It's no secret that San Francisco Giants infielder David Villar has struggled at the plate this season. After almost 100 plate appearances, Villar is hitting just .145/.242/.325, which translates to a 57 wRC+, meaning about 63% below average offense. At what point do the SF Giants consider sending him down to the Minors, and who would be his replacement? Casey Schmitt is an obvious answer, but he's actually been below league average offensively in Triple-A. But he's been better in recent weeks and provides plus defense all over the diamond. It could be worth giving him a look in the near future.
The Giants' bullpen has been one of their biggest problems this year—if not the biggest. What can be done about it? It's been a lot of fluky performance and guys pitching poorly in unfamiliar roles. The SF Giants should stop using so many long relievers and lean more heavily on their tradition relief arms, many of whom have bloated ERAs but better underlying metrics.
Does it make sense for the San Francisco Giants to prioritize ground ball pitchers and de-prioritize defense? This would be a legitimate question if it were true, but at least this season, the SF Giants are not de-emphasizing defense, particularly in the infield. J.D. Davis has been outstanding at third base. Brandon Crawford is well known for his glove (but admittedly seems to be in decline). Thairo Estrada is a solid up-the-middle defender. And LaMonte Wade Jr. has done a very nice job at first base.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick
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