Melvin explains why the Giants removed Estrada from the roster Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
SAN FRANCISCO — It was a surprise when the Giants placed Thairo Estrada on waivers earlier this week. But Friday’s decision may have been even more shocking.
Estrada went through waivers, but instead of releasing him like they did with left-hander Tyler Matzek, the Giants He put out the second baseman to Triple-A Sacramento. Estrada, a potential player a year ago, will now spend the next month in Triple-A with little chance of returning before the end of the year. He was removed from the 40-man roster and the Giants plan to look for younger options in the majors.
“Look, he’s had a tough road this year with his hand and wrist injuries and he didn’t play like he has in the past,” manager Bob Melvin said before Friday’s game. “I think it’s more about trying to give other guys opportunities now and the fact that maybe the performance wasn’t up to par. I mean, it’s hard not to love Thairo. He’s a great kid and plays hard every day, never makes excuses, he’s been a great Giant. Unfortunately, this is the decision we’ve made.”
Estrada was hitting just .217 in his fourth year with San Francisco. Among players with at least 300 plate appearances, his on-base percentage (.247) ranked fourth-lowest and his OPS (.590) was fifth-lowest. Removing him from the active roster made a lot of sense, but some in the clubhouse were baffled as to why the Giants didn’t release him and give him a chance to play elsewhere in September.
The organization has clearly already made up its mind about Estrada’s long-term future. He is eligible for arbitration this offseason and there was little doubt, even before Friday’s decision, that Estrada was not going to be offered a contract. He has likely played his final game in the orange and black jersey, though he will play for the organization’s Triple-A affiliate for the next month.
Meanwhile, Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely will split time at second base. San Francisco could also call up Marco Luciano when rosters expand on Sunday, though Melvin said those talks have not yet taken place.
“Right now, these are the guys we have here,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes when we can add another player in September.”
Schmitt was in the lineup Friday after having just two at-bats in the previous 12 days. The Giants are hopeful that one of the young second basemen can emerge during the final month of the season. It’s a position they never expected to be in after the way Estrada played the previous three seasons.