The Giants have designated outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe for assignment, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Your place on the 40 player list will go to the field player Tommy La Stella, whose three-year contract with the Giants has now been officially announced.
Basabe, 24, was originally hired by the Red Sox, but switched to the White Sox as one of the secondary pieces – behind Michael Kopech and Yoan Moncada – in the blockbuster it brought Chris Sale to Boston. Basabe fought in Class-A Advanced in 2017 and recovered with a good showing between High-A and Double-A in 2018, but he fell back to the same levels in 2019.
The Giants took Basabe for cash during the 2020 season and gave him the opportunity to make his MLB debut later in the year. He appeared in nine games and made 2 of 14 with four passes, five eliminations and a pair of stolen bases.
Basabe was at one point a very well regarded prospect – a regular potential in the center field that was seen as having a high floor due to the above average range and a strong throwing arm. Another club that needs some central depth of field could take a look at it based on its defensive feats, although Basabe is also out of the minor league options, so a new team would need to load it on the Opening Day list or again assign it to task. A reconstruction club willing to take on a central field project may make some sense, but it is also possible that the Giants will be able to retain Basabe by going through layoffs. They will have a week to follow this path or negotiate it, now that it has been removed from the list of 40 men.