Former SJ Giants Receive Spring Training Invites
By Joe Ritzo
Five players who suited up for the San Jose Giants during the 2016 season, including All-Stars Sam Coonrod and C.J Hinojosa, received invitations to major league spring training this week. 2016 San Jose Giants Steven Duggar, Aramis Garcia and Andrew Suarez were also extended non-roster invitations to San Francisco’s big league camp.
It’s unlikely that any of these players will be considered for spots on San Francisco’s opening day roster, however the experience of participating in major league camp and seeing action in a handful of exhibition games provides a great opportunity to make a positive impression within the organization. Pitchers and catchers are due to report on February 13 with all other position players scheduled to report on February 16. The Giants’ first spring training game is set for February 24 versus the Cincinnati Reds.
Players currently on the 40-man roster are guaranteed a spot in big league camp. The organization then selects a handful of additional players (non-roster invitees) to also participate. Generally, these non-roster players are minor league veterans and/or players with past major league experience along with various up-and-coming young prospects.
Coonrod and Suarez were the headline prospects in San Jose’s starting rotation to open 2016 and now both will participate in major league camp a season later. Coonrod fashioned a spectacular 1.98 ERA in 11 starts with the Giants last year before a midseason promotion to Double-A Richmond. With the Flying Squirrels, Coonrod continued to impress with a 3.03 ERA over 13 starts. The right-hander was a fifth round pick in the 2014 draft.
Suarez was San Jose’s opening night starting pitcher last season and made just five appearances in the California League (2.43 ERA) before a quick promotion to Double-A. While in Richmond, Suarez posted a solid 3.95 ERA in 19 starts with an excellent 90-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 114 innings. The former second round draft pick was recently ranked as the second-best pitching prospect in the organization by Baseball America (behind only Tyler Beede).
On the position player side, Duggar, Garcia and Hinojosa represent the 2016 San Jose team among the non-roster invitees. Duggar was San Jose’s everyday right fielder throughout the first half last year before a midseason promotion to Richmond. Between the two teams, Duggar hit a combined .302 with 28 doubles, eight triples and 10 home runs. The former sixth round pick has also received mention on multiple top 10 SF Giants prospect lists this offseason.
Garcia enters the 2017 season rated as the top catching prospect in the organization. After starring with San Jose during the 2015 playoffs, Garcia returned to the Cal League last year. However, the backstop played in just 41 games a season ago after suffering a facial fracture injury in May that resulted in nearly three months on the disabled list. Garcia, a former second round draft pick, batted .257 with two home runs for San Jose last year before a stint in the Arizona Fall League.
Hinojosa received All-Star recognition in the California League last season after his stellar first half with the Giants. The top prospect shortstop hit .296 for San Jose in 69 games while also producing 14 doubles, three triples and six home runs. Hinojosa and Duggar were promoted to Richmond on the same day last June. Hinojosa batted .248 with three home runs in 57 games for Richmond.
In all, there will be eight players from the 2016 San Jose Giants team that will participate in major league spring training this year. Joining the non-roster invitees in camp will be infielder Miguel Gomez and pitchers Reyes Moronta and Dan Slania. The trio of Gomez, Moronta and Slania were placed on San Francisco’s 40-man roster last November.
As of now, San Francisco is set to open camp with 68 players (the 40 players currently on the 40-man roster + 28 total non-roster invitees). 35 of the 68 players are former San Jose Giants. Other recent former San Jose standouts that were extended non-roster invitations include Christian Arroyo, Tyler Beede, Ryder Jones and Austin Slater. As spring training progresses, players will be sent to minor league camp before the Giants set their 25-man opening day roster in advance of their first game on April 2.
