SAN FRANCISCO -- For years, the Giants have made cuts in bunches. They would send out eight or 10 players at a time, but this spring it's been a trickle, with 10 different sets of transactions thus far.
The latest set cut some big names from the spring roster. As we did early in camp, and again earlier this week, let's take a look at the players the Giants took out of their Scottsdale Stadium clubhouse and their chances of returning:
March 18: Tyler Beede and Ray Black are optioned to Triple-A
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Both of these players very easily could have started the season on the big league roster, but there's no escaping the ax when you have options.
Beede was the story of camp on the pitching side, and while the numbers weren't pretty in the end -- seven earned in 10 1/3 innings -- he simply looked like a different guy. Or, he simply looked like the guy the Giants took in the first round five years ago.
The 25-year-old has gone back to his roots, relying on a fastball that regularly hit 98 mph this spring, a big curveball, and a good changeup. That's it, and the mix flummoxed some good hitters and impressed Bruce Bochy from the start of the spring. Beede is currently about eighth on the starting depth chart, but internally, the Giants believe he could quickly pass at least a couple of the pitchers ahead of him if he takes this kind of stuff to Sacramento. He also could return in a bullpen role, where the fastball could be a real weapon.
Black has as much upside as you could ask for. The spin rate numbers are off the charts and the velocity is unmatched on the big league roster. This was about keeping inventory, and Black should be up when the Giants need relief help.
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March 20: Anthony Garcia reassigned to minor league camp
Garcia, 27, is a right-handed hitting outfielder with some pop, so the Giants were really hoping he would grab a job. He hit .216 in 17 spring appearances with a pair of homers. Garcia hit 25 homers in Triple-A last year and there's very little blocking him in the big league outfield, but he'll need a hot start to get back on the radar.
March 21: Joey Bart reassigned to minor league camp.
The Giants considered bringing last year's first-round pick to San Francisco for the Bay Bridge Series, but ultimately they'll let him get ready for life with the San Jose Giants. If you have the ability to go to a game in San Jose, you should do it early. Bart looks poised to move quickly.
The 22-year-old had seven hits in 20 at-bats in his first big league camp. He homered once and drove in seven runs, three on a ninth-inning RBI double off the Dodgers. That'll play.
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Bart is advanced behind the plate, but still has work to do, and the Giants are excited about having him spend so much time with first-year San Jose manager Billy Hayes, a former big league catching instructor.
In a perfect world, Bart would tear it up in the California League and move on to Double-A Richmond in a couple of months, potentially putting himself in line for a September call-up. The more likely path is a 2020 promotion, but the Giants aren't worrying too much about the timeline. Bart has lived up to their expectations so far, and when he's ready, they'll be ready.