SF Giants already thinking about difficult playoff roster decisions

A Giants team that shocked the rest of the league to become the first club to secure a playoff berth will face a difficult dilemma before postseason play even begins.

Whether the Giants win the National League West and go straight to a division series or finish as the top wild card team, Farhan Zaidi, Scott Harris and Gabe Kapler will need to complete the challenging task of setting a playoff roster.

Before each round of the postseason, teams must submit a 26-man roster that can only change in the event of an injury or a positive COVID-19 test. If the Giants lose a pitcher to injury, the club can only replace the player with another pitcher. The same rules apply to replacing position players, so a front office that has mastered the art of maintaining optimum roster flexibility in an effort to create matchup advantages cannot make the type of daily transactions we’ve seen throughout the regular season.

Throughout September, the Giants have been one of the teams that has most benefitted from rosters expanding from 26-to-28 players as the rules have enabled Kapler to run bullpen games while starters Alex Wood and Johnny Cueto were sidelined. Wood has returned from the COVID-19 injured list and the team is optimistic Cueto could be back from an elbow injury before the playoffs begin, so several relievers who have done good work for the club in September could be squeezed out of a postseason roster spot.

What will the Giants’ 26-man roster look like at the outset of the playoffs? Here’s a look at the considerations the team will be weighing.

Catcher

Locks (2): Buster Posey, Curt Casali

No surprises here. The Giants will keep Posey and Casali and have top prospect Joey Bart ready in the event either player suffers an injury. After Chadwick Tromp was designated for assignment Sunday, Bart is the next man up.

Infield 

Locks (6): Evan Longoria, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Tommy La Stella, Donovan Solano, Wilmer Flores

In consideration (1): Thairo Estrada

Leaving Estrada off the postseason roster will be difficult considering he’s the best backup to Crawford on the 40-man roster, but the Giants are going to rely on their veterans in the playoffs and it’s not as if Crawford will be taking a day off. Solano answered any questions about his ability to contribute at a high level immediately after returning from the COVID-19 IL as his game-tying, two-strike, two-out home run in the ninth inning on Friday night keyed the Giants’ 6-5, 11-inning win over the Braves.

Utility players

Locks (1): Kris Bryant

In consideration (2): Mauricio Dubón, Jason Vosler

Neither Dubón nor Vosler is an active consideration for the postseason roster, but an injury to a center fielder could put Dubón back in the mix while an injury to a left-handed hitting infielder would increase Vosler’s chances of contributing. For now, Bryant is the only true utility man the Giants will carry in the playoffs.

Outfield

Locks (4): Darin Ruf, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater 

In consideration (2): Steven Duggar, Alex Dickerson 

The Giants have essentially tipped their hand here as Dickerson (hamstring strain) is healthy enough to rejoin their 28-man roster, but has had his rehab assignment extended so he can take some extra at-bats at Triple-A Sacramento. The team’s current preference is to have Duggar on the roster because he’s the best defensive center fielder and brings an element of speed the Giants are otherwise lacking. If Dickerson returns to the major league club at any point in the next two weeks and catches fire at the plate, he could supplant Duggar on the depth chart and make his way onto the playoff roster.

Starting pitchers

Locks (4): Logan Webb, Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood

In consideration (1): Johnny Cueto

Cueto’s health and ability to pitch effectively upon returning from the injured list are the only reasons his status for the playoffs remains uncertain. If the veteran starter pitches pain-free and showcases command and control in an upcoming rehab start, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Giants will go with a four-man rotation in the playoffs and use Wood in a long relief role similar to the one he held with the Dodgers last year. For now, Wood is the more reliable starter and Cueto is the question mark, so the lefty is penciled into the rotation.

Bullpen

Locks (5): Tyler Rogers, Dominic Leone, Jarlín García, Tony Watson, José Alvarez

In consideration (8): Jake McGee, Zack Littell, Jay Jackson, José Quintana, Camilo Doval, Caleb Baragar, Kervin Castro, John Brebbia 

Perhaps the toughest decision the Giants will have to make before each round of the playoffs is determining whether to keep 14 position players and 12 pitchers or 13 position players and 13 pitchers on their 26-man roster. The Giants love bullpen flexibility, but having 13 pitchers would require the club to subtract someone such as Duggar, who has demonstrated his value in the field and on the bases.

McGee would obviously join the group of “locks” if he returns from an oblique strain in time to pitch in the postseason, which would then leave the final spot or two in the bullpen up for grabs. The Giants have shown they believe in Littell more than Jackson of late, but it’s possible Doval has passed both pitchers on the depth chart with seven scoreless outings in September and a 99-mile per hour fastball that’s intimidating in part because the rookie doesn’t control it all that well.

If McGee isn’t healthy and the Giants want a fourth left-hander in their bullpen, the coaching staff seems to have more confidence in Quintana than Baragar.