The San Francisco Giants are in the midst of a playoff race. That would normally include adding to the team’s 25-man roster.
Instead, San Francisco made the somewhat surprising decision on Tuesday to designate former All-Star second baseman and Gold Glove winner Joe Panik for assignment.
Panik, 28, has been a core member of the Giants since making his MLB debut back in 2014. He earned an All-Star nod as a sophomore in 2015 and helped the Giants to a World Series title the previous season as a rookie.
This season has not gone swimmingly for Panik. He’s hitting just .235 with three homers, 27 RBI and a horrible .310 on-base percentage.
Once San Francisco acquired Scooter Gennett from the Cincinnati Reds during last week’s trade deadline, it became clear that Panik’s future with the team was up in the air.
The veteran should be able to latch on with another contender for the remainder of the season. Keep an eye on San Francisco’s Northern California rivals in that of the Oakland Athletics.