With their depth in center field already wearing thin just two games into the regular season, the San Francisco Giants are nearing a minor-league deal with veteran outfielder Drew Stubbs, as first reported by Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group.
#sfgiants are nearing a deal with Drew Stubbs to a minor league deal. They are thin in OF with Williamson/Morse and now Span injuries.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) April 5, 2017
Starting center fielder Denard Span missed Tuesday’s game in Arizona with a stiff left hip, pushing Gorkys Hernandez into the lineup. It is unclear at this point how long Span will be out, leaving Hernandez and starting left fielder Jarrett Parker as the only short term replacements currently on the big league roster.
Injuries have also thinned out the outfield depth for the Giants’ minor league affiliate Sacramento River Cats with Mac Williamson currently on the 10-day DL with a strained quadriceps, and Michael Morse still recovering from a strained hamstring. Stephen Duggar, another spring invitee, is also dealing with a strained flexor muscle in his forearm. Wynton Bernard is currently the only healthy full-time center fielder on the River Cats roster, making him and Hernandez the only two natural CFs between the two clubs.
Stubbs, 32, is a former first round pick (8th overall) of the Cincinnati Reds in the 2006 draft, but has struggled to produce at the major league level in eight seasons split amongst six teams. Stubbs is known to be a high strikeout guy, leading the majors with 205 in 2011. Last season in time split between the Braves, Rangers and Orioles, Stubbs finished with a line of .225/.330/.338 and hit three home runs in 59 at-bats.
Stubbs was released by the Minnesota Twins at the end of spring training.