SF Giants' Luis González has become indispensable

There's no way the SF Giants can option Luis González now ... right?! González continues to be one of the Giants' best overall players, yet his roster spot remains somewhat in jeopardy because of the imminent return of LaMonte Wade Jr.

The San Francisco Giants will have a tough decision to make in the coming days, but for now, they're happy to have González on their side. He's been the best story of the season for the team so far, and he continues to help them win games and series, as they did this weekend taking two out of three in Pittsburgh.

The Giants also picked up another intriguing former White Sox player, as they claimed 1B/C/DH Yermín Mercedes off waivers from Chicago. Mercedes famously was the AL Rookie of the Month in April 2021, before fizzling out the rest of the way and ultimately being optioned back to the minors. In a famous moment, Mercedes homered on a 3-0 pitch against a position player in a blowout, and his manager, Tony La Russa, threw him under the bus and said it was completely unacceptable to swing at the pitch.

Mercedes won't have that problem with the SF Giants, should be called up. The Giants encourage their players to keep adding on no matter the score. Mercedes could find himself in the major leagues with the San Francisco Giants this afternoon, as they're facing a tough lefty in Max Fried. Then they could option him after the game and bring back Tony DeSclafani to start on Tuesday.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

Rock Auto

Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONMLB.

Blue Nile

Make your moment sparkle with jewelry from Bluenile.com, and LOCKED ON SPORTS listeners get $50 off purchases of $500 or more using code LOCKEDON.

Athletic Greens

To make it easy, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/MLBNETWORK

Sports Card Investor

Download the Sports Card Investor App today and easily browse over 630K cards from every sport, with hundreds more added each week . Available for free in the Google Play and Apple App stores or go to sportscardinvestor.com/lockedon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices