Giants Baseball Insider

Phillies claim recently DFA'd SF Giants OF Cal Stevenson

The SF Giants dropped outfielder Cal Stevenson last week. The Philadelphia Phillies picked him up
Sean Keane|
Phillies claim recently DFA'd SF Giants OF Cal Stevenson
Phillies claim recently DFA'd SF Giants OF Cal Stevenson

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San Francisco GiantsPhiladelphia Phillies

Cal Stevenson didn't spend much time unemployed after the SF Giants designated him for assignment last week. He's now the newest member of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Stevenson went hitless in 12 plate appearances in six games for the Giants, though he did draw three walks. He made his major league debut for the Oakland A's last season, putting up a .167/.261/.217 slash line in 23 games.

This year, the A's traded Stevenson to the Giants for cash considerations, effectively trading him for Sam Long, who the A's purchased from the Giants a few days later. The Giants sent him to AAA, then promoted him to the big leagues in May after Mike Yastrzemski got hurt.

Now he's going to provide an outfield depth option for the Phillies, who are awaiting Cristian Pache's return from a meniscus tear. Stevenson hasn't hit much in the majors, but his AAA numbers are very respectable - .271/.382/.386 - though he doesn't have much power.

What Stevenson does have is over 1800 innings of experience playing center field in the pros. He's fast and often makes spectacular plays with his glove.

That's what appeals to the Phillies, who have Brandon Marsh in center, who's a fine defender. But they also have Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos at the outfield corners. As defenders, those two are really nice hitters. Stevenson's an IronPig until the Phillies decide they need his glove.

The Giants designated Stevenson for assignment when they needed to create a 40-man roster spot for Patrick Bailey. He was a victim of a roster crunch in SF, where there's already an offensively-challenged center fielder in Bryce Johnson. They also have two outfielders who play multiple positions in Blake Sabol and Brett Wisely.

He might end up a victim of a roster crunch in Philadelphia as well, once their own injured outfielders get healthy. It wouldn't be a shock to see Stevenson back in San Francisco someday, especially if he makes the big club. After all, the SF Giants are always looking for someone with Philly cheese steak expertise.

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Sean Keane
SEAN KEANE

Sean Keane (he/him) is a writer, stand-up, and co-host of the Roundball Rock NBA podcast. He wrote for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” his work has appeared in McSweeney's, Audible.com, and Yardbarker, and he's performed at countless festivals, including SF Sketchfest, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, RIOT LA, and NoisePop. In 2014, the San Francisco Bay Guardian named Sean an “Outstanding Local Discovery,” and promptly went out of business.

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