SF Giants add former A’s outfielder Skye Bolt, cut recently acquired pitcher
It took just three games before the Giants made their first roster move of the season, although Monday’s transaction won’t lead to any changes with the major league roster.
The Giants claimed outfielder Skye Bolt on waivers after he was designated for assignment by the Oakland A’s last week, bringing a speedy switch-hitting center fielder into the organization at a time when the club is relatively light on strong defensive outfielders.
Bolt is expected to report to the team’s Sacramento alternate site, where he’ll spend the month of April playing exhibition games against many of his former teammates, the Oakland A’s alternate site players. While several major league clubs have formed an informal league for their alternate site players in Arizona, the Giants and A’s chose to bring their players up to Northern California and are holding exhibitions in Stockton and Sacramento in the weeks leading up to the 2021 minor league season.
To clear space for Bolt on the 40-man roster, the Giants designated pitcher Ashton Goudeau for assignment only weeks after adding the former Rockies and Orioles right-hander on waivers.
Bolt, 27, made his major league debut with Oakland in 2019, but received limited playing time as he’s only 1-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts. Bolt spent the 2020 season at the A’s alternate site and wasn’t much of a factor in Oakland’s competition for roster spots this spring as he went 2-for-11 in Cactus League play.
The Giants have believe Mauricio Dubón can be an above-average defender in center field and have already had Austin Slater start a game in center this season, but most of the team’s outfield options at the upper levels of the minor leagues appear best suited to play in the corners. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Jaylin Davis both have experience in center field, but the Giants have indicated Wade and Davis –who is out four-to-six weeks with knee tendinitis– are better off in left or right field.
Top outfield prospect Heliot Ramos will be given opportunities to showcase his defense in center field this season, but he’ll likely start the year at Double-A Richmond.
One of the other reasons the Giants were likely drawn to Bolt, a fourth-round draft choice out of North Carolina in 2015, is his track record of impressive plate discipline throughout his minor league career. In 2019, Bolt posted a .350 on-base percentage at Triple-A Las Vegas, drawing 37 walks in 89 games.
In 480 career minor league games, Bolt has posted a .760 OPS.
Bolt made headlines in January during the riots at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. when he deleted his Twitter account after engaging with a user who tweeted, “BLM was always going to be peaceful. This was always going to be violent.”
Bolt replied, “I’m confused Rick at where the billions in damaged, stollen (sic), burned, luted (sic) cities all across the country and this scenario (so far!) are comparable but let’s hear what you’ve got.”
Afterward, Bolt deleted his reply, offered clarification and then later deleted his account.
“Let’s be clear,” Bolt wrote in his last tweet. “I think what is going on in the capitol is a disgrace. It’s embarrassing. Period and my tweet was a mistake. I feel that the hypocrisy in the capitol command is a disgrace. Let’s make that clear that a lack of unity is evident and the only way to mend this country.”