SF Giants call up Wade Meckler, Johan Camargo in flurry of roster moves
The SF Giants called up outfielder Wade Meckler (Giants #7 Prospect), and infielder Johan Camargo from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday. To clear space on the 40-man roster for both players, the Giants designated outfielder Luis González for assignment and shifted pitcher Anthony DeSclafani to the 60-day injured list. To clear space on the active roster, the Giants optioned outfielder Luis Matos (Giants Top 4 Prospect) and infielder Mark Mathias to Triple-A Sacramento.
Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic first reported that outfielder Luis González was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. ESPN's Jeff Passan was the first to report that Meckler was receiving a call up.
Meckler was selected by the Giants in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oregon State after one of the most unique college careers among draft prospects and has had an ascendant run through the minor leagues this season. He started the year at High-A Eugene before subsequent promotions to Double-A and Triple-A. Meckler has hit .379/.463/.522 between all three stops with nearly as many walks (39) as strikeouts. Meckler will become the fourth player selected in the 2022 MLB Draft to appear in the majors and the first not with the Los Angeles Angels.
Despite multiple injury absences this season, Meckler has already emerged as one of the most exciting prospects in the organization. He already became the first member of the team's 2022 draft class to reach High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A earlier this season and will now do the same in the majors. At High-A, he posted a mind-boggling .456/.494/.633 triple-slash line with six doubles, a triple, and two home runs in 20 games.
Double-A pitching slowed down Meckler's power production, but he's still posted a .336/.431/.450 line with seven doubles, two triples, two long balls, and a 14.4% walk rate (16.7% strikeout rate) across 39 games. He pulled the ball and hit the ball into the ground at a higher clip in the Eastern League, but Meckler still managed to find the open holes on the field to get his hits and displayed exemplary plate discipline in the batter's box.
At Triple-A, in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Meckler was even better. In 10 games, Meckler hit .400/.546/.600 with two doubles and a home run in 33 plate appearances alongside more walks (8) than strikeouts (5).
Meckler fell in the draft primarily due to concerns about his power potential. Meckler is an above-average athlete and has the best plate approach in the Giants' farm system. With a slight frame, though, scouts had concerns that he will not be able to hit for enough power against big-league pitching. However, it certainly has not been an issue so far in his career.
Camargo has barely spent any time in the Giants organization, and was only signed to a minor-league contract earlier this week. He appeared in every MLB season from 2017-2022 between Atlanta and the Philadelphia Phillies. He has not appeared in the majors this season, hitting .263/.340/.460 with the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers Triple-A affiliates. Since joining the Giants, Camargo appeared in two Triple-A games and blasted a 469-foot home run.
It's been some time since Camargo was an average or better MLB hitter, but the 29-year-old infielder is a versatile defender capable of playing shortstop, third base, and second base. His career triple-slash against left-handed pitching in the majors is also a promising .265/.319/.463 with 26 doubles and 15 home runs in 409 plate appearances.
Matos' demotion is not entirely surprising, although it coming for Meckler is more unexpected. After a solid start to his pro career, the top outfield prospect in the organization has struggled to impact the ball in recent weeks and has seen his triple-slash fall to .241/.306/.317 in 175 MLB plate appearances. Moreover, Matos has struggled defensively in center field, likely pushing the Giants to give him more playing time at Triple-A.
Mathias was acquired at the trade deadline from the Mariners and was unable to capitalize on a short big-league stint. He went 2-for-10 with four strikeouts and zero walks across five games. Unable to play shortstop, Mathias likely needed to be more productive at the plate to keep the Giants from looking elsewhere for a backup infielder.
González missed the start of the season after undergoing back surgery but struggled at Triple-A Sacramento since his return. While he had a promising rookie campaign in 2022, he hit just .217/.329/.300 in 17 minor-league games this season. Now he will go through waivers and could remain in the SF Giants farm system if he goes unclaimed.
DeSclafani has been on the injured list since late July and recently received a PRP injection in his injured elbow. DeSclafani got off to an excellent start this season but struggled mightily after the first month. He has a 4.88 ERA in 19 games (99.2 innings pitched) this season.
Can Wade Meckler and Johan Camargo get the Giants out of their recent offensive slump? It's impossible to know right now. But one thing is for sure, two players who no one would have expected to be helping the SF Giants this season will be donning the Orange and Black on Monday as the team starts a three-game series against the Rays.
