According to a report by r Susan Slusseof The San Francisco Chronicle, the SF Giants have signed outfielder Chase Pinder to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to MLB spring training. Pinder is the younger brother of Chad Pinder, an MLB veteran of seven years who was an Oakland Athletics player from 2016 to 2022. Next season, the younger Pinder hopes to play MLB baseball with the Giants and become the second member of his family to do so.
n279 plate appearances at Triple-A last season, Pinder hit.264/.401/.417 with 16 doubles, six home runs, 48 walks, and 66 strikeouts. The Cardinals Triple-A affiliate in Memphis plays in the International League, which is far more pitcher-friendly than the Pacific Coast League, where the Giants Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento plays. Still, those numbers might not be remarkable for an older minor leaguer (Pinder turned 27 in March).
Pinder was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Clemson in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft. During his time in college, Pinder was a competent player, but he didn’t have a standout carrying tool and appeared to be a fourth or fifth outfielder.
Pinder had terrible at-bat struggles in his early career, but he made it to Double-A in his first full minor league season. He played in just 21 games in 2021 due to injuries, but he appeared to improve the following year. Before being promoted to Triple-A, Pinder hit.278/.422/.488 in 62 games in Double-A, with 10 home runs and almost as many walks (53) as strikeouts (56) in those games.
Pinder has much more experience in center field but can play all three outfield positions as a defender. Pinder is a right-handed batter who has demonstrated notable platoon splits. Chase Pinder has a.974 OPS versus left-handed pitchers in the last two years. Pinder could have a route to a big-league spot with Mike Yastrzemski, a left-handed hitter who has occasionally struggled against southpaws, currently scheduled to be the main center fielder for the San Francisco Giants. This is especially true if the team wishes to give prospects like Heliot Ramos and Luis Matos more time in the minor leagues.
