Two former SF Giants infielders are headed for Banana Ball, giving fans a couple of familiar names to track long before MLB action returns.
The Savannah Bananas and the Loco Beach Coconuts both made their latest yearly draft picks, and the two ex-Giants found new homes. Charlie Culberson was selected by the Savannah Bananas, while Kelby Tomlinson was picked by the Loco Beach Coconuts.
Banana Ball, the fast-growing style of baseball made famous by the Savannah Bananas, is set to come to Oracle Park in 2027. The format comes with flips, tricks, points, and a strict time limit, and it has taken off enough to feel like baseball’s answer to the Harlem Globetrotters.
Culberson’s Giants connection goes back to 2012, when he was drafted by San Francisco and made his big league debut. His time with the team was brief - he had three hits in 22 at-bats - but he ended up playing a key role in the bigger picture. He was dealt to the Colorado Rockies in the trade that brought Marco Scutaro to San Francisco, and Scutaro later became a playoff hero and the NLCS MVP as the Giants won the World Series that season.
Tomlinson spent more time in San Francisco, playing for the Giants from 2015 to 2018. The bespectacled middle infielder hit .265/.331/.332 in his career, with three homers, 47 runs batted in, and 19 stolen bases. He retired in 2021 and is also a certified optician, which fit perfectly with his “Specs” nickname during his Giants days.
It would be fun to see both of them back at Oracle Park, but that won’t happen next season since neither the Bananas nor the Coconuts are scheduled to play there. Unless Banana Ball’s trade market comes with some very unusual currency, their return as players will have to wait.
In Other News...
Giants Prospect Josuar Gonzalez Is Forcing A Bigger Long-Term Conversation
Josuar Gonzalez has moved quickly enough through the Giants farm system that he is no longer just an intriguing name from the 2025 international signing class. The shortstop has already spent time in both the Arizona Complex League and Single-A San Jose, and the early returns have been loud enough to put him on the radar as the organizations top prospect with a 60-overall grade.
For a system that always has to balance near-term needs with long-term planning, Gonzalez is beginning to look like someone who could shape the conversation at a premium position. His strong batting averages, on-base skills and speed have given the Giants a more complete look at a player who is still early in his development, but whose rise has already made it harder to think of the future in anything but bigger terms. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Owner Charles Johnson Is Back At Center Of A Familiar Debate
Charles Johnson has once again found himself at the center of a conversation that reaches well beyond the ballpark. The Giants owner has donated about $2.6 million to political causes during the current election cycle, with most of that money going to Republican candidates and organizations, a level of spending that stands out not just within baseball but across major U.S. sports ownership.
His giving has put him in a familiar position for Giants fans who keep one eye on the team and another on the broader values around it. Johnsons donations include sizable support for Republican committees and candidates, some of whom have publicly criticized Giants players over Pride Night protests, which makes his political footprint especially notable for a franchise that has often been part of those same cultural debates. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Roster Squeeze Is Just Starting And Familiar Names Are Next
The Giants have started the first real squeeze of the offseason, trimming five players from the 40-man roster as they begin sorting out a group that will only get tighter from here. Matt Gage, Osleivis Basabe and Jason Foley cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, while Grant McCray was claimed by the Mariners and Braxton Roxby landed with the Nationals.
And this is only the opening round. San Francisco still has more roster work ahead as players come off the 60-day injured list, and the club may also need to make room while protecting others from the Rule 5 Draft. With familiar names already moving off the roster, the next decisions are likely to be just as familiar to anyone tracking the Giants' depth chart this time of year. [Read more 🡒]