San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik has been DFA’d

The San Francisco Giants have officially designated second baseman Joe Panik for assignment after six seasons spent with the team.

The San Francisco Giants have officially made the unfortunate, but not unexpected decision to designate longtime second baseman Joe Panik for assignment.

And even though the move is far from a surprise, it doesn’t alleviate the heartache.

Panik has long been one of the most beloved players in the Giants clubhouse — by fans, coaches, and teammates alike. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single soul with anything bad to say on his behalf.

That’s just the type of hard-nosed, lovable personality that he is.

Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistent play have taken their toll over the years. This is no longer the same Joe Panik that hit .309 over his first two MLB seasons. This isn’t the same Panik that was voted to the All-Star Game back in 2015.

And while his glove is still above-average, it isn’t even the same Panik that won a Gold Glove back in 2016. This version of Joe Panik is a shell of his former self — and that’s been pretty clear for a while now.

The Giants designated him for assignment on Tuesday afternoon after the 28-year-old had slashed just .235/.310/.317 over 103 games this season. In recent weeks he had been relegated to a platoon role with the emergence of journeyman Donovan Solano.

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And after the team traded for former Cincinnati Reds All-Star Scooter Gennett at the deadline, the writing appeared to be on the wall.

Realistically, Panik has been a below-average player at the plate in three of the last four seasons with his 2019 campaign being the worst of his career. And with some improved middle infield depth in the minors, it looked unlikely that Panik would last past this season.

The acquisition of Gennett only served to accelerate the inevitable process of his departure.

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After all, baseball is a business at the end of the day. As great as it has been to see much of the Giants original core leading the team during their July hot stretch, Farhan Zaidi must do what’s best for the organization.

And in this case, that was cutting ties with Panik.

The Giants reportedly gave Panik an option to accept an assignment to Triple-A Sacramento but he decided against it which prompted this move. And The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly has reported that Panik will elect free agency if he clears waivers.

And thus, Joe Panik’s time in San Francisco is over. Perhaps he could follow in the footsteps of teammate Pablo Sandoval and return one day, but he likely won’t be suiting up with the team anytime soon.

As an organization, the Giants will always be grateful for Panik’s heroics over the years. His dramatic two-run home run in Game 5 of the 2014 NLCS. His 13th-inning walk-off double in Game 3 of the NLDS.

And of course, his diving stop to kickstart a crucial double play in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series. But most of all, Panik will be remembered as a clubhouse leader, lovable teammate, and fan-favorite.

We can simultaneously be appreciative of everything he’s done and still recognize that it was time for a change of scenery.

Here’s to wishing Panik the best of luck in the future. Perhaps one day we could see him in a Giants uniform once again.