Oct 22, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco hits a solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning during game two of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Gregor Blanco will not longer suit up for the San Francisco Giants come next season, but he may have another shot at roaming the spacious outfield of AT&T Park on a somewhat consistent basis.
Blanco, 33, has elected to stay in the NL West after signing a minor-league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on January 17th, announcing the signing himself by way of a short Instagram video.
Before Blanco made the news official, Blanco’s agent Wilfredo Polidor announced the signing on Twitter.
According to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish, Blanco will receive a base salary of $1M should he crack Arizona’s Opening Day roster.
Should Blanco fail to make the major league roster, he may opt out of his contract on April 1st.
The veteran outfielder looks to secure a reserve role with the Diamondbacks. Also in the mix for the backup outfielder position are Oswaldo Arcia and Jeremy Hazelbaker.
Blanco’s ability to field each position in the outfield well in addition to his above-average speed will help his case come spring training.
A little over five years ago on November 16th, 2011, Blanco signed a minor-league deal with San Francisco after spending the entirety of 2011 in the minors.
Despite the nature of the deal, Blanco played exactly zero games for the Giants during his five-year tenure with the team.
Blanco quickly emerged as a diamond in the rough for San Francisco, most notably when he preserved Matt Cain’s perfect game by venturing deep into Triple’s Alley and making a full extension dive to take away a sure hit.
During San Francisco’s World Series runs in 2012 and 2014, Blanco seamlessly took the place of Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan, respectively.
In Blanco’s five seasons in the City by the Bay, he slashed .259/.338/.360 and compiled a WAR of 8.6, well-exceeding his expectations when he originally signed with the team.
Due to an ailing shoulder injury he suffered in May, Blanco’s produciton at the plate suffered in his final season with the Giants, batting .224/.309/.311 with a wRC+ of 70, all of which were career-lows specifically pertaining to his time with San Francisco.
Gorkys Hernandez will likely replace Blanco as San Francisco’s versatile outfielder. Last season, when Blanco landed on the disabled list late in the season, Hernandez filled in for him as well.
San Francisco is content to let Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker compete for the starting job in left field. Should both fail to impress, Bochy will likely form a platoon featuring the two.
Around the beginning of the offseason, Blanco realized San Francisco would likely not re-sign him, creating another short video which chronicled his time as a Giant, along with a heartfelt caption.
Along with Blanco, Santiago Casilla has moved on to another team, opting to sign with the Oakland A’s right across the bridge.
Fellow veterans in Pagan, Sergio Romo, and Javier Lopez have yet to find a team. Lopez has clarified that he will retire if he does not find the optimal situation.