Giants cut ties with former Guardians outfielder after horrid -49 OPS+ hitting stretch

Giants cut ties with former Guardians outfielder after horrid -49 OPS+ hitting stretch originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The San Francisco Giants have been one of the worst-hitting teams in the Majors due to a lack of production from their stars. 

Rafael Devers, in particular, has struggled. Devers’ .696 OPS is far too low for a player making $32.5 million a year. 

As of this afternoon, San Francisco is 27-41, the second-worst record in the National League. 

Other hitters are not picking up the slack either. After a short stay with the NL West club, the Giants have designated a former Cleveland Guardians outfielder for assignment. 

Giants part ways with 28-year-old outfielder

On Wednesday, San Francisco announced that left-handed hitter Will Brennan was designated for assignment. 

The 28-year-old collected just two hits in 23 trips to the plate after signing a Major League contract with the Giants during the offseason. However, he only struck out three times in those opportunities. 

Brennan’s 87 OPS+ in his career indicates he’s performed 13% worse than the average MLB hitter since debuting with the Guardians in 2022. 

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“Brennan has some wheels and could have some appeal as a speed-and-defense depth outfielder, though the bat is more of a question mark,” Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors wrote. “Even when he puts up good marks in the minors, he does so with a low walk rate and generally relies on batted-ball luck.” 

Manager Tony Vitello’s club cannot afford lackluster production from the bottom of the order at this point of the season. 

If the Giants want any chance of making the postseason, they’ll need to make offensive upgrades, most likely internally. 

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