Former SJ Giants Receive Spring Training Invites
Four players who suited up for the San Jose Giants during the 2014 season - All-Star reliever Steven Okert, former first round pick Chris Stratton, third baseman Mitch Delfino and top prospect outfielder Mac Williamson - received invitations to major league spring training today. Ty Blach, Clayton Blackburn, Kyle Crick and Adalberto Mejia, who all excelled as members of the 2013 San Jose starting rotation, were also extended non-roster invitations to San Francisco's big league camp.
It's unlikely that any of these players will be considered for spots on San Francisco's opening day roster as none have played above the Double-A level. However, the experience of participating in major league camp and seeing action in a handful of exhibition games provides a great opportunity to make a positive impression within the organization. Pitchers and catchers are due to report on February 18 with all other position players scheduled to report on February 23. The Giants' first spring training game is set for March 3 versus the Oakland Athletics.
Okert burst onto the scene last year as San Jose's closer collecting a team-high 19 saves to go with a stellar 1.53 ERA in 33 appearances before a promotion to Double-A Richmond. He then logged a 2.73 ERA and five saves in 24 games for the Flying Squirrels. Between the two clubs, Okert struck out 92 and walked just 22 in 68 1/3 innings. The hard-throwing lefty put the finishing touches on his outstanding year in the Arizona Fall League tossing 12 innings with just one run and five hits allowed, one walk and 17 strikeouts. The former fourth round pick embarks on his fourth professional season in 2015 and could open the year in Triple-A Sacramento.
Stratton spent the majority of last season in the San Jose rotation compiling a 7-8 record with a 5.07 ERA in 18 starts. The 20th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Stratton posted impressive strikeout numbers in the California League recording 102 punchouts over just 99 1/3 innings. He was then promoted to Richmond in late-July and fashioned a 3.52 ERA in five starts with the Squirrels.
Delfino anchored the third base position for the SJ Giants last season. In a team-high 131 games, he batted .289 with 28 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 77 RBI's. Delfino also posted the top third base fielding percentage in the Cal League was honored as San Jose's Defensive Player of the Year at the end of the season. The former Cal product has hit 25 home runs over the last two years (Augusta in 2013 & SJ in 2014).
Williamson emerged as one of the top position player prospects in the organization after his banner 2013 campaign with the Giants. Two years ago in the Cal League, he blasted 25 home runs to go with 31 doubles, 89 RBI's and a .292 batting average (.336 after the All-Star break). Williamson was likely ticketed for Richmond to start 2014, but an elbow injury prevented him from playing in the field and thus he was sent back to San Jose to DH-only (the DH is not used in some Double-A games). He continued to impress at the plate last April batting .318 with three homers in 23 games, but the elbow failed to improve and Williamson was forced to undergo season-ending surgery.
Okert, Stratton and Delfino will be making their first appearances in big league camp. Williamson was a non-roster invitee last spring.
The starting pitching quartet of Blach, Blackburn, Crick and Mejia are also headed to major league camp this spring after each spent the entire 2014 season in Double-A. Blach (3.13 ERA) and Blackburn (3.29 ERA) were constantly strong in the Flying Squirrels rotation last year and figure to be the most likely candidates from this group to move up to Triple-A. Blackburn also pitched in the Arizona Fall League last season. Crick had a solid 3.79 ERA and continued to post high strikeout totals last year (111 K's in 90 1/3 innings), but he also issued 61 walks and averaged just over four innings per start. Whether Crick receives a promotion to Sacramento or is sent back to Richmond will be a major storyline coming out of camp. Meanwhile, Mejia owned a pedestrian 4.67 ERA in the Squirrels rotation last season, but finished strong posting a 3.09 ERA in seven starts after July 1. He'll serve a 50-game suspension to start the year for violating baseball's drug policy.
Crick (#3), Blackburn (#5), Mejia (#6) and Blach (#7) were all ranked among the top seven prospects in the San Francisco organization by Baseball America last week.
Infielder Kelby Tomlinson, a San Jose Giant in 2013, also received an invitation to big league camp. Tomlinson, who played both second base and shortstop in Richmond last season, batted .268 in 126 games for the Flying Squirrels with one home run and 32 RBI's. He led the Eastern League with 49 stolen bases.
Blach, Blackburn and Crick were each non-roster invitees last spring as well. Mejia and Tomlinson received their first invitation.
Of the 22 total non-roster invitees, nine have once played for the San Jose Giants.
All players on the 40-man roster will also open the spring in big league camp, which includes 2014 SJ Giants Ray Black, Daniel Carbonell and Joan Gregorio.
As of now, San Francisco is set to open camp next month with 62 players (the 40 players currently on the 40-man roster + the 22 non-roster invitees). As spring training progresses, players will be sent to minor league camp before the Giants set their 25-man opening day roster in advance of their first game on April 6.