Golden Gate Sports
Fansided

San Francisco Giants Offseason Signings, One Season Later

By Sean Bialaszek

Oct 2, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) celebrate cinching the wild card against the Los Angeles Dodgers at AT&T Park the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 7 to 1. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) celebrate cinching the wild card against the Los Angeles Dodgers at AT&T Park the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 7 to 1. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
San Francisco Giants
Oct 5, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Conor Gillaspie (21) reacts after hitting a three run home run during the ninth inning against the New York Mets in the National League wild card playoff baseball game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Conor Gillaspie (minor league contract)

The Giants brought back Gillaspie, one of the team’s first-round picks in 2008, on a minor league contract in February. He was mainly just a depth signing to provide a little more coverage on the corner infield spots, and started the year in Triple-A with the Sacramento River Cats.

Gillaspie was recalled on April 22nd after Ehire Adrianza was moved to the 60-day disabled list, and went through his share of struggles adjusting to a new role. Mainly as a pinch-hitter, Gillaspie was hitting just .140 on June 15th. As time went on, things clicked. He picked up four hits, including a home run and four RBI on June 21st, and hit .424 through the rest of June.

The stone-faced left-handed hitter truly made his mark on the final week of the season. Thrust into an everyday role because of injuries, Gillaspie was the hero of the final five games. He hit .500 with two doubles, a home run, and five RBI as the Giants clinched a spot in the postseason. He also made one of the catches of the year, taking a dive into a camera well to make a catch on a pop-up.

The legend of Gillaspie was crafted in the postseason. In the ninth inning of the wildcard game, Gillaspie connected for a three-run homer to break a scoreless tie and propel them into the LDS. In the eighth inning of game three, he turned around an Aroldis Chapman fastball for a two-run triple, giving the Giants their first lead of the series. In game four, he picked up four hits, including an RBI single, in a losing effort.

Gillaspie proved himself to be a valuable pinch-hitter in 2016, and proved he could handle himself when thrust into a starting spot. He’s arbitration eligible for this season, so he should be back on a relatively cheap deal in 2017.

Home/San Francisco Giants