SAN FRANCISCO -- Bryce Eldridge is one of the best power hitters in the minor leagues. He also might be the prospect who is best at packing his bags.
Eldridge has played 150 games over the last two seasons and been promoted four times, including twice to Triple-A. With the latest move, there's only one more to make, and that will put him with the Giants in the big leagues.
When Eldridge first joined Triple-A Sacramento for the final games of the 2024 season, there was no chance to take that next step. But he returned Tuesday as someone who is still on the fast track, and who has very little ahead of him on the depth chart.
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SIGN UP HERE The Giants started Casey Schmitt at first base against a right-hander on Tuesday night. In Triple-A, they have tried Marco Luciano, who was a shortstop before moving to left field this season. Veteran Jake Lamb was just released from the Triple-A roster.
The big league Opening Day starter, LaMonte Wade Jr., has had such a rough two months that it wasn't unthinkable that he would be released Monday when Jerar Encarnacion returned. Instead, Wade started against the Padres and took a pitch off the wrist, which will keep him out at a time when he desperately needs to make an impact.
All of this leads to one simple question: When will it be Eldridge Time?
"I still think for Bryce it's best to get reps, but again, things change," president of baseball operations Buster Posey said Tuesday. "We'll continue to have conversations and watch his progress."
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During an interview with beat writers, Posey said multiple times that the situation is "fluid." He didn't give anything away, but he also sounded like someone who is perhaps ready to be more aggressive than he imagined being with his first basemen at this point.
"We most definitely want to put him in a position to succeed," Posey said of Eldridge, "but yeah, ultimately the goal is to win games at the big league level."
The Giants have the pitching staff to do that, but it's been more than two weeks since they have scored more than four runs. Posey said the front office is looking at internal and external solutions, but there's only so much that can be done in early June.
"You keep showing up, you keep showing up," he said. "From my vantage point now, it's looking at are there different options out there, what are our different options internally. We're at a strange point of the season as far as other teams' willingness to make trades with us being a couple months away [from the MLB trade deadline]. You keep showing up but from our perspective as a front office, we're not satisfied with the production. We're trying to exhaust all options."
At what point will Eldridge be a realistic one?
That's fluid, and also not totally up to his bat.
The knock on Eldridge has been his glove at first base, with team officials responding to questions about his ability there by constantly saying "it's a work in progress." Posey said he has seen improvement while watching Double-A games, but it's something else that stands out. Eldridge, he said, has been a very willing learner and already has spent time learning from Will Clark and Joe Panik this season.
"He wants to be great at it," Posey said. "He still has a lot of work to do and I think he knows that as well, but it's nice that he's moving in the right direction."
Eldridge is the long-term first baseman at Oracle Park, but Giants officials have grown more open to the idea of bringing him up later this year even if he requires some DH time. The 20-year-old posted a .862 OPS and hit seven homers in 34 Double-A games. That league is tough for hitters, but Posey noted that Eldridge will see more advanced pitching now that he's in Triple-A. It's a hitter-friendly league, though, and at some point the numbers might force that next promotion, whether the glove is fully ready or not.
As he talked about the offense on Tuesday, Posey smiled and pointed out to reporters that he's not someone who panics. He's hopeful the offense picks it up soon and that the organization can stick to the plan with Eldridge, but if that changes in the coming months, the organization's top prospect will be just a short drive away.