Dedniel Nunez. Christian Petersen / Getty Images Staff
SCOTTSDALE — It has never been easier to be reminded that spring training games do not matter. In the Giants’ opener on Sunday, the Angels had the bases loaded with two outs, and then the inning unceremoniously ended. Giants reliever Tyler Cyr had reached the 20-pitch mark, after which a manager can opt to end the frame to spare pitchers who are still building up.
Monday’s game between the Giants and Rangers lasted an agreed-upon six innings, which ended in a 1-1 tie. The Giants enter their Tuesday night friendly with the Dodgers at 0-1-1.
What does matter, at least a little bit, is the early showings from players either trying to make the team or put themselves on the radar for later this year. A trio of pitchers has stood out thus far.
It would be a surprise if Sam Long or Kervin Castro took the mound in early April for major league games, but it no longer would be a surprise if they’re heard from in 2021. Dedniel Nunez, meanwhile, has taken his first steps toward an Opening Day spot that he would need to hold onto all year to remain a Giant.
Nunez, a Rule 5 pick, is a 24-year-old who had been a minor league starter with the Mets and hadn’t risen above High-A. Yet he impressed in instructional league play, and the Giants felt his stuff and control combination could be strong enough for him to take the leap.
The righty allowed two hits in his Monday inning, but was around the plate and touching 98 mph on the Surprise Stadium gun. Nunez has a breaking ball, too, and has been developing a changeup.
So few Rule 5 picks last, and last year’s — Dany Jimenez — lasted just 1 1/3 big-league innings. Kapler said the Giants feel more confident with Nunez at this point than they did with Jimenez.
“The first thing is the stuff — the velocity, the carry, the characteristics on the fastball. But also landing the slider for strikes,” Kapler said Monday of the Dominican Republic native. “We’ve seen that in the pen, but to see him attack the zone the way he did — even with some of the crisp contact — it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t like he was throwing the ball by everybody. But attacking the zone with the stuff that made him attractive to us as a Rule 5 flier, it was all there today.”
Nunez would have to remain on the 26-man roster all season to be officially a Giant, although perhaps a last-minute agreement between the union and MLB could add more roster spots and make his path easier.
Long and Castro can be sent to the minors to start the season, but both are making early cases they can help this year.
Long may be the best story in camp, a former Sacramento State star who was drafted by the Rays, then cut, then taking EMT classes and pondering life as a firefighter. He decided to give baseball another go, had a solid 2019 with the White Sox’s Class-A affiliate, then worked out and stayed in shape during the pandemic. The Giants found him, and a 25-year-old who’s thrown a total of 105 1/3 Class-A innings looks like a major league option.
The lefty is being stretched out as a starter and figures to get work in Double-A Richmond or Triple-A Sacramento to start the year. He struck out one and allowed one hit in his Sunday frame, but the stuff looked big league-quality.
“I think the whole dugout was pretty enthused by the 96 and the 97 up there,” Kapler said, complimenting his curveball and changeup, too.
Speaking of lighting up radar guns, Castro’s fastball was buzzing at 97 mph during his Monday inning — though it was a big-time curveball that Texas’ Justin Foscue swung through. The 22-year-old Castro, who also throws a changeup, was a surprise roster addition before the Rule 5 draft because he had so impressed at Instructs, where his velocity had spiked after the break in play and in shorter bursts.
Castro had not even touched full-season ball yet and had thrown just 67 2/3 innings at short-season Salem-Keizer in 2019, when he was a starter. He’s now being developed out of relief and positioning himself well to possibly debut during a year when the Giants will need every arm who can eat an inning.
“He’s impressed us with his poise,” Kapler said over Zoom on Monday. “I think today was a good example of that poise — kind of a big moment for a young player, and he stepped up and met the bar.”
He’s not the only one, but on a team with plenty of relief options, the bar will have to be elevated before camp breaks.