When John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers ownership traded three first round and one third round pick to select a quarterback to put them over the top after the average play of Jimmy Garoppolo, they thought they were getting an elite college quarterback in the 2021 draft.
It was rumored that head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, while Lynch wanted Trey Lance from North Dakota State. They ended up going with Lance, seemingly due to his potential to change the tide of the game at any given moment with his strong arm and build, with good mobility.
In 2021, Lance sat behind Garoppolo and learned the nuisances of being a quarterback and prepared to take over in 2022. Two weeks in against the Seahawks, he fractured his ankle. Shanahan was heavily criticized for this play, which put Lance down and put Garoppolo back in the spotlight.
Lance isn’t the only young Bay Area sports bust.
On the other side of the bay in San Francisco, the Giants missed on their Buster Posey replacement. In 2018, the Giants selected the unanimous No. 1 overall catching prospect, Joey Bart, out of Georgia Tech.
With Posey’s career in its twilight, they needed a replacement. Out of college, Bart was a great hitter with incredible power and solid defense with a strong arm. The Giants gave Bart the largest up front bonus for a position player at the time at more than $7 million.
Bart displayed his excellent hitting in the minors. But in the COVID-19 season when Posey opted out, Bart took over as catcher and was a disappointment, hitting .233 with no home runs in 103 at bats.
When Posey retired after the 2021 playoff run, Bart was looking to become the starting catcher. But he hit .211 with 11 home runs.
Bart seemed to struggle adjusting to major league pitching, especially a good fastball. Going into the 2023 season, Bart’s role was unclear for the team. In 87 at bats this season, Bart has 18 hits, none of which left the park, not showing any of the power that he was known for on his journey to the majors.
The Giants were in trade talks for Bart near the deadline, but decided to hang on to him. With the breakout of superstar catcher Patrick Bailey this season, the Giants should follow the 49ers lead and explore trading their once coveted player.
The 49ers unloaded Lance to the Cowboys because they have Brock Purdy running the show now, and the Giants should follow suit. While the Niners missed on their big shot, they’re still finding ways to win. Hopefully the Giants can do the same.