Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
The 2020 season did not allow much opportunity for most of the Giants’ minor league free agents to get a chance. Soon the team and those players will decide if another opportunity with the Giants is coming.
San Francisco watched 16 players in its system become minor league free agents Sunday, including two who appeared in games this season with the big-league squad: Tyler Heineman and Joey Rickard.
Heineman was the Opening Day catcher and, as an amiable 29-year-old switch-hitter, could be in line for a return. He batted just .190 with a double as his only extra-base hit in 50 plate appearances, but showed on-base skills (.292) that allowed him to find his way on base, including with bunts against the shift. Heineman was named by Farhan Zaidi as among the catching depth in the system at the end-of-season Zoom conference.
Rickard was a 2019 pickup from Baltimore who showed promise as a platooning corner outfielder who could hit lefties (slashing .256/.365/.378 against southpaws in ’19). Gabe Kapler said the 29-year-old was among the best players at the Giants’ alternate camp before his call-up, which was brief because of elbow inflammation. Rickard was arbitration eligible and now becomes a free agent.
Of the other 14, three appeared in 2019 games with the Giants: infielders Zach Green and Cristhian Adames and righty reliever Enderson Franco. Green, particularly, will be an intriguing free agent to watch, a former top prospect with Philadelphia who suffered too many injuries but has prodigious power. He did not get a chance this season — he plays third and was blocked throughout by Evan Longoria, also a righty hitter — but spent it in Sacramento. Adames was left out of the pool. As was Franco, who stayed in Scottsdale and had pitched well both in spring training 1.0 and in his September ’19 debut (5 1/3 innings, two runs).
Among the others now not under Giants control are Jose Siri, a toolsy outfielder the Giants like but whose plate discipline needs to improve; Kean Wong, the brother of Kolten, who, as a lefty-hitting flexible infielder, could be of use; Yapson Gomez, whose bull-like windup endears him to everyone; and alternate-site pitchers Jake Jewell, Luis Madero and Carlos Navas.
Here’s the full list, as first reported by Baseball America and confirmed by KNBR:
Catchers: Tyler Heineman, Chris Herrmann
Infielders: Cristhian Adames, Zach Green, Kean Wong
Outfielders: Joey Rickard, Jose Siri
Pitchers: Enderson Franco, Yapson Gomez, Jake Jewell, Jesus Liranzo, Luis Madero, Rodolfo Martinez, Sam Moll, Carlos Navas, Nolan Riggs