Giants Lack of Depth Beginning To Have Major Impact on Lineup's Production

The San Francisco Giants are starting to feel the effects of their lack of depth.

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One of the things that the San Francisco Giants did well under the previous regime that was headed by Farhan Zaidi and previous manager Gabe Kapler was to maximize matchups and the margins on the roster.

At times, it seemed like the team became too enamored with attempting to maximize matchups, with a focus on creating platoon advantages. But it was encouraging to see the team’s floor being as solid as it was despite the ceiling not being very high at points.

There are certainly some disadvantages to operating in that fashion, constantly churning out the bottom of the roster. Continuity and chemistry are real and the Giants would sometimes lack that, always having different defensive alignments, all in the name of setting platoon advantages.

Striking that perfect balance is what separates the bad from the good teams and the good from the great ones. That is the next challenge for Buster Posey, as he navigates his first year as president of baseball operations.

Despite the team’s recent struggles and plummeting down the standings, there has been a lot to like about his first year leading the franchise. Posey has shown a willingness to be aggressive to upgrade the roster and the unique ability to pivot at the drop of a dime.

No one would have blamed him had he continued dumping assets into the roster ahead of the MLB trade deadline to make a postseason push. Instead, he assessed the situation appropriately, selling a few key pieces to bolster a farm system in need of talent.

His aggressiveness is certainly welcomed by the fan base. He has one clear goal, which is to make the roster as good as it possibly can be. But, he needs to take a page out of the previous regime’s playbook and start finding ways to improve on the margins.

Giants roster lacking flexibility and versatility

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Depth on this year’s team and the lack of flexibility have left manager Bob Melvin’s hands tied when it comes to mixing and matching his lineups. It has led to some players being relied upon heavily, causing a drop in their production and a team that looks worn down.

San Francisco has played 120 games entering action on Aug. 13. Shortstop Willy Adames has started 119 of those games and left fielder Heliot Ramos has seen action in 117. Jung Hoo Lee, accustomed to 144-game seasons in Korea, has played in 113 and has battled some injuries over the last two years.

On top of that, Lee has played 91.3% of the team’s defensive innings this year in center field. That is a lot of wear and tear when taking into account just how much ground has to be covered at Oracle Park. His 262 consecutive at-bats without a home run hint that he is tiring out.

Resting players who are that important to the team’s success is a little easier when there are worthy options to turn to, but the Giants are lacking in that department as well. They don’t have the luxury of being able to deploy someone such as Adames or Ramos at designated hitter too often, either, because Rafael Devers is locked in at that spot while he expands his responsbilities and learns to handle first base.

It has led to someone playing well, such as Dominic Smith, not being able to get into the lineup as often as Melvin would like to use him.

Diversifying the roster and providing more pieces to the puzzle should be the No. 1 goal of Posey this offseason. Devers, Adames, Ramos, Lee and Matt Chapman locked in as the core, with top prospect Bryce Eldridge on the way, is a great core to build around.