Report: Giants close to minor-league deal with Kyle Blanks

Kyle Blanks is reportedly on the verge of joining his fourth organization in the last two years, as the oft-injured 29-year-old is close to finalizing a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Blanks, a 42nd-round pick in the 2004 draft, played just 36 games this past season - half of them with the Texas Rangers and half with their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock - while missing time with a foot injury and a pilonidal cyst. Blanks performed well during his brief stint in Texas, though, hitting .313/.352/.522 (132 OPS+) with three homers and 20 strikeouts in 71 plate appearances.

Still, the first baseman (and outfielder) has logged just 44 games in the majors since over the last two years, throughout which he also spent time with the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics organizations. Since 2012, Blanks has reached 100 games played - counting both minor-league and MLB contests - just once.

Over parts of seven seasons in the majors, Blanks owns a .738 OPS (107 OPS+) with 33 homers and a 29.5 percent strikeout rate, but has never logged more than 88 games in a single campaign.