Robbie Ray was acquired by the San Francisco Giants on Friday in an unexpected deal. Although they still have work to do on the rotation, Farhan Zaidi made a suggestion that they might not need a front-line starter anymore, as reported by Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
After the surprising deal on Friday, the SF Giants may be without a front-line starter.
It is obvious that another starter is needed, particularly one with a reliable history. As he continues to heal from Tommy John surgery, Ray is anticipated to miss the opening few games of the season. His surgery was performed in May 2023, and he would likely need 12 to 18 months to recover.
However, due to his recovery from offseason surgery, Alex Cobb will also miss the opening portion of the upcoming campaign. He had hip surgery in October, and a six-month recovery period was anticipated. The only starting pitchers under contract for the next season who are anticipated to be healthy to begin are Logan Webb and Ross Stripling.
The AL Cy Young winner in 2021, Webb, and Ray might eventually lead the Giants into a competitive rotation. In addition, Cobb, who has played for 12 years, just finished his first All-Star season. Regretfully, it might not happen soon enough.
Ray and Cobb are both recovering from significant surgeries, so while they might be on track to make a comeback, we won’t know for sure until they take the mound again. It’s important to note in Ray’s instance that a pitcher frequently needs to wait until his second season following surgery to return to his pre-surgery form.
One player that had some difficulty recovering from Tommy John surgery is John Brebbia, who had a 5.89 ERA in his first season following the procedure in 2021. Since the beginning of 2022, he has made 116 appearances and has a 3.47 ERA. Is Ray maybe on a parallel timeline? Although it is within the range of possibilities, there is no way to know for sure.
This will present an opportunity for Kai-Wei Teng, Keaton Winn, Tristan Beck, and Kyle Harrison in the interim. Additionally, although Trevor McDonald is listed on the 40-man roster, he has not yet advanced past High-A level, and the Giants have their eye on a number of prospects in the upper minors.
They are placing a lot of trust in a few of younger pitchers if they do not add another noteworthy pitcher to the rotation. That’s not a negative thing, and it can present an excellent chance for them to grow. To begin the year, the front office would have to take a chance on questionable track records in order to blend in with Webb and Stripling. In addition, Stripling has just finished a difficult season of his own.
For a team coming off of two below-average seasons, there is a lot of risk. Furthermore, it is a risk for an ownership group and front management that has recently failed to inspire much trust in the fan base.
I might see this as a fantastic opportunity for the younger pitchers in terms of growth. In 2023, Winn, Harrison, and Beck all had signs of promise. In 2024, are they prepared to take on more responsibility? It’s a tactic that could put the Giants in a difficult situation early in the season, but they might have to use it.
San Francisco is counting on a rotation that might play well in the postseason. Of course, in 2024, it might never really materialize. At least one more trustworthy starting pitcher is required.