Will Wilson has been on an absolute tear for the Eugene Emeralds, hitting over .400 for the team. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson breaks down why this might be Farhan Zaidi’s smartest move ever.
The Giants have high hopes for 2019 first-round pick Hunter Bishop, one of their best prospects, but it's possible another member of the family beats him to Oracle Park.
Braden Bishop, Hunter's older brother, has been claimed from the Seattle Mariners, the Giants announced Monday. Braden, a 27-year-old outfielder, was designated for assignment last week. To clear a roster spot, the Giants transferred right-hander Reyes Moronta to the 60-day IL.
A star at St. Francis (Mountain View) and then the University of Washington, Braden was a third-round pick in 2015 but hasn't gotten an extended look at the big league level. He has 90 at-bats over parts of three seasons, but his minor league numbers show a player who could continue to add upper-level outfield depth to an organization that has tried repeatedly to add to that area of need.
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Braden has a .290/.365/.394 slash line in the minors, with 24 homers and 51 steals in 64 attempts. He has a .820 OPS in 47 career games in Triple-A, where he will start with the Giants, who also have added LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Tauchman in recent months. Braden, a right-handed hitter, is a true center fielder and is viewed as a strong defender up the middle. He has been worth seven Defensive Runs Saved in just 247 big league innings.
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The older Bishop became available when the Mariners added top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert last week, but even as he got DFA'd, it was still a good week for Braden, whose wife gave birth to the couple's first child. The Giants took Hunter, 22, with the 10th overall pick in 2019. The left-handed-hitting outfielder started the season with High-A Eugene.
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The Bishop brothers created the 4MOM Charity in honor of their late mother, Suzy, who passed away from Alzheimer's in 2019. They have held several charity events in the Bay Area and Scottsdale, including one in late 2019 where manager Gabe Kapler was a surprise attendee.