Weekend BP: Joe Panik has retired

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesHappy weekend, San Francisco Giants fans. Today we take a moment to celebrate the career of a very beloved Giant: Joe Panik. The lovable second baseman retired this week, after failing to catch on with an MLB team in 2022.

Panik was a late first-round pick by the Giants in 2011, and broke through with the team in 2014, when he finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting and played a key role in the World Series winning team.

He followed it up with a career year in 2015, hitting .312/.378/.455 and making the All-Star team. His offense started to fall off a year later, but his excellent defense made him a valuable player nonetheless, and he collected a Gold…