San Francisco Giants Spring Training Report: Position Battles, Other Notes

Final Reliever

Oct 28, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher

reacts in the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game six of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

There are literally dozens of pitchers vying for the attention of manager Bruce Bochy and the coaching staff, but the final bullpen spot is really a four man race right now. Juan Gutierrez was included in early editions of the fight card, but he’s appeared in just one game so far, maybe showing he’s fallen out of favor. Spring Training games are already long enough without Gutierrez’s tedious pace anyway.

Jean Machi has been excellent so far, appearing in three games and throwing four innings. He’s allowed only two hits and has struck out four, and his forkball is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: induce a ton of groundballs. The Machi we’ve seen so far is reminiscent of the Machi of the first half of 2014, when he posted a 0.29 ERA over his first 33 outings.

George Kontos has also impressed, with three innings and three strikeouts. He has allowed a solo home run, the only run he’s allowed, but his slider has been sharp, getting groundballs at a rate similar to Machi.

Erik Cordier, maybe surprisingly, has shown great stuff so far, as he’s thrown three shutout innings, including a save, in three appearances. Control continues to be a lingering issue, as he’s walked two, but his 100+ mph fastball has been key to four strikeouts.

Hunter Strickland has struggled with the same issues that plagued him in the 2014 postseason, as he’s allowed four runs, including two home runs in three innings. His last outing was much improved, as he struck out two batters, one with a fastball painted on the outside corner, and the other on a devastating slider down and away.

Strickland most likely loses this battle by default, as he is the only pitcher of the bunch with remaining options. Machi has been the best of the group, despite how good the rest have been, and his past major league success could lead him to win the battle if he can continue to pitch well. With that, Cordier and Kontos will have to be placed on waivers, and the Giants risk losing one or both. No matter who wins, the team will have to place the other two through waivers. The team will have a dilemma on their hands when the time comes.

Next: Final notes