San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence went on the disabled list after injuring his hamstring on Wednesday. A specific recovery time is not yet known but, per Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, manager Bruce Bochy doesn’t seem optimistic.
Pence "did a pretty good job on it, unfortunately," Bochy said. On DL and not back soon. Williamson up.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) June 2, 2016
It’s difficult to forecast exactly what Bochy meant here, and honestly, the manager probably doesn’t even know.
As Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle said, team doctor Ken Akizuki hasn’t even had a chance to look at the pictures from Pence’s MRI. Even once that happens, recovery times for hamstring injuries tend to be inconsistent. It really depends on the person and the specific injury.
It is, however, likely safe to assume that the Giants will be without Pence for significantly more than the minimum 15 days. So, where will San Francisco turn?
For now, Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson will likely pick up the slack. Once Angel Pagan returns from the DL, it’s safe to assume that Gregor Blanco will also take some at-bats that previously would have gone to Pence.
That’s probably what we’ll see from the NL West leaders for a while. Externally, there are some interesting options, but no real natural ones.
Ryan Braun is the biggest name on the market. But given the great season he’s having and the fact that he’s under contract through 2020, the Milwaukee Brewers would likely require a steep trade haul for Braun.
Matt Kemp will likely be available. He has a good power bat and from his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, would be familiar with AT&T Park’s tricky outfield.
Arranging the finances is what would be tricky. He’s owed $21.5 million per year through 2019, with the Dodgers paying $3.5 million annually and San Diego taking on the rest.
If the Giants expect the Padres to eat a good chunk of what’s left, Kemp would likely require a heavy cost. If they want a more reasonable trade haul, then San Francisco would probably have to pay all or most of Kemp’s remaining salary. Even if that’s a complete non-issue, trading within the division is always complicated.
Jay Bruce would make a little more sense. But the Giants lineup is already very left-hand dominant. Additionally, AT&T Park is a complete power drain for lefties.
Expect the Giants to roll with Williamson, Parker, or some combination of the two for a while. If that doesn’t work out, then they’d probably look to other Minor League options before making a big splash on the trade market.