The return of Pablo Sandoval stole the show on Saturday morning at AT&T Park, but Sandoval’s decision to sign a Minor League contract with the San Francisco Giants wasn’t the only transaction the club made.
By the time the announcement of Sandoval’s signing became official, the Giants had already optioned reliever Steven Okert and infielder Jae-gyun Hwang to AAA Sacramento to make room for outfielder Orlando Calixte and pitcher Albert Suarez.
The Giants’ decision to option Hwang comes less than a month after San Francisco gave the 29-year-old South Korean his first Major League opportunity. Hwang spent 10 seasons as a star in the Korean Baseball Organization before signing a Minor League contract with the Giants this offseason to pursue his Major League dream.
Hwang became an instant sensation in San Francisco after clubbing a home run in his Giants’ debut, but since his arrival, he’s hit just 6-for-36 and that home run on the first day of his tenure is the only one he’s hit thus far.
The Giants had a need for Hwang at the end of June when both Eduardo Nunez and Conor Gillaspie were on the disabled list, but since Nunez’s return, he’s become the everyday starter while Gillaspie is a seasoned pinch hitter. On Saturday, Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said the transition to a bench role was difficult for Hwang, and San Francisco is hopeful he’ll be able to play every day with AAA Sacramento.
“He’s (Hwang) not used to sitting on the bench,” Bochy said. “He’s at a disadvantage. He’s trying to pinch hit or get a spot start against guys he’s never seen and it’s not easy. He’s a talented player, but with Nuni (Nunez) getting most of the playing time at third base, it’s getting difficult to get Jae the necessary at-bats I think to show what he can do.”
The Giants elected to bring Calixte up from AAA to replace Hwang because San Francisco has just three true outfielders on its 25-man roster. With Gorkys Hernandez, Denard Span and Hunter Pence having to play nearly every day recently, the Giants wanted Calixte to provide some relief in the outfield and he immediately found himself in the starting lineup for Saturday’s contest against the Padres.
“We’re a little short in the outfield, guys with experience out there, so Calixte, he’ll give us that,” Bochy said. “Now, with Jae, it’s tough for him to be sitting and watching games, and try to get his timing. We’d like to get him playing again in the system. We don’t know what’s going to happen. If we do need him, he’ll have his timing, get three or four at-bats.”
Though the opt-out clause in Hwang’s contract expired July 1, it’s unclear whether he’ll accept his option to AAA Sacramento or pursue an alternative. Hwang’s family was in town on Saturday, and Bochy indicated the Giants would give him time to make a decision.
Even though Okert threw a clean inning in Friday evening’s ballgame, Bochy felt it was necessary to bring up a long reliever from the Minor Leagues given the fact he used all seven members of his bullpen in the Giants’ 12-9 loss.
Suarez pitched in 22 games for the Giants last season, but dealt with an injury this year that forced him to miss an extended amount of time. With Suarez set to make another start on Saturday, Bochy elected to bring him up to the Major League level after the 27-year-old right-hander made two rehab starts with A San Jose.
“As far as the pitching, it was a long game yesterday and we could use a guy that could give us some length,” Bochy said. “So Okert was optioned out to Sacramento and Suarez will be here. This was his start day. I think he’s got 13 innings in the minor leagues, went three innings in the last start, so he can give us three to four innings if necessary.”
Be sure you don’t confuse Albert Suarez with Andrew Suarez, one of the Giants’ top pitching prospects who’s made five starts with AAA Sacramento after receiving a call-up from AA Richmond this season. Either way, the Giants are happy to have a Suarez in their bullpen.
