Inbox: Will Mac get playing time in 2019?
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Can we expect some good things from Mac Williamson? He started last season hitting tape-measure home runs before he got injured and concussed. Apparently he had symptoms all year and we never saw him again.
-- Joe G.
I think Williamson will be given the chance to compete for a starting outfield job during Spring Training, especially since he's out of options and can't be sent to the Minors without being exposed to waivers. The Giants got a glimpse of Williamson's tantalizing power potential when he crushed three home runs during a five-game stretch in April, including a 434-foot shot at Angel Stadium that rifled off his bat at 114 mph and proved to be the club's hardest-hit home run of the season, according to Statcast™. San Francisco needs more punch in its lineup, so if Williamson performs well in camp and shows he's healthy, I think he has a good shot of sticking with the club.
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The Giants have shown interest in finding a platoon partner for Joe Panik. Which free-agent infielders do you think could fit that role?
-- Alex P., Burlingame, Calif.
Marwin Gonzalez, a switch-hitter who can play all over the infield and outfield, would be a great addition, though he could ultimately be too cost-prohibitive for the Giants. Josh Harrison, who bats right-handed and can play second and third base, is another possibility, though he is coming off a down season and batted only .219 with a .678 OPS against left-handed pitchers in 2018.
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Could the Giants trade Madison Bumgarner to the Yankees for Aaron Judge? The Yankees don't need more homers, but they do need a starting pitcher who will win postseason games for them.
-- Steve F., Sunnyvale, Calif.
I'm not sure the Yankees are entertaining offers for Judge, but it would take more than Bumgarner to entice them to trade their star right fielder. Judge, who finished runner-up in American League Most Valuable Player Award voting in 2017, is under team control for four more seasons and won't be eligible for arbitration until '20. Bumgarner, meanwhile, is entering his final season before free agency, and he is slated to earn $12 million in '19.