. He had produced a .262/.382/.415 batting line with 16 doubles and nine homers in 340 plate appearances as a super utility option. However, he had struggled in 2019, and had not seen any major league action this season before being designated for assignment himself.
As for Pence, this was not the return anyone had hoped for. He had produced a .096/.161/.250 batting line in his 56 plate appearances, hitting two homers and a triple, but doing virtually nothing else with the bat.
This was a tremendous dropoff from his production in 2019. After struggling in the previous two seasons, he had reworked his swing with impressive results. Pence had produced a .297/.358/.552 batting line with 18 homers and 17 doubles in 316 plate appearances. However, he missed most of the second half of the season due to back issues.
At this point, it may be fair to wonder if Pence has anything left in the tank. He had resurrected his career in Texas, but he had been a shell of himself this year. While he could latch on to another team on a minor league deal, Pence is 37 years old.
Should this be the end of the road, it will be a disappointing final chapter in what has been a solid career. Pence was a four time All Star and won two World Series, becoming a beloved figure in San Francisco. He had produced a solid .279/.334/.461 batting line with 324 doubles, 244 homers, and 120 steals in his 14 years, a respectable career by any measure.
Hunter Pence has seen his time with the San Francisco Giants come to an end once more. At this point, the book on his career may be closed.