Since the trade deadline, the SF Giants have been using these final weeks to sort through the roster and see who can stick around. Some players have made the case for 2027, with Jonah Cox standing out as one of the names that looks close to a lock. Others, though, have done the opposite.
Three players in particular have put themselves in a rough spot with the way they’ve played lately, and their chances of being part of next year’s picture look slim.
Grant McCray is the clearest example. The outfielder has kept getting chances at the end of each of the last three seasons, but the offense has never really come around.
He’s slashing .155/.259/.296 with two home runs and 10 runs batted in. The speed is real, and so are the defensive tools - his arm, range, and stolen-base ability have always been part of the appeal - but that may not be enough anymore.
With six stolen bases and more outfield options pushing into the mix, this may have been McCray’s final shot to convince the Giants he belongs. A DFA in the offseason would not be a surprise as the club tries to clear room on the 40-man roster.
Nate Furman is in a different spot, but the result may end up being the same. The Giants have leaned on a wave of infield fill-ins while their regular starters have been hurt, and those players are effectively fighting for one or two bench jobs next season.
Furman hasn’t helped his case much, batting just .125/.243/.125 in 32 at-bats. There’s still something interesting about his contact-oriented game, and that kind of profile can eventually play in the majors.
But right now he looks more like a work in progress than a ready-made option. Even if Christian Koss keeps committing errors at shortstop, Furman still figures to sit behind him on the depth chart and spend most of next year in the minors unless injuries open a door.
Then there’s Brett Harris, who was claimed off waivers and stepped into the kind of temporary infield role the Giants have been forced to patch together. He hasn’t had much time to make an impression, but the early returns haven’t been encouraging.
He has only a couple hits on the season, and with so many players on the 60-day IL, the Giants will likely need to create space on the 40-man roster. That makes Harris a strong candidate to be DFA’d at some point.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Suddenly Have A Bigger Nolan Arenado Concern
Nolan Arenados latest thumb issue is the kind of development that tends to make a club pause, even when the initial update sounds mild. He left the game against the Miami Marlins with right thumb inflammation and was replaced in the seventh inning, a reminder that this is not the first time the injury has interrupted his availability.
Torey Lovullo said Arenado is expected back in the lineup the next day, but the broader concern for Arizona is whether the thumb becomes a lingering problem again. Arenado had already missed time with the same issue, and for a Diamondbacks offense that wants to keep rolling, any uncertainty around one of its key bats is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
D-Backs Suddenly Face A Tough Rotation Decision Down The Stretch
With the roster trimmed to 28 active players and the 40-man list packed again, the Diamondbacks are suddenly staring at a rotation picture that looks a lot different than it did not long ago. Zac Gallen and Nelson are expected to finish the season working out of the bullpen, a notable shift for both pitchers and another sign that Arizona is managing the last stretch of the year with flexibility in mind.
Nelsons move out of the starting mix is especially telling, since it changes the shape of the staff even before the final weeks arrive. Derek Law was taken off the roster after his recent appearances, with the roster crunch leaving little room to maneuver, and the D-backs now have to sort out how to cover innings while keeping the bullpen viable down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Waste Another Winnable Game As Familiar Frustration Grows
Another winnable night slipped away for Arizona in Miami, this one with Merrill Kelly trying to steady things after a rough start and eventually working into the fifth inning with nine strikeouts. The bullpen did its part by covering 4.1 scoreless innings, and the offense at least flashed enough pop with three solo home runs to stay in the game.
What the Diamondbacks could not find was the timely hit to turn those long balls into something more meaningful, leaving them empty when runners reached scoring position. It fit the same uneasy pattern that has followed them through the series, with the starting pitching and the run production not lining up often enough to back up a team that keeps putting itself in position to win but keeps walking away with regrets. [Read more 🡒]