Photo by Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants will take a chance on a second baseman who has been one of baseball’s best in recent years but has struggled mightily in 2019.
The Giants have acquired second baseman Scooter Gennett from the Reds for cash considerations, according to reports from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman:
Scooter Gennett to #SFGiants, source tells The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019
Scooter Gennett went to Giants for cash considerations
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2019
If he can get back to his prior form, Gennett will be the reliable starter at second base that the Giants have lacked all year as Joe Panik has struggled to a .231/.305/.312 slash line. Gennett, a 2018 All-Star, has been one of the best second baseman in the majors since joining his hometown Reds prior to the 2017 season, hitting .298/.344/.493 with 50 homers over 1,204 plate appearances with Cincinnati. But he’s struggled mightily in his return from a groin tear this season, hitting .212/.232/.258 with no homers since being activated from the injured list on June 28. He has at least heated up as a contact hitter in recent days, hitting .308 over his last seven games, though his .296 OBP and .385 slugging percentage over that stretch still leave something to be desired.
Gennett is a free agent after this season, but a strong stretch run with a Giants team that is suddenly competing for a wild-card spot could help rebuild his value heading into the offseason. It’ll be interesting to see what this move means for Panik, as he’s somewhat redundant with Gennett as a left-handed hitting second baseman, and the Giants already have lefty-mashing middle infielder Donovan Solano on the roster as a backup to shortstop Brandon Crawford and as a potential platoon option at second.
