San Francisco Giants Sign Old Friends to Minor League Deals

On Saturday, it was reported that the San Francisco Giants had signed two familiar faces, Brandon Hicks and John Bowker, to minor league deals. These moves were made to fill out the Giants’ minor league roster, and to provide some depth in the organization.

Hicks spent the 2014 season with the Giants’ organization, and began the year as the starting second baseman due to Marco Scutaro‘s back injuries. He hit just .162 in his 71 games, and struck out in 31.8% of his 242 plate appearances. He didn’t make contact often, but when he did, it was solid, as 15 of his 33 hits went for extra bases, including eight home runs. He also posted a .280 on-base percentage, which is good considering his average.

Apr 3, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Hicks against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

He also played good defense for the Giants, as evidenced by his .983 fielding percentage. Despite the deficiencies at the plate, he did provide some memorable moments, including this walk-off three-run home run against the Cleveland Indians on April 27th.

His offensive struggles eventually hurt him, as the Giants designated him for assignment on July 11th, and he played the rest of the season with the team’s Triple-A affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies. He hit .218 in 41 games on the farm, including six home runs and 11 doubles in 133 at-bats.

Hicks has been assigned to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, the team that took Fresno’s place this offseason. Joe Panik‘s emergence in 2014 makes him the everyday second baseman, but Hicks’ re-signing adds valuable depth to the position. In addition, Hicks has experience at shortstop, third base, and first base. He also played one game in left field in 2014 for the orange and black.

Bowker, a first baseman/outfielder who grew up a Giants’ fan, was drafted by the team in 2004 in the third round. He was one of the team’s top-10 prospects before the 2008 season, as his power potential made him an intriguing young player. He would make his major league debut in 2008.

His career as a Giant got off to a roaring start, as he went 2-3 with a homer and three RBI in his first game, and 2-3 with another longball and four RBI in his second. Overall in his first three games, he went 6-10 with two home runs and seven RBI. That early success would be the most he’d experience as a Giant, as he bounced back and forth between Triple-A and San Francisco. He did win the opening day right fielder job in 2010, but he struggled, and eventually lost the role to Nate Schierholtz.

Bowker played parts of three seasons in the Bay, and appeared in 183 games. He batted .238 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. He was involved in a big trade for the team during the 2010 season, as he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the trade that brought Javier Lopez to the team.

He split the rest of the 2010 season and 2011 between Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia Phillies. His struggles continued as he hit just .202 in 57 games with two home runs and 15 RBI. He would be released by Philly following the 2011 season, and join Nippon Professional Baseball for 2012.