SCOTTSDALE — During spring training, especially the first couple of weeks, it can be difficult at times to tell if a player is preparing for Opening Day or just trying to pass the time on a hot day in the desert.
It’s common to see infielders and catchers shag fly balls and outfielders try to scoop a few grounders at short. For years, former Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford would celebrate the start of camp by hopping on the mound at Scottsdale Stadium and throwing a few pitches.
When Bryce Eldridge planted himself in left field during batting practice on Wednesday, it at first looked like he was joining others in simply watching his teammates hit. But soon Eldridge started working on his pre-pitch routine and jumps and getting tips from Drew Gilbert.
If Eldridge makes the Opening Day roster, he’ll play first base and DH for the Giants. But they also know they might have a pretty inflexible roster with two first base/DH types, along with Luis Arraez, who mostly played those spots last year.
It makes sense for the 21-year-old Eldridge to gain some versatility, and manager Tony Vitello told him recently that he should do some work in left field.
Vitello noted that it makes sense in spring training because the workload isn’t that heavy. Eldridge did early one-on-one work with infield coach Ron Washington and then took part in full infield drills and batting practice, but all of that was over by around 11 a.m. That left plenty of time and energy for tracking fly balls.
“I’ve always kind of just been in that mindset of (put me) wherever I could get it in, wherever I could play,” Eldridge said. “I wait on (the coaches) to tell me. They’ve always been helping me get better at first. I wouldn’t say outfield has really been a focus of mine or I thought about getting my reps in the outfield until this spring, just because me and Tony had a conversation about it.”
The Giants could find out in six weeks that their best roster has Eldridge and Rafael Devers providing the power and just four true outfielders. One of their backup infielders will need at least some familiarity with the outfield just in case of a late-game emergency, and Christian Koss and Tyler Fitzgerald have both done it in the past. Arraez has, too, but he hasn’t played outfield in the big leagues since 2021.
Eldridge never played outfield in high school but the Giants initially tried him in right field after selecting him in the first round of the 2023 draft. They moved him to first base that offseason, but Eldridge ordered an outfield glove just in case. He never ended up using it last spring, but his mom is having it shipped from Virginia to Scottsdale.
“It was a short experience, so I never really got a chance to grow but I felt comfortable out there,” Eldridge said of his time in the outfield in San Jose. “I think I could have gotten a lot better.”
The move to first base helped Eldridge shoot through the minors and get a cup of coffee last September. By the time he arrived, Devers was a Giant, but the organization feels they can coexist long-term by alternating at 1B and DH. The goal is to soon have both in the heart of the lineup and keep it that way for years to come.
Eldridge came to Scottsdale in early January to get extra work in and said he is “miles better” at first base than a year ago at this time. Washington has already had an impact on him, and it’s only been a couple of days.
“The way he talks about it, I’ve never heard anyone talk (like that),” Eldridge said. “He doesn’t let any rep go unnoticed. He wants every rep to be perfect and he expects that out of you. We could have bad hops, we could have whatever, but he expects you to put your hand on the ball every time.”
Eldridge and Washington will be back out there at first base on Thursday morning and every day after that this spring. But there will be more left field reps, too, and soon Eldridge won’t have to borrow Jung Hoo Lee’s backup glove.
For the Giants, it makes a lot of sense to see how he looks on the grass.
“I think Bryce is a very unique weapon with his bat,” Vitello said. “I think you’re always going to be itching for the next 15 years — whoever you are, if you’re on his team — you’re going to be itching for ways to get him out there in the lineup.”
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast