The lockout didn’t cost baseball any regular season games, but it did severely cut into spring training.
Spring training normally lasts six weeks. In a post-lockout world, it’ll be cut down to 26 days.
Players experienced an abbreviated spring training ramp-up before for the 2020 COVID-19 season. The accelerated period is less than ideal, and Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi noted Friday it’ll impact starting pitchers the most.
Zaidi said the Giants will be flexible with players, deferring to them on how they prefer to prepare. If someone wants to face more live pitching or want to take things a little slower, they’ll accommodate that.
During the lockout, players were prohibited from using team facilities and communicating with coaches — including medical staff. But it’s not like players have been loafing around all winter. Many, including Giants union rep Austin Slater, have been training using the MLBPA-sponsored facility in Mesa, Ariz. to train. Giants minor league camp opened on March 5 at their new Papago Park complex in Phoenix.
Mandatory reporting for spring training is this Sunday, March 13. Many Giants players and staff are already in Arizona, and camp will open to the media starting March 12.
San Francisco opens its Cactus League schedule on March 18 against the Chicago Cubs in Scottsdale. The Giants are slated to play 17 exhibition games in 19 days.
SF concludes its spring training schedule with two games against the Oakland Athletics on April 4-5. Giants CEO Larry Baer previously said that Bay Bridge Series was canceled; it’s unclear whether that home-and-home will be held in Arizona or the Bay.
Here’s the full Giants spring training schedule:
March 18 vs. Cubs, March 19 at Rockies, March 20 at Reds, March 21 vs. Brewers, March 23 vs. Diamondbacks, March 24 at White Sox, March 25 vs. Guardians, March 26 vs. Reds, March 27 at Angels, March 28 at Brewers, March 29 vs. Padres, March 30 at Royals, March 31 vs. Rockies, April 1 vs. Rangers, April 2 at Dodgers, April 4 at A’s, April 5 vs. A’s.
The Giants begin their National League West title defense on April 8 in the regular season opener against the Marlins at Oracle Park.