The SF Giants claimed right-handed hitting corner bat Taylor Jones off waivers from the Houston Astros on Friday, according to a report by KPRC Houston sports anchor Ari Alexander. Jones has appeared with the Astros in each of the past three seasons but has struggled to carve out a consistent role.
The Giants will need to make a corresponding move to create a spot on the 40-man roster. It could make sense to shift Alex Wood or Tommy La Stella to the 60-day injured list if they are out for the season.
The Astros drafted Jones in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB draft out of Gonzaga. Jones' minor-league career got off to a slow start, but after posting below-average numbers in his first two years in the minors, Jones broke out in 2018, posting a .281/.374/.480 triple-slash between Double-A and Triple-A.
In 2019, Jones continued putting up impressive numbers, hitting 22 home runs at Triple-A with a .291/.388/.501 line. Without a minor-league season in 2020, Jones received his first MLB call-up, posting a .608 OPS in 22 plate appearances.
Jones demolished Triple-A in 2021. He only appeared in 48 games at the highest level of the minors, but Jones blasted 15 doubles, 10 home runs, and recorded a .331/.425/.584 triple-slash with excellent strikeout (20.3%) and walk (14.6%) rates. Houston gave Jones a more prolonged big-league opportunity and he managed a mediocre .245/.269/.402 line. Most concerningly, Jones walked just four times in 108 plate appearances and struck out 29 times.
This year, Jones has only received one plate appearance with the Astros and has seen his numbers dip at Triple-A. Jones has hit .263/.370/.456 with the Astros' affiliate in Sugar Land, Texas, and his strikeout (24.2%) and walk (10.9%) rates have both moved in the wrong direction. Granted, Jones has spent time on the injured list with a back injury. His numbers could easily be hampered by playing through that injury.
Jones is listed at 6'7''-230 lbs. and is an excellent athlete for someone his size and has plenty of experience at first base, third base, left field, and right field. With that said, he has been quite error-prone at the hot corner and is best suited for first base or the outfield.
The SF Giants have consistently churned through players on waivers under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. Taylor Jones is the latest bat to find his way to the Giants organization. We'll see if he sticks around and is able to make an impact.
Marc Delucchi is the managing editor at Giants Baseball Insider. He has previously covered the SF Giants for McCovey Chronicles and Around the Foghorn.