Why did the Giants release Johan Camargo? Veteran infielder axed only two weeks after mid-August signing

The San Francisco Giants are parting ways with Johan Camargo, just a few of weeks after adding him to their lineup. The veteran slugger was most recently with their AAA team in Sacramento, but he has been released.

Johan Camargo was briefly added to the big league roster in August but was eventually put on waivers. He passed through waivers unclaimed at the end of the month and accepted an outright assignment back to Sacramento, but is now leaving the team.

Camargo had gone 4-18 in eight MLB games for the Giants, who are currently 14.5 back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL East and 1.5 games back of the third wild card in the National League.

They had hoped that Camargo, who won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, would recapture some of his previous magic and be a valuable infielder, but that didn't happen. As a result, he's no longer with the team.

---

Johan Camargo failed to make impact with San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot. For a while, they were in a heated race with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Dodgers for the NL West, but LA pulled away. San Francisco had to pivot to a Wild Card.

They needed help and wanted to try and see if Camargo, who obviously has big game experience, could be a crucial player.

Johan Camargo couldn't stick with the San Francisco Giants

Unfortunately, he was anything but. In sparing time, he posted a 55 wRC+, which is well below league average. He wasn't a particularly good defender, either and it all added up to -0.2 fWAR.

At this stage of the season, when every game matters and every play can be a game changer, they couldn't afford a negative contributor. This is especially true because he wasn't owed any real money on a lengthy contract.

As a result, he will now look ahead to his next opportunity, though that may not come until next season as a free agent.