Bayside Baseball

A team of baseball journalists, writers, and creators taking a creative angle to SF Giants & Bay Area baseball coverage. Led by @maddelucchi

[Bayside Baseball @baysidebasebal]

Will Cannon, Lily, and Davis be able to escape before its too late?
Find out what happens when baseball and Dungeons and Dragons collide in the season finale of Critical Hit: Last Chance!
https://t.co/ex7yUomSGS

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

A Giants offseason acquisition (Harrison Bader) will highlight Team Apartheid's roster.
It is truly so depraved that Israel literally killed a member of the Palestinian national baseball team in its genocide and yet has faced no mainstream criticism about WBC participation.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

In my latest @unstoppablebaby, I spent the weekend writing about sports' response to the killing of Alex Pretti, slave patrol resistance in 1850s Boston, anarchist calisthenics, and overcoming nihilism to ensure we abolish ICE.
https://t.co/2tTnq5Qtz9

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

But you know the Giants traded for Devers and bought a theater, so it's really unreasonable to ask their billionaire owners to give out another big salary.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

This is a very Zaidi-style approach to starting pitching from the Giants.
They'll spend $21 million on Mahle & Houser next year instead of on a more premium arm like Imai, King, Kelly, Bassitt, Gallen, or Giolito.
Not sure I'd follow that higher short-term risk strategy.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Luciano's 508' blast is the big highlight of the day, and it continues his best stretch in years.
Luciano's numbers since July 1st:
36 games (158 plate appearances)
.252/.411/.585 (.244 BABIP)
8 doubles
11 home runs
34 walks (21.5%)
36 strikeouts (22.8%)

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

The continued absent coverage of this remains one of the biggest historical failures of baseball media.
A reminder that Israel participated in the last World Baseball Classic despite calls from Team Palestine for a boycott, and Israel remains scheduled to participate next spring.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Almost like the issue wasn't moving positions but refusing to be open and honest in communicating about breaking an ownership promise.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

You expect a trade this early in the season to be a significant prospect overpay... and it really doesn't look that way to me.
It's a good prospect package and obviously has risk, but it's a no-brainer for the Giants given Devers' track record, age, and contract situation.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Feels important to note that Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier was by definition a form of DEI. Seeing some folks argue that the page removal was contradictory, but it's actually pivotal to understand that it isn't. Trump's anti-DEI argument is inherently anti-Robinson.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Giants ownership

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

The Giants have acquired Osleivis Basabe from the Rays for cash, per team. The athletic infielder was DFA'd by Tampa earlier this week. Basabe briefly debuted in Tampa in 2023, but struggled. He is a good athlete, still only 24, and has exceptional defensive versatility.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

The Giants don't have another clear candidate to be the second lefty in the pen and could easily get this kinda return for Rogers at the deadline.
Their payroll is now around $35 million less than last year.
Unless they add a significant salary, it's solely for cheapness.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Per multiple sources, the Giants acquired $250,000 in IFA pool money from the Marlins for William Kempner and another $250,000 in IFA pool money from the Red Sox for Blake Sabol. So they added $500,000 in total IFA pool money.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

The Giants do have an interesting angle to pitch Roki Sasaki, given his prioritization of development.
Seems like they can try and sell him on the teammate value of two veteran Cy Young winners, Logan Webb, Patrick Bailey, plus other young developing starters to grow alongside.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

BTW Justin Verlander received his first MLB All-Star Game selection the year before the Giants drafted Buster Posey out of Florida State.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

If you aren't getting one of the premium arms, going for a one-year deal with Verlander or Scherzer makes a lot of sense to me. Not as aggressive as it could've been, but I don't dislike it.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Well... that's one way for Posey to immediately look like an upgrade over Zaidi. You don't need to win as much on the margins if you can get the big deals done.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Adames' defensive metrics dipped this season, but those numbers tend to be noisy and he has an impressive track record. Assuming he returns to closer to his career numbers, the Giants are slated to have some incredible infield defense with him, Bailey, and Chapman.

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Just spoke to a source who has previously worked with new Giants director of baseball strategy Pike Goldschmidt:
"He is great, high energy, very smart.. he was really widespread across the org, big part of player development. Felt like he was on GM track, Giants got a good one."

[Marc Delucchi @maddelucchi]

Just spoke with a source who has worked with new Giants pro scouting director Hadi Raad:
"Home run hiring... Everybody absolutely loved him. Excellent communicator and leader... Good mix of traditional scouting with the new school and understanding of modern metrics."