MLB San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants Must Consider Re-Signing Ryan Vogelsong

Fresh Videos

By @real_johnshea

Ryan Vogelsong San Francisco Giants

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants are admittedly out of the market for an additional starting pitcher — kind of. Assistant GM Bobby Evans recently told Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that although it’s unlikely for the club to add another starter, depth is always a priority. The problem with that sentiment is that the Giants have none.

Tim Hudson had bone spurs removed from the ankle he injured in 2013 earlier this week, and is expected to miss at least eight weeks. The Giants remain optimistic that Hudson will be ready for Opening Day, but the barrage of question marks facing the rotation could prompt the team to explore the idea of re-signing Ryan Vogelsong.

Although Yusmeiro Petit provides the Giants with some stability at the back end of the rotation in case Tim Lincecum falters, or if Hudson’s recovery time bleeds into March, the Giants’ lone safety net can’t fix multiple inefficiencies. Matt Cain is reportedly on schedule to resume normal baseball activity when pitchers and catchers report, but it remains unknown if the Giants’ former ace will be the Cain of old.

Jake Peavy is healthy, but he’s unlikely to duplicate the 2.17 ERA he posted in 12 regular season starts with San Francisco in 2014.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Giants remain “open-minded” about James Shields, but Evans’ remarks indicate the club’s open-mindedness only extends so far. Vogelsong would be a much more affordable solution to the depth-stricken Giants, who are a few bone chips removed from Chris Heston becoming part of the rotation.

Vogelsong was stellar for the Giants in 2011-2012, posting a 27-16 record with a 3.05 ERA in 61 games (59 starts). His numbers have subsided significantly over the past two seasons. The 37-year-old journeyman is just 12-19 with a 4.62 ERA in 51 starts since the start of 2013.

Vogelsong was often the victim of minimal run support last season, receiving o-2 runs in 16 of his 32 starts. He was solid at AT&T Park, posting a 3.06 ERA in 16 starts, but logged just three wins. His performance also dipped down the stretch as he failed to record a win while registering a 5.53 ERA in his final five regular season appearances.

The idea of re-signing Vogelsong is more about security than it is about performance. The Giants’ veteran-laden rotation is riddled with inconsistency, with the exception of Madison Bumgarner. Even though Hudson’s timetable for recovery puts him on track to begin the 2015 season on the active roster, the uncertainty surrounding the body of the Giants’ rotation remains problematic.

John Shea is an MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @real_johnshea. Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on