"If the Giants were hosting a completely open competition for their rotation, Tidwell has looked deserving of a starting spot. With San Francisco's rotation full, Tidwell is positioning himself for the next best thing: grab a job on the Opening Day roster as a reliever. Tidwell made a strong first impression to begin Cactus League play, throwing a scoreless inning with three strikeouts."
"It's still very early, but Birdsong just hasn't looked good in Cactus League play. He's faced 14 batters, recorded four outs and allowed eight runs. In his first appearance, he retired one batter and allowed five runs. In his second, he surrendered three more runs."
"The 24-year-old Tidwell is slated to pitch multiple innings when the Giants host Team USA in an exhibition ahead of the World Baseball Classic, and he can further improve his stock if he performs well against a lineup full of All-Stars and superstars."
The Giants have completed 10 Cactus League games, providing early indicators of roster composition despite the small sample size. Blade Tidwell has impressed as a right-hander, demonstrating strong strikeout ability and generating numerous whiffs with his sweeper, positioning himself for an Opening Day roster spot as a reliever given the full rotation. Conversely, Hayden Birdsong has underperformed significantly, allowing eight runs while recording only four outs across two appearances. With three weeks of exhibition play remaining before Opening Day against the Yankees on March 25, several players are trending up or down in their cases for roster inclusion. Tidwell will have additional opportunities to strengthen his candidacy in upcoming exhibitions.
Read at The Mercury News
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