San Francisco Giants Release Intriguing Outfield Option

The San Francisco Giants decided to move on from one of their outfielders.

Feb 24, 2024; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Ryan McKenna (26) hits a ground ball into a force out during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into the season, the San Francisco Giants looked to have their outfield situation all figured out with the high-profile signing of Korean star Jung Hoo Lee that put him alongside a veteran group led by Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski.

But when Lee dislocated his shoulder and underwent season-ending surgery to repair his torn labrum, things changed in a hurry.

Thankfully, the Giants have seen the emergence of their past top prospect Heliot Ramos. He played his way into an All-Star selection and looks like he will be a huge part of this group moving forward.

Outside of him, though, there hasn't been a whole lot of production.

That's one of the reasons why San Francisco claimed former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Ryan McKenna off waivers back in mid-May. Even though he's never been a bat-first type of player with a career slash line of .221/.298/.328, his ability to be used defensively was worth taking a chance on at the time.

His time with the Giants was short-lived, though.

Within 10 days since he was claimed off waivers, he was designated for assignment. This began a time period where he was on the injured list two separate times, making it difficult for him to find a rhythm.

Now, McKenna has hit the open market following his release according to his transactions page.

San Francisco seems to be in a much better position along their outfield than when they signed the veteran option.

Tyler Fitzgerald has been showcasing his potential on offense and they called up slugger Jerar Encarnacion from Triple-A who could give this lineup some major pop coming down the stretch.

Ultimately, there just wasn't enough room on this roster for McKenna so the organization decided to part ways with him and allow him to find his next opportunity.