The Skillz Report

​Ex-Giants Around The Majors (And Minors) 2015, Part Two

 

(originally posted 8/9/15)

 

 

 

• Joe Nathan (1999-2003)

 

Nathan got a lot of run both starting and relieving for the 1999-2000 Giants, fell off the radar, then re-emerged as a standout full-time reliever in 2003. But needing a catcher, the Giants included him in a trade for A.J. Pierzynski. He went on to become one of the game's great closers over the next decade, mostly for the Twins.

TODAY: Now a 40-year-old Tiger, Nathan blew out his elbow again this year, having pitched just one game. He vows he's not finished yet.

 

• Nick Noonan (2013)

Former #1 pick Noonan was an infield stand-in for Marco Scutaro and others in 2013; he played decently at times but his overall numbers were unimpressive. He was left in AAA Fresno for all of '14.

TODAY: Noonan, 26, was playing regularly for Scranton Wilkes-Barre (Yankees) until being hurt, then released in late July. The Giants then brought him back to Sacramento (AAA).

 

• Brad Penny (2009, 2012) 

Penny excelled for the 2009 Giants—who'd lost Randy Johnson to injury—down the stretch after being released by Boston that July. He made a few stops before returning as a reliever late in 2012, though far less effective this time around.

TODAY: Only eight MLB games for 37-year-old Penny since leaving the Giants; he's been a regular starter for AAA Charlotte (White Sox) this year.

 

• A.J. Pierzynski (2004)

 

The ex-Twin Pierzynski succeeded Benito Santiago as the Giants catcher in '04, but was double-play prone and reportedly not popular with all his pitchers. Plus, he cost the team Joe Nathan, who developed into a lights-out closer (which the Giants themselves needed) in Minnesota. Pierzynski would not be re-signed after 2004.

TODAY: Pierzynski—who as a Cardinal flagrantly tried to scam the umpires in the 2014 NLCS against SF—is an Atlanta Brave this year. He's bounced back from a subpar 2013 to start 67% of Atlanta's games at age 38. Just last week he helped hang a very ugly loss on the Giants, who were up 6-0 thru five innings and 8-6 with two down in the 9th. AJ's 2-run homer forced extras, and his Braves won in 12.

 

• Guillermo Quiroz (2013-14)

 

For much of 2013-14, Quiroz essentially served as the third catcher on a two-man catching staff, but did get into 45 big-league games over that period as backup Hector Sanchez dealt with injuries. Quiroz sank the Dodgers with a walk-off homer in 2013 off former Blue Jays teammate Brandon League...but is a lifetime .199 hitter in 346 at-bats spread over 10 seasons.

TODAY: In the off-season, Quiroz returned to the Giants organization and is currently with AAA Sacramento. WIth the younger Sanchez and now Andrew Susac ahead of him as Posey's backups—and superior offensively—Quiroz, 33, is unlikely to play for the Giants this year.

 

• Ramon Ramirez (2010-11, 2013)

The Giants imported several players during the 2010 season; Ramirez arguably got the least pub of them all. But he pitched well in middle relief for the eventual champion, and earned bonus points from me for intentionally drilling Shane Victorino the next season.

Ramirez returned briefly in '13, but was not effective.

TODAY: Ramirez, 33, has seven MLB appearances the past three seasons and is currently in the Mexican League.

 

 

• Cody Ransom (2001-04)

 

During his Giants stint Ransom was a spare part, and not a particularly useful one despite impressive minor league slugging. Yet he stuck around for parts of four seasons due to his versatility, then bounced around the majors for nine more years. 

TODAY: Ransom, 39, has spent 2015 with Reno (Diamondbacks). Thru 7/30 he's hit five of his 217 career MiLB home runs.

 

• Sandy Rosario (2013)

Rosario served as a serviceable middle reliever for the '13 Giants, then took a liner off his chest.

TODAY: SF cast Rosario aside before Spring Training 2014; he hasn't sniffed the bigs since and now relieves in the Mexican League.

 

• Cody Ross (2010-11)

Ross was boss during his 13 months as a Giant; his heroics in the 2010 NLCS need not be repeated—no Giants fan will forget them. Boston and Arizona have employed him since, but physical problems kept him off the field a lot.

TODAY: After two injury-plagued years in Arizona (which included hip surgery), the D'Backs ate the last year of his deal. Now healthy and cheap, Ross made the A's roster for 2015—but went 2-for-22 and was cut after a month. At 34, he may be done.

 

• Dan Runzler (2009-12)

Runz is arguably the most forgotten 2010 Giant of them all. Mostly in relief, Runzler was pretty good for a while, but control problems and Javier Lopez' addition obviated the lefty over time.

TODAY: Though long outrighted off the 40-man roster, the 30-year-old remained in the Giants chain thru 2014 but never called up after 2012. For Reno (Diamondbacks) this year, he's posted a 2.02 WHIP in 39 games thru 8/10. Ouch.

 

• Pablo Sandoval (2008-14)

The Panda was a two-time All-Star and a World Series MVP for the Giants. He was also a constant threat to gain 20 pounds any given month. Though popular in San Francisco, Sandoval had little good to say about the team upon signing with Boston for 2015. But the memories remain.

TODAY: Boston paid Sandoval—soon-to-be-29—like a superstar when he never was one, and whatever the Sox thought they were getting, he's been pretty ordinary overall (except for a June tear featuring seven multi-hit games out of eight) and certainly not very productive (35 RBI in 98 games thru 8/9; three HR at Fenway all year.)

 
Sandoval's righty hitting fell so much, he switched to exclusively lefty batting in May. He's also had to leave several games. Plus, there's Insta-gate.

 

• Nate Schierholtz (2008-12)

He never fully fulfilled his offensive potential, but he played RF at AT&T Park as well as anyone—Schierholtz was a regular defensive sub throughout the 2010 postseason. He was ultimately sacrificed to acquire Hunter Pence in 2012 and promptly matured at the plate with regular playing time in Philadelphia and Chicago...for a while, anyway.

(Plus, Ihis first major league home run touched down about 15-20 feet away from me atop the RF bricks. I can be seen in the video with the Giants jersey and sweatband on.)

TODAY: Nate's MLB career stalled last season; he hit only .195 in 122 games after a breakout 2013 (21 homers). The 31-year-old hit the Land Of The Rising Sun for 2015 and is now slugging for Hiroshima in the Japan League.

 

• Chris Stewart (2011)

Ryan Vogelsong wasn't the only unexpected contributor the 2011 Giants summoned from AAA. Stewart was signed as insurance for catchers Buster Posey and Eli Whiteside, and the Giants put in a claim when Posey's leg was wrecked early on. Stewart—with all of 48 MLB at-bats with four teams over the past five years—got a lot of run that year.  But his biggest contribution: being swapped to the Yankees for George Kontos prior to 2012.

TODAY: Since leaving SF, 33-year-old Stewart has received good run with the Yankees and Pirates. However unimaginable to Giants fans, he's topped .290 each of the past two years as Pittsburgh's second catcher.

 

• Eric Surkamp (2011-13)

Surkamp made a few starts for the '11 Giants, underwent arm surgery, made one dreadful fill-in start in 2013, then was done in the organization.

TODAY: Most of Surkamp's 2015 has been in AAA Charlotte (White Sox) and Oklahoma City (Dodgers), but he did make his first big league appearance in nearly two years on July 6 (it wasn't pretty). The lefty just turned 28 this month, two odds in his favor toward still making a major league impact down the line.

 

• Dan Uggla (2014)

As tough to believe for anyone who saw his week with the '14 Giants, Uggla did find another major league job in '15. Now a Nationals reserve, Uggla went from among the league's top slugging infielders to, well, a serious offensive liability over the years. He was error and strikeout-prone with the Giants, and no fan shed tears over his release.

TODAY: As mentioned, the Nationals dust Uggla's remains off here and there to play 2B; he's also pinch-hit some (or more like attempted to pinch-hit some). Now 35, he's at .194 this year.

 

• Juan Uribe (2009-10)

Uribe was huge in the 2010 playoffs, sliding over from SS to 3B when Sandoval slumped and adding leadership and championship experience from his White Sox days. Other than commiting an error in Jon Sanchez' no hitter—spoiling a perfecto—fans couldn't have asked for more from Uribe. Then he bought it all back by signing with the Dodgers and staying there for 4½ years.

TODAY: Uribe, now 36, opened the season with the Dodgers. He spent time with the Braves via trade and is now adding depth to a Mets squad missing 3B David Wright for practically the whole season to date.

 

• Eugenio Velez (2007-10)

 

The wiry-thin Dominican was an intriguing blend of raw ability and poor baseball instincts. His size belied flashes of pop, but it seemed for every booming hit Velez produced, he also blundered on the bases and in the field. He absorbed a frightening liner to the head in 2010, but recovered. Well, enough to go 0-for-37 with the Dodgers in 2011. No misprint. 

TODAY: Velez's services haven't been sought in the bigs since his Dodger disaster, but he has played extensive AAA ball for four organizations in that time. In '15, the 33-year-old is batting .290 in 73 games for AAA Durham (Rays) thru 7/30.

 

• Jerome Williams (2003-05)

As a young starter, Williams  went 17-12 in 43 starts over the 2003-04 seasons. Then, amidst issues of conditioning and stubbornness—plus stuff that was never really special—Williams set on a long voyage through the major and minor leagues. He has worn 23 uniforms in the major, minor and foreign leagues since leaving San Francisco a decade ago...and that's not including the ones he's worn twice!

TODAY: Williams, now 33, has spent much of the year in the Phillies' rotation but that's only because they don't have anyone better. He's 3-8  in 16 starts thru 8/9—one of those losses at the Giants' hands.
 

• Barry Zito (2007-13)

Another Giant who needs no introduction. He's one of the rare players to complete a seven-year contract, even if that was largely because during his low points, the Giants couldn't have given him away. Still, Zito left San Francisco on a high note—receiving a huge ovation from Giants fans after his final SF pitch. 

TODAY: Now 37, Zito returned to baseball after a year off and competed for a spot with the A's. He didn't land it, but surprisingly has spent the whole season with AAA Nashville (3.48 in 22 starts thru 8/9).

 

 

Return To Part One