San Francisco Giants : Seven Players Heading to Arizona Fall League

GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 07: Jose Dominguez
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 07: Jose Dominguez /
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The San Francisco Giants are sending seven players to the Arizona Fall League to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

The San Francisco Giants’ headliners are Chris Shaw, Tyler Beede, Steven Duggar, and Aramis Garcia, all of whom are among the team’s top-10 prospects according to MLB.com Pipeline. Shaw is number two, while Beede is third, Duggar is seventh, and Garcia is eighth.

Shaw, a 2015 first-round pick, is coming off a strong offensive season in 2017, split between Double-A and Triple-A. In 135 games combined among both levels, Shaw slashed .292/.346/.525 with 24 home runs, 35 doubles, and 79 RBI. He thrived after a call-up to the Sacramento River Cats, leading the team with 18 home runs and 25 doubles while partaking in only 88 games.

The big question for Shaw is whether he can handle playing left field at the big league level. After playing first base in his first two years in the organization, Shaw began the transition to left field in 2017. He will get more outfield reps with the Scorpions, and could be in the conversation for an opening day roster spot if he continues to transition well and has a strong Spring Training.

Duggar, a 2015 sixth-round pick, is coming off an injury-plagued season, during which he was limited to just 44 games. He did make his Triple-A debut, and made quite an impression by playing a spectacular center field. With the bat, he hit .261/.370/.413 with a double and two home runs in 13 games. Duggar is close to a big league debut, but injuries put him off track last season. He is still considered the potential center fielder of the future.

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Beede, the Giants’ first-round pick in 2014, is also trying to make up for lost time after having his season end prematurely. He made 19 starts before a groin injury halted his season and ended any chance of a major league debut in 2017. Beede was up-and-down in Sacramento, finishing the year with a 4.79 ERA and 1.468 WHIP while trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t among his repertoire.

Garcia, picked in the second round in 2014, is another player that has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. The catcher has had numerous issues with concussions since being drafted, and has taken to playing more first base in recent years. Garcia did make his Double-A debut in 2017, and 20 of his 21 starts at the level came behind the plate.

He began the year in San Jose, and between both levels hit 32 doubles and 17 home runs while hitting .274/.323/.485. Garcia is listed as a catcher for Scottsdale.

Joining that quartet is a pair of relief pitchers, right-hander Tyler Cyr and left-hander D.J. Snelten. Cyr was a 10th-round pick in 2015, and has been stellar in his first two full seasons in the organization. In 2016, he posted a 2.32 ERA and 1.086 WHIP while striking out 89 batters in 73.2 innings split between Single-A Augusta and High-A San Jose. In 2017, Cyr acted as the Double-A Squirrels’ closer, saving 18 games with a 2.19 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 49.1 innings.

The southpaw Snelten had an excellent year working exclusively out of the bullpen between Richmond and Sacramento. He put together a 2.20 ERA and 1.086 WHIP while getting groundballs at an stellar 65 percent rate. He also recorded strikeouts at a strong clip, averaging 8.7 punchouts per nine innings. The 25-year-old should make his big league debut in 2018.

A late addition to the Scorpions’ roster is right-handed pitcher Joan Gregorio, the Giants’ number 12 prospect on MLB Pipeline. The long and lanky Gregorio, who stands at 6’7″ and is listed at 180 pounds put together a strong first half with the River Cats. He worked to a 3.04 ERA and 1.324 WHIP in his first 13 starts, and given his spot on the 40-man roster, seemed more than likely to make his major league debut at some point in 2017.

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He never made it to San Francisco, however, first because of a back injury and then because of a suspension. Gregorio was suspended for the rest of the season after being caught with a PED in his system. He heads to Arizona in an effort to make up for the innings he lost to the suspension.