For five of the last six years, the Giants haven’t had to worry about their second base situation. Joe Panik managed to be one of the most reliable defenders up the middle and with enough bat control that he wasn’t going to simply give away an at bat. Even when back problems limited his output in 2015, the qualities that made him an All-Star that year and Gold Glove second baseman a year later remained in noticeable quantities.
If this sounds like the windup to an obituary, it’s because the Giants’ move this afternoon to designate him for assignment carries with it an overwhelming sense of finality.