3 non-roster invitees to watch in Giants camp
This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado¡¯s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
The Giants made two notable additions by signing shortstop Willy Adames and veteran right-hander Justin Verlander to Major League deals this offseason, but they won¡¯t be the only new faces who will be reporting to Scottsdale Stadium for the start of Spring Training next week.
San Francisco has also brought in several free agents on Minor League contracts, adding some key depth to the organization and setting the stage for some interesting roster battles this spring.
The full list of non-roster invitees has yet to be announced, but here's a look at three known members of the group who could be in line to compete for roster spots in the coming weeks:
Joey Lucchesi, LHP
With Taylor Rogers no longer in the mix, the Giants are down to one left-handed reliever on their 40-man roster: Erik Miller. The lack of options could open up a path to the Opening Day roster for another southpaw like Lucchesi, a Newark, Calif., native who has made 81 Major League appearances (77 starts) for the Padres and Mets over the last seven seasons. The 31-year-old was called up to make two spot starts in New York last year, posting a 5.23 ERA over 10 1/3 innings. He spent most of the 2024 campaign at Triple-A Syracuse, where he recorded a 4.70 ERA over 27 outings (17 starts).
Max Stassi, C
Tom Murphy is projected to serve as Patrick Bailey¡¯s backup this year, but he¡¯s had trouble staying healthy over his career and is coming off a left knee injury that limited him to 13 games last year. The Giants acquired a bit of a safety net by claiming Sam Huff off waivers from the Rangers, but they could also take a look at Stassi, a 10-year veteran who is considered an above-average defender behind the plate. Stassi, 33, hasn¡¯t played in the Majors since 2022 and missed last season due to left hip surgery, but he could emerge as an intriguing candidate if he finds a way to regain the form he showed with the Angels in 2021, when he logged a .752 OPS with a career-high 13 home runs over 87 games.
Jake Lamb, 1B/DH
The Giants are light on left-handed bats in the infield, but they brought another experienced option into the fold by inking Lamb, a 2017 All-Star with the D-backs. The 34-year-old mashed 59 homers for Arizona from 2016-17, but he hasn¡¯t drawn more than 240 plate appearances in a single Major League season since then. He spent all of last year in the Pirates' organization, batting .264 with a .743 OPS and seven homers over 98 games for Triple-A Indianapolis. The Giants are expected to platoon LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores at first base, but the designated hitter spot remains in flux, so Lamb could get a chance to vie for some at-bats there this spring.