Nick Ahmed #16 of the San Francisco Giants stands safely on second base after a sacrifice fly by Austin Slater #13 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 24, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

SAN FRANCISCO – When the Giants team bus arrived at Oracle Park late Sunday night, finally home from a six-game tour of Atlanta and Cleveland, someone was waiting to pick them up.

Farhan Zaidi, the club's top baseball executive, had news he wanted to deliver in person.

Austin Slater, the Giants’ longest-serving player, was traded to Cincinnati.

The departure of the outfielder, who was drafted by the previous regime in 2014, made his debut in 2017 and became one of the most productive platoon players in the major leagues, with a batting average of .275 and an OPS of .804 in 872 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers, was just a sign of things to come.

Between the final out of their road trip and the start of their final home game before the All-Star break, the Giants reshuffled the deck with clear intent. Less than 72 hours later, they parted ways with another veteran, shortstop Nick Ahmed, who was scheduled to play before Tuesday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.

“We've talked a lot about giving some of our young players opportunities and adding athleticism to the squad. One of the best ways to do that is to bring the young players forward and give them roles,” Zaidi said before Tuesday's game. “More than anything, this is a vote of confidence in these guys.”

That the move comes the same week that one of their young outfielders, Heliot Ramos, was named an All-Star was a coincidence, but the performance that led to that recognition gives the Giants some confidence that their other young prospects — most notably Luis Matos and Tyler Fitzgerald — can handle bigger roles just as well.

They enter their final home game before the All-Star break with three wins in their last four series against playoff contenders, but still three games under .500. Zaidi said the Giants' record is “a real cause for dissatisfaction” and “we can say we feel like we have positive momentum, (but) we're still three games under .500. We have to find a way to get better.”

With three weeks to go before the July 30 transfer deadline, Zaidi hinted that those improvements would come more from within. Their beleaguered starting lineup is slowly getting back into shape after Blake Snell returned from the injured list on Tuesday and Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb will join him soon after the All-Star break.

On the outfield side, the Giants expect playing time in right field to be split between Matos and Mike Yastrzemski and at shortstop between Fitzgerald and Brett Wisely, who, like Ramos, has proven to be a revelation, giving management the confidence to part ways with a pair of flagging veterans.

“As we look at some of these internal options, some of these young players that we think can continue to bring energy to this team and help us, I think it's fair to say that giving them as many opportunities as possible in the final weeks before the deadline will help us,” Zaidi said. “I think we have areas of depth and areas where we're a little weak. When I look at our team, I think we have pretty solid players at pretty much every position on the field. …

“There's nothing that jumps out at us as a stopgap measure, we just take whatever is available on the commercial market. When you're in it, there's always the expectation and pressure to do something to change the mix, but we have to be careful that whatever we do is a meaningful improvement.”

Originally signed as a backup to promising shortstop Marco Luciano in spring training, Ahmed later won the opening day job and appeared in 52 games, maintaining his reputation as a strong defensive player, delivering some timely hits and maintaining a .232 batting average and .581 OPS.

After battling injuries to his throwing arm and side in spring training and then missing three weeks of the regular season with a concussion, Slater battled through his most difficult season at the plate, posting a .200 batting average with a .575 OPS in 43 games, but that didn't diminish his impact in the locker room.

Slater served as the league's player representative to the players' union until mid-last year and was “the biggest piece of the puzzle for us” as the league navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, said his platoon partner Yastrzemski.

“He was there at every meeting,” Yastrzemski said. “It's very selfless things like that. He wanted to make sure everyone in the league was taken care of. I think that was his character overall, a guy who maybe didn't get on the field as much as he could have and was always looking out for the team and everyone's well-being. So it's tough to miss that presence in the locker room, but we still have a great group here.”

Zaidi said he was saying goodbye to a player of Slater's stature: “It may not change the path you're on, but it's one you want to show the utmost respect for as you go down it. It's a big deal. I drove here because I wanted to have this conversation with him personally (with manager Bob Melvin).”

Yastrzemski, who holds the title of longest-serving member of the team, learned shortly after Slater that he would be getting a new teammate. For the past six years, he and Slater have held down the fort in the outfielder's corner of the clubhouse.

“I grabbed my bag and walked out when he said goodbye. I was like, 'What do you mean?'” Yastrzemski recalled. “He was like, 'I just got traded.' Like, what? It happened really fast and it was a shock, but that's baseball. You just show up the next day and keep doing your job.”

On Tuesday, Slater’s old locker got a new resident: Ramos.

Remarkable

— Where does the top candidate come from? Marco Luciano fit into this youth movement? In 54 games at Triple-A Sacramento, he has a .230 batting average with a .687 OPS and has split his time between shortstop, second baseman and designated hitter. “But we're not giving up the shortstop role for him,” Zaidi said.

— As for the reinforcements the Giants want to add in the second half of their rotation, Robbie Ray is closer than Alex Cobb. Ray was expected to throw about 65 pitches for Single-A San Jose on Tuesday, which Melvin called a “big day for Robbie.” Cobb will follow Ray on Wednesday with his third rehab start for San Jose, but Melvin said the right-hander will need “three or four” more, while Ray is “right on the fence.”

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Colton McKivitz spent his first three seasons in the NFL bouncing back and forth between…

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Colton McKivitz spent his first three seasons in the NFL bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and active roster for the San Francisco 49ers with limited opportunity to play.

Now McKivitz heads into Year 4 with a big role on one of the Super Bowl favorites as the starting right tackle, a big change for a player who had been fighting just to stay in the league.

“I could not be standing here,” McKivitz said Tuesday. “That’s just part of it. It’s taught me a lot about being a pro and learning from some of the vets. Just getting advice from some of those guys and teaching me the ways to be prepared for when I get my chance. Now’s the time. I’m taking full advantage of what they taught me.”

McKivitz joined the Niners as a fifth-round draft pick out of West Virginia in 2020 and started three games as a rookie. But he failed to make the team coming out of camp the following year, being relegated to the practice squad, where he spent most of that season before being named an emergency starter in a Week 18 game San Francisco needed to win to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

McKivitz spent most of last season as a backup again, with just one start before signing a two-year, $4.6 million contract in March that gave him some stability.

That was only fortified when San Francisco went through the offseason without drafting or signing a potential starter at the spot, showing belief that McKivitz could replace Mike McGlinchey.

“I’ve sweated a few drafts,” he said. “For them not to take anyone and to put that full confidence me as a starter is huge. The pressure’s not off because you’re now the starter. But it just gives that ability to work on the little things and not have that kind of little voice in the back that you may not be here tomorrow. But at the same time, you may lose your job. It builds confidence that the front office and those guys have confidence in me to be the starter. It’s my job not to lose it.”

McKivitz said getting cut before his second season was a bit of a shock but he responded well by working harder and leaning on veterans like All-Pro left Trent Williams to improve as a player.

“That was a wake-up,” offensive line coach Chris Foerster said. “If you talk to him about it, that would probably be his wake-up call in the NFL. Nobody claimed him and we brought him back on our practice squad. That was one of those things where he kind of thought: ‘Well, I was drafted. I’m going to be here. I’m going to get my opportunities.’ You come to realize that nothing’s guaranteed and so we brought him back in a practice squad role and he was a different guy from that moment on.”

This is the second straight season that the Niners have entrusted a starting spot on the offensive line to a relatively untested player.

Last year, the three interior starters came into the season with three career starts, with rookie Spencer Burford playing right guard, second-year player Aaron Banks stepping in at left guard and Jake Brendel getting the nod at center after starting only three games his first six seasons.

Now it’s McKivitz’s turn.

“He’s been through it all,” Williams said. “He’s been through it pretty much every situation you can go through, except for being a Day 1 starter. Now that’s his position. He’s earned it. We’re proud of him. He’s a phenomenal player. The confidence that he plays with, in my opinion, allows him to play at a high level.”

NOTES: The Niners signed DE Taco Charlton to a one-year deal and waived S Avery Young. Charlton was a first-round pick by Dallas in 2017 and has 11 1/2 sacks in 60 career games. … T Jaylon Moore left practice early with an apparent left knee injury. … Rookie K Jake Moody made a 60-yard FG to end practice. Moody was 5 for 6 overall, with his miss coming from 43 yards.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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© 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Colton McKivitz spent his first three seasons in the NFL bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and active roster for the San Francisco 49ers with limited opportunity to play.

Now McKivitz heads into Year 4 with a big role on one of the Super Bowl favorites as the starting right tackle, a big change for a player who had been fighting just to stay in the league.

“I could not be standing here,” McKivitz said Tuesday. “That’s just part of it. It’s taught me a lot about being a pro and learning from some of the vets. Just getting advice from some of those guys and teaching me the ways to be prepared for when I get my chance. Now’s the time. I’m taking full advantage of what they taught me.”

McKivitz joined the Niners as a fifth-round draft pick out of West Virginia in 2020 and started three games as a rookie. But he failed to make the team coming out of camp the following year, being relegated to the practice squad, where he spent most of that season before being named an emergency starter in a Week 18 game San Francisco needed to win to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

McKivitz spent most of last season as a backup again, with just one start before signing a two-year, $4.6 million contract in March that gave him some stability.

That was only fortified when San Francisco went through the offseason without drafting or signing a potential starter at the spot, showing belief that McKivitz could replace Mike McGlinchey.

“I’ve sweated a few drafts,” he said. “For them not to take anyone and to put that full confidence me as a starter is huge. The pressure’s not off because you’re now the starter. But it just gives that ability to work on the little things and not have that kind of little voice in the back that you may not be here tomorrow. But at the same time, you may lose your job. It builds confidence that the front office and those guys have confidence in me to be the starter. It’s my job not to lose it.”

McKivitz said getting cut before his second season was a bit of a shock but he responded well by working harder and leaning on veterans like All-Pro left Trent Williams to improve as a player.

“That was a wake-up,” offensive line coach Chris Foerster said. “If you talk to him about it, that would probably be his wake-up call in the NFL. Nobody claimed him and we brought him back on our practice squad. That was one of those things where he kind of thought: ‘Well, I was drafted. I’m going to be here. I’m going to get my opportunities.’ You come to realize that nothing’s guaranteed and so we brought him back in a practice squad role and he was a different guy from that moment on.”

This is the second straight season that the Niners have entrusted a starting spot on the offensive line to a relatively untested player.

Last year, the three interior starters came into the season with three career starts, with rookie Spencer Burford playing right guard, second-year player Aaron Banks stepping in at left guard and Jake Brendel getting the nod at center after starting only three games his first six seasons.

Now it’s McKivitz’s turn.

“He’s been through it all,” Williams said. “He’s been through it pretty much every situation you can go through, except for being a Day 1 starter. Now that’s his position. He’s earned it. We’re proud of him. He’s a phenomenal player. The confidence that he plays with, in my opinion, allows him to play at a high level.”

NOTES: The Niners signed DE Taco Charlton to a one-year deal and waived S Avery Young. Charlton was a first-round pick by Dallas in 2017 and has 11 1/2 sacks in 60 career games. … T Jaylon Moore left practice early with an apparent left knee injury. … Rookie K Jake Moody made a 60-yard FG to end practice. Moody was 5 for 6 overall, with his miss coming from 43 yards.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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