San Francisco Giants Make Surprising Move With Struggling Veteran Infielder

The San Francisco Giants made a move to keep their former starting second baseman — for the time being.

Jul 13, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second base Thairo Estrada (39) fields a ground ball during the second inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Oracle Park. / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants sent infielder Thairo Estrada to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, a move that came two days after the team made the surprising decision to place him on waivers.

Major League teams are now using the waiver wire to expose certain players near the end of August for the purposes of giving them a chance to move on to a contender. The move also allows the team to save a bit of money.

But, in Estrada’s case, he was making $4.7 million and had two more years of arbitration eligibility ahead of him. The Giants would not have saved much and risked giving up a player with controllable years. That’s something most teams are loathe to do.

After he cleared waivers, the Giants could have released him outright and allowed him to become a free agent. Instead, they kept him. By assigning him to Sacramento he’ll continue to play in the organization but will no longer be on the 40-man roster. For now, his three years of Major League service time remains static.

In the vacuum of this season, it makes some sense. He’s batted .217. But after last year’s performance, in which he slashed .271/.315/.416/.731 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI, he looked like a player that was here to stay — and one that should be given some slack.

So what happened? Manager Bob Melvin explained Estrada’s situation to the media, including NBC Sports Bay Area, before Friday’s game.

"Look, he had a tough road this year with his hand and wrist (injuries) and didn't perform the way he has in the past," he said. "I think it's more now about trying to get some (other) guys some opportunities and the fact that maybe the performance wasn't there. I mean, it's tough not to love Thairo. He's a great guy and plays hard every day, he never makes excuses, he's been a great Giant. Unfortunately this is the decision that we've made."

The words “he’s been a great Giant” might be a hint that San Francisco doesn’t see the 28-year-old in its long-term plans anymore. It’s also possible he turns things around in the minors and the Giants give him another chance in spring training. The move gives them a bit of flexibility in the short term.  

Estrada most recently returned from a left wrist sprain, the same injury that forced him on the IL earlier this season. In between stints he hit just .088 in 34 plate appearances.

Before he joined the Giants he was with the New York Yankees in 2019 and 2020. The Giants acquired him for cash after the Yankees designated him for assignment in early 2021.