Bases-clearing double for Will Wilson #SFGSpring pic.twitter.com/5enE4oht5j
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) March 11, 2021
TEMPE, Ariz. — It was a trade that gets made in the NBA, but rarely in MLB.
Essentially, Will Wilson was sold.
In December 2019, the Giants took on the nearly $13 million that was still due to the injured Zack Cozart and received Wilson, who was picked in the first round just six months prior. The Angels were devoting more money to other free agents and looking for ways to trim payroll. The player to be named later to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles was Double-A lefty Garrett Williams, but the heart of the deal was the Giants agreed to eat money to acquire a prospect they liked.
Wilson was barely an Angel, having played 46 games in Rookie ball before the trade. There isn’t any measure of revenge to exact on an exhibition game on March 11, but Wilson did a nice job showing the Angels what they don’t have anyway.
The 22-year-old smoked a double down the third-base line in the second inning of the Giants’ 5-4, seven-inning loss to the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium, punctuating the hard contact with a clap of his hands upon reaching second.
Wilson jumped on the fastball from Griffin Canning — a 24-year-old, legitimate major leaguer — and is now 2-for-15 in Cactus League play. Considering he has not yet even played a game at Class-A, he’s doing fine.
“Thought his at-bats were great, I thought his base-running was better,” Gabe Kapler said over Zoom. “I thought his defense was strong as well.”
Wilson does a lot well and maybe nothing great. Kapler called him a “solid all-around” player and compared him with a player Giants fans have grown to love, a player who won a Silver Slugger at second last year.
“He has a chance to play defense at a high level at several different positions; run the bases instinctively and aggressively, which we saw today; and hit for average,” Kapler said of the 22-year-old. “I feel like he has a chance to be a Donnie Solano style of player, where he hits line drives, uses the whole field and gives you a tough at-bat.”
Johnny Cueto had a rough first inning but bounced back from there.
Cueto hit three innings for the first time in the Cactus League, and Mike Trout hit a ball a very far way.
Are Spring Training Trout horns a thing, @Cut4? pic.twitter.com/XhO1w9tQsp
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 11, 2021
The first three Angels to face Cueto recorded hits, including a bomb to left from the best player in baseball, but there were two singles (one infield) the rest of the way, which included an entertaining Trout strikeout.
After Trout attacked a changeup for the homer, another changeup got him swinging in the third. The two stared each other down, which Trout laughed about, and Cueto grinned widely when asked about it. He said he didn’t know why they were staring, but he enjoyed it.
Kapler visited the mound in Cueto’s third inning to see how he felt and to tell him his pitch count was climbing. Cueto made short work of Anthony Rendon.
“Last year Johnny made it clear — and I think it makes perfect sense — that the more we communicate, the better,” Kapler said. “He wants to pitch as many innings as possible, he wants to win as many games as possible for us, and we want the same.”
Injury updates from Kapler, who talked with Brandon Belt (non-Covid illness) earlier Thursday:
“Every day he’s becoming a little more energetic,” Kapler said of Belt, who has yet to appear during a spring workout. “He’s increasing his level of intensity in his baseball activity. He’s in better and better spirits. Today he was actually smiling a bit more and showing that he felt better.”
Caleb Baragar (tweaked hamstring) threw a bullpen session and is getting close to returning to games.
Aaron Sanchez (signed late, 2019 shoulder surgery) will throw a three-inning sim game Sunday.
Reyes Moronta, who has yet to debut, should pitch Saturday or Sunday.
Austin Slater (hamstring) may be ready to get an at-bat Friday and play the field.
Righty Zack Littell was lit up for three runs in an inning. Yunior Marte, Silvino Bracho and Jimmie Sherfy, all non-roster relievers trying to make the team, threw scoreless frames.
Outfielder Steven Duggar, trying to be more aggressive, had an RBI single then stole second.
The Seattle Mariners announced that they have gotten approval to have 9,000 fans at their park beginning Opening Day — which will be against the Giants. The Giants again will be playing in front of fans.
