Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick is joined by special guest Millard Thomas of Locked On Diamondbacks in the latest Division Day. Ben and Millard discuss Madison Bumgarner's alarming first year in Arizona, what went wrong for a D-backs team that entered 2020 with high expectations, and what to expect from Bumgarner and the team in 2021. They also discuss the division as a whole, including weighing in on whether the San Diego Padres' stellar offseason was enough to perhaps unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West. Finally, they discuss which of their two teams is better, and how they seeing the final standings playing out. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKED15 for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Join our Bracket Challenge https://fantasy.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2021/en/group?groupID=3624947 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the latest with the San Francisco Giants. Starter Alex Wood is going to see a spine specialist to evaluate his injured back. While not entirely surprising, this is not good news for the Giants, whose starting rotation consists of a number of high injury risk players. However, the Giants are deep enough to withstand multiple injuries, and first in line appears to be Logan Webb, who has pitched beautifully this spring. Gabe Kapler said Webb and Aaron Sanchez are on track to be in the Giants rotation to start the season. Yesterday was also cut day at Giants camp. The team optioned or reassigned 25 players out of the approximately 75 in camp. Despite being demoted, these players were still around major league camp because there is no minor league camp right now due to Covid-19. One notable omission from the cut list was Heliot Ramos, who has had a spectacular spring. There's almost zero chance Ramos opens the season on the major league roster, so this appears to be a symbolic move more than anything. Ben also introduces Hot Take Tuesday. In the very first edition of the new segment, Ben explains why he thinks the Giants are an 86-win team—much better than most projection systems think they are. He references his major "hot takes" from last year, when he predicted that the Giants would be much better than expected, and that Kevin Gausman would out-pitch Madison Bumgarner. Both of those predictions proved to be very much correct, but only time will tell if this year's prediction comes true. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKED15 for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Join our Bracket Challenge https://fantasy.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2021/en/group?groupID=3624947 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about three things we learned this weekend with the San Francisco Giants. The first thing we learned is that Logan Webb is making a very strong case that he belongs in a major league rotation. In his outing on Saturday, he struck out six Cleveland Indians in three innings of work, allowing just one hit, one walk, and zero runs. He's struck out 10 and walked one in six innings of work this spring. Webb looks to be on the outside looking in to the Giants' starting rotation, but Alex Wood is dealing with a stiff back and Webb could be first in line if a starter goes down with an injury or underperforms. The second thing we learned is that Brandon Belt had Covid in January and mononucleosis in recent weeks. Belt was absent from spring workouts for weeks, and we finally learned the extent of his illnesses. Thankfully, Belt is feeling better and even got up to 17 mph on a treadmill in recent days. Finally, the third thing we learned this weekend is that Aaron Sanchez wants to pitch in a spring game. He said he expected to appear in his first game on Sunday, but the Giants had him pitch in a simulated game instead. There seemed to be some communication issues, but nothing major. Sanchez was reportedly throwing the ball well in the sim game, and he hopes to get into a real spring game sometime this week. Ben sneaks in one more thing we learned this weekend: not that it necessarily means anything, but the Giants lead all teams with a .383 on-base percentage this spring. They've drawn the most walks (69) and have the second-most hits (116) through 14 games. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKED15 for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Join our Bracket Challenge https://fantasy.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2021/en/group?groupID=3624947 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers questions from listeners about the state of the San Francisco Giants as the 2021 season approaches. Among the questions asked and answered are: Is Steven Duggar making the team? He's making a strong case. Out of LaMonte Wade Jr., Jason Krizan, Jason Vosler and Steven Duggar, who do you think makes the biggest impact this year? Will Heliot Ramos be up this year? Does Ramos' timeline get moved up at all by his good showing so far this spring? Do you think acquiring Will Wilson for cash was a steal? Even though spring training games don’t matter, what are some stats that can be actual indicators of success in the regular season? For your money, who is the current Giant most likely to break out of a platoon assignment? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick provides status updates on several San Francisco Giants players who are either injured or have yet to appear in a Spring Training game. Among the Giants in that category are Brandon Belt, Kevin Gausman, Austin Slater, and Aaron Sanchez, all of whom are vital to the team's success in 2021. Belt is the most likely of all to miss Opening Day, as he has been sidelined with a non-COVID illness all spring. Fortunately for San Francisco, their first opponent of the year, the Seattle Mariners, figure to start three consecutive left-handed starters. That should allow the Giants to withstand the loss of Belt for a short period of time. Gausman is arguably more indispensible. He emerged as a front-line starter in 2020, and he should start on Opening Day if he's available. Although Gausman has yet to appear in a spring game, manager Gabe Kapler hasn't indicated that there's anything wrong with his health, and he has been throwing bullpens and live batting practice. Slater is an important player for the Giants as well, and he should be starting all three opening series games if he's available, but he is nursing a sore hamstring. Sanchez's status is similar to Gausman's. He's apparently healthy, but he hasn't pitched in a spring game. He has a checkered injury history, so it's worth monitoring his progress. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants, it's another Division Day! Host Ben Kaspick is joined by Locked On Padres host Javier Reyes to discuss the state of the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. The Padres had one of baseball's all-time offseasons, signing Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 14-year, $340 million extension and trading for ace pitchers Blake Snell and Yu Darvish. Javier talks about all the activity, and also some of the smaller moves the Padres made to make them legitimate contenders to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West and perhaps win a World Series. Ben talks about the Giants' sneakily busy offseason, in which they brought back Kevin Gausman and signed a ton of major league players including Tommy La Stella, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, Aaron Sanchez, Jake McGee, Matt Wisler, Curt Casali, and more. The Giants were quietly competitive and a great offensive team in 2020, and Ben thinks they got better this offseason and should continue to surprise people in 2021. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers listeners' questions about the state of the San Francisco Giants. Among the questions asked and answered are: How many wins do you think the Giants will finish with? And what are your own odds on them getting into the playoffs? For your money, who is likely to have the most wins out of Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, and Aaron Sanchez? Who do you think gets a surprise roster spot out of camp this year? If LaMonte Wade Jr. were only able to a) play center field at a serviceable or better level, or b) hit for more power, but not both, is he still worthy of a roster spot with his on-base skills? If the Giants were to see Patrick Bailey killing it in the early spring/minor league season, and Joey Bart not doing so well, would they consider moving Bart? If they do, what type of player could be expected in return? Do you have shares of any SF players in Fantasy this year? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about three things we learned this weekend with the San Francisco Giants. The first thing we learned is that the Giants' future is very bright. That was on display during Sunday's Cactus League win over the Cincinnati Reds. Giants top prospects Heliot Ramos and Joey Bart went deep—Ramos twice—and Hunter Bishop (the Giants' 2019 first-round draft pick) and Marco Luciano (considered by many to be San Francisco's best prospect) also collected hits. In the near future, the Giants figure to have a pipeline of exciting talent coming up from the minors on a regular basis. The second thing we learned this weekend is that a limited number of fans are likely going to be allowed at Oracle Park beginning on April 9th for the Giants' home opener. The fans were greatly missed by players and coaches alike last year, and in turn, the fans greatly missed going to games and experiencing the team in person. The Giants have a great relationship with the fans, so the fact that fans will likely return to Oracle Park this year is extremely encouraging news. The third thing we learned this weekend is that the Giants' bullpen is insanely deep. The club officially announced the signing of left-handed reliever José Álvarez to a one-year deal with a team option for 2022. Álvarez, Jake McGee, Matt Wisler, and Jarlin Garcia are the only relievers on the Giants' 40-man roster who cannot be optioned to the minor leagues. The Giants have scores of relievers who are deserving of a major league opportunity who may be optioned to the minors because of the club's bullpen depth, especially with left-handed relievers. Guys like Caleb Baragar and Wandy Peralta may spend extended periods of time in the minors this year. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick is joined by special guest Marc Delucchi, who discusses the state of the San Francisco Giants' farm system. Marc is a contributor and co-site expert at Around the Foghorn, and this week is the site's very first ever Giants Prospect Week. Today Marc unveils his Top 31 Giants Prospects list at Around the Foghorn. Ben and Marc discuss a wide range of topics, from a big surprise at No. 2 on Marc's list, to Joey Bart's 2020 struggles, and so much more. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the latest with the San Francisco Giants and Major League Baseball. Following the Giants' televised spring game on Tuesday, Ben breaks down the game's key takeaways. Two lefty bats with aspirations of making the Giants' roster at some point this season were in the lineup and had impressive games. Outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. could play a prominent role this year, as he seems to fit the Giants' needs perfectly. In the infield, Jason Vosler could get a real opportunity at some point, and he made a good impression by lining a pair of opposite field doubles against Dodgers ace Walker Buehler and the flame throwing righty Dustin May. In the second segment, Ben discusses a couple of major stories that have broken in the last few days. The Athletic reported yesterday that expanded postseason and the universal DH are "dead issues," which could dramatically affect the Giants' 2021 playoff chances. Additionally, we learned this week that the Triple-A season, which was originally slated to start in early April, will be delayed until May. Finally, Ben discusses Jon Heyman's report that the Giants are close to signing veteran relief pitcher José Álvarez. It's probably a minor league contract, but could be a major league deal given Álvarez's track record of being a consistently good left-handed reliever. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick joins Ryan Ladika of Locked On Rockies to talk about the latest with the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. In talking about the Giants, Ben addresses their busy offseason and goes in depth on the Tommy La Stella signing and the state of the Giants' catchers. The catching situation is a bit complicated, as Buster Posey returns from opting out of the 2020 season and top prospect Joey Bart remains in the wings. In discussing the Rockies, Ryan talks about the Nolan Arenado trade, and owner Dick Monfort's comment that he hasn't even considered firing general manager Jeff Bridich, despite him being personally responsible for the Arenado trade and making a number of high profile free agent signings that fell completely flat. To wrap up the show, Ben and Ryan discuss the challenges these two franchises face existing in a division with the loaded Dodgers and Padres, and they mull over the pros and cons of an expanded postseason in MLB. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick breaks down the latest from spring training for the San Francisco Giants. First, Ben talks about yesterday's Giants lineup which featured newcomer Tommy La Stella at the top, followed by 2020 breakout star Mike Yastrzemski. Those two figure to be a pesky and formidable 1-2 punch at the top of San Francisco's order this year against right-handed pitchers, and they could be followed by the equally dangerous Brandon Belt and Alex Dickerson. Next, Ben breaks down tonight's starting lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a game which will be televised on NBC Sports Bay Area. The highlight of this lineup is Marco Luciano batting ninth and playing shortstop. Luciano is considered by many to be the Giants' best prospect, and a top-10 prospect in all of baseball. He's just 19 years old and could be just a year or two away from the major leagues. Finally, Ben talks about what to look for overall from the Giants this spring training. The team has several of its top prospects in camp, so it will be fascinating to follow their performance. However, Ben advises that spring training stats, and the team's win-loss record, should not be read into too much. It's a wiser approach to look out for statements from manager Gabe Kapler or front office leaders Farhan Zaidi and Scott Harris when looking for insights about who's standing out in camp. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses three things we learned this weekend about the San Francisco Giants. The first thing we learned is that Buster Posey is back, and that that's a big deal. The Giants sorely missed Posey last year as Joey Bart, Chadwick Tromp, and Tyler Heineman struggled to produce. Posey is healthy, motivated, and could be in line for a resurgent season after working with the Giants' savvy new hitting coaches. The second thing we learned is that the Giants may have a problem at the backup shortstop position. Mauricio Dubón started at short in yesterday's first spring training game, and he looked extremely shaky. He let a ball go through his legs, and failed to get a single out on what should have been a double play grounder. Brandon Crawford will need some days off, so backup shortstop is going to be an area to watch moving forward. Finally, the third thing we learned is that Sam Long looks legit. Long is in camp as a non-roster invitee, and Gabe Kapler, Posey, and Joey Bart are among the prominent Giants who have raved about Long's bullpens so far. Long's stuff was on display on Sunday, and he looked awesome. The Giants have 20 non-roster pitchers in camp, so Long, Jimmie Sherfy, and others could be dark horses to make the Giants' opening day roster. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers questions from listeners about the state of the San Francisco Giants. Among the questions asked and answered are: I’m getting a little concerned that we might not see Austin Slater make the roster. Is too much depth ever a problem? If so, what does that look like? How do you see Farhan Zaidi addressing that issue? Who are the players that are out of minor league options? If the Giants are hunting free agents in 2022, what position do you think they should target (assuming Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford are gone). The team talks a lot about stretching out pitchers. Would it be a health consideration for ‘starters’/multiple inning pitchers like Shun Yamaguchi or Nick Tropeano to have normal bullpen duties and also be able to make spot starts? I guess more clarity on the idea of stretching out players. Did the fact that the Giants had to protect four players from the Rule 5 Draft hinder their attempt to sign more major league contracts? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers listeners' questions about the state of the San Francisco Giants. Among the questions asked and answered are: If LaMonte Wade Jr. makes the team, who would be on the chopping block (better to DFA Darin Ruf or send down Austin Slater)? How does this stockpiling pitching depth work with roster spots since veterans often opt out if they don’t make the MLB club? Would Shun Yamaguchi consider starting in Triple-A? With the rosters back to 26, it seems like either Ruf or Donovan Solano may be expendable. If they do get dealt, what would they bring back? I can’t wait for this wave of prospects to be ready. Who do you think will be the first to make an impact on the big club? Where do you see Tyler Beede fitting into the rotation and how do you think he’ll do? Adding to that, might Beede make a home in the bullpen? You brought up Jaylin Davis on the podcast yesterday. He only got 12 at-bats last year before getting the hook and was kind of forgotten about. Any word on him, and who would be the favorite to make the roster between him and Steven Duggar? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices