Distractions gone, Beede ready for big jump

SAN FRANCISCO -- Though weddings can generate tension, Tyler Beede welcomed his nuptials as a source of stress relief.
The 24-year-old right-hander found himself mentioned frequently in trade rumors involving Giancarlo Stanton. Beede was said to be included in the package of players the Giants were preparing to send Miami in exchange for the slugger.
As the Giants' top pitching prospect, Beede wasn't expecting to become trade bait. Fortunately for him, he could focus on the vows he ultimately exchanged with his fiancee, Allie, on Nov. 26.
"I think I had a great distraction in that my wedding was going on within the week of the Stanton rumors, so I sort of had that to fall back on," Beede said recently at MLB's Rookie Career Development Program. "I tried to lay back and enjoy the wedding festivities that were going on and kind of let everything handle itself off the field."
Maintaining contact with Giants general manager Bobby Evans also helped Beede remain calm. Evans' reassurance, Beede said, "allowed me to have more peace with the process."
That process will switch to big league Spring Training camp next month in Scottsdale, Ariz., where Beede is expected to compete for a spot in San Francisco's starting rotation. The Giants could have as many as two vacancies in the five-man contingent. Having spent most of the previous three seasons pitching at Double-A or above, Beede feels ready to join what promises to be a spirited pursuit for those openings. Chris Stratton, Ty Blach and Andrew Suarez are among the other candidates.

"I feel really good, real confident with what I'm doing," Beede said.
Rated the Giants' No. 2 prospect overall by MLB Pipeline, Beede might have received a promotion to San Francisco last year. But he was sidelined by a groin injury in late July.
Before that, Beede posted a 6-7 record with a 4.79 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Sacramento. He admitted that his seemingly impending ascent to San Francisco might have distracted him.
"If I had a good start, [I'd be] sitting there by the phone, waiting for a phone call. And that sort of got in my head," Beede said. "I think I needed to have a new perspective of why I was playing, my routine, my mindset. ... I think the injury put me in that new state of mind where you don't take it for granted where you're at."
When Beede does reach the Majors, he'll have the pointers he learned through the various seminars at the Rookie Career Development Program to guide him through his journey.
"It meant a lot," said Beede, who was selected by the Giants in the first round (14th overall) in the 2014 Draft. "I know how prestigious this is. I know how much you can learn from being here, the knowledge that they bring in on the panels and discussions for these meetings. It's great just to be a sponge, to learn things and implement them into my career, on and off the field. It's been awesome, and I've learned so much while I've been here."