Scott Kazmir

Scott Kazmir Intends To Pitch In 2022

By Anthony Franco | October 27, 2021 at 10:14pm CDT

Scott Kazmir completed an incredible comeback effort in May, reaching the big leagues for the first time in five years. The veteran bounced on and off the Giants’ roster a couple times, ultimately making five MLB appearances and starting twelve times with Triple-A Sacramento.

Kazmir finished the season on the injured list after straining his right hamstring during the final week of the regular season. The 37-year-old (38 in January) tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s returned to full health a little less than a month later. Kazmir adds that he intends to continue pitching next season, assuming he receives interest from teams.

The three-time All-Star will be a free agent this winter, but it indeed seems likely he’ll field some minor league offers. There’s no harm for clubs in giving the respected veteran a chance to compete for a job in Spring Training, and Kazmir is coming off an alright showing in the minors.

Over 52 2/3 frames with the River Cats, Kazmir posted a 4.61 ERA in the hitter-friendly Triple-A West. His strikeout and walk rates (22.1% and 8.3%, respectively) were right around the league average. Kazmir’s brief major league time didn’t go well, as he was tagged for nine runs (including three homers) in 11 1/3 frames. But his passable showing in Triple-A combined with a wealth of big league experience should get him another look next spring.

That could again be with the Giants, where president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has a relationship with Kazmir that dates back to their time with the Dodgers from 2015-17. The left-hander tells Slusser he’d welcome a return to San Francisco.

Giants Select Scott Kazmir

By Anthony Franco | September 22, 2021 at 6:18pm CDT

Sept. 22: The Giants have formally announced the selection of Kazmir’s contract. Righty Jay Jackson was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to open a spot on the active roster.

Sept. 21: The Giants are planning to bring southpaw Scott Kazmir back to start tomorrow night’s game against the Padres, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Kazmir is not on the 40-man roster, but San Francisco opened a spot by passing reliever Reyes Moronta through outright waivers this afternoon.

Kazmir returns for his second big league try this season. The veteran signed a minor league deal with San Francisco over the offseason and completed a remarkable comeback effort by earning a big league call in late May. He picked up his first big league action in five years this spring, but Kazmir made just three appearances (including two starts) before being designated for assignment. He worked seven innings over those three games, allowing five runs on eight hits (including three homers) and a walk while striking out seven.

After being outrighted off the 40-man roster, Kazmir joined the U.S. National Team at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. He made just one start there, tossing five scoreless innings in a win over the Dominican Republic. He returned to the Giants’ top affiliate in Sacramento after the conclusion of international competition and has made six starts for the River Cats over the past month. He’s worked 52 2/3 frames in Triple-A this season altogether, posting a 4.61 ERA with strikeout and walk rates (22.1% and 8.3%, respectively) not far off the league average.

Johnny Cueto remains on the injured list, leaving the Giants a man short in the rotation behind Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Logan Webb and Alex Wood. Kazmir will get another opportunity to step into that role. San Francisco entered play tonight up one game on the Dodgers in the NL West. They’ll close out the week with road series against the Padres and Rockies before returning home to host the D-Backs and Padres to end the regular season.

Giants Outright Scott Kazmir

By Mark Polishuk | June 11, 2021 at 4:37pm CDT

JUNE 11: Kazmir has cleared outright waivers, the Giants announced. It remains to be seen if he’ll accept an assignment to Triple-A Sacramento or elect free agency.

JUNE 5, 5:25 PM: Kazmir has officially been DFA’d by the Giants. Camilo Doval has been recalled to claim his roster spot, per Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com (via Twitter). Doval owns a 7.59 ERA/7.54 FIP in 13 appearances covering 10 2/3 innings on the year.

JUNE 5, 1:51 PM: The Giants have designated left-hander Scott Kazmir for assignment, The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reports. The move could end Kazmir’s comeback attempt after three appearances and seven total innings.

Kazmir last pitched in the majors with the Dodgers in 2016, and his career had seemingly drawn to a close before the southpaw announced a comeback attempt in early 2020. His efforts led to a minor league deal with San Francisco this past offseason, and Kazmir then found himself on a big league mound once more after the Giants selected his contract two weeks ago.

As one might expect, it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing for Kazmir after his long layoff, as he posted a 6.43 ERA over his seven innings and was tagged for three home runs. Kazmir started two of his three games, and only just returned to the Giants to start last night’s contest after spending a few days on the restricted list. Slusser reports that Kazmir stepped away from the team to mourn the death of his best friend, who passed away last Tuesday.

It’s possible another team might be intrigued by what they’ve seen in Kazmir and could make a waiver claim, though probably the likeliest outcome is that the veteran clears waivers. Assuming Kazmir is open to continuing his comeback attempt, he would likely be willing to accept an outright assignment to the minors, or the Giants could conceivably just release him if they feel he doesn’t offer much more to the team.

Logan Webb was placed back on the 10-day IL just two days ago with another shoulder issue, while Aaron Sanchez is also still sidelined recovering from biceps tightness. Sanchez had reportedly been throwing side sessions, however, so the Kazmir DFA could be a sign that the Giants are expecting Sanchez back relatively soon. San Francisco also has a chance to reset its rotation due to an off-day on Monday.

Giants Designate Nick Tropeano, Reinstate Scott Kazmir

By Steve Adams | June 4, 2021 at 5:09pm CDT

The Giants announced Friday that they’ve designated right-hander Nick Tropeano for assignment. The move opens a spot on the roster for lefty Scott Kazmir to be reinstated from the restricted list. The 37-year-old Kazmir recently left the team to attend to a personal matter.

Tropeano, 30, has appeared in four games with the Giants and tossed six innings, holding opponents to just a run on four hits and two walks. He’s punched out two hitters as well. The former Angels righty was at one point a prospect of fair note, ranking well within both the Houston and Anaheim farm systems. He’s dealt with some injuries, most notably Tommy John surgery, but at his best Tropeano has looked the part of a respectable fourth or fifth starter. From 2014-18, he pitched to a 4.15 ERA with a 21 percent strikeout rate and a 9.4 percent walk rate in 203 2/3 innings.

San Francisco will have a week to either trade Tropeano, place him on outright waivers or release him. He has the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency should he go unclaimed, at which point he’d be able to seek new opportunities with another club — perhaps one with a more pressing pitching need. Then again, the Giants frequently shuffle their pitching mix, which could give Tropeano another opportunity before long if he opts to stick around.

As for Kazmir, he returned to the big leagues last month after a nearly half-decade absence from a Major League mound. The now-37-year-old veteran figures to continue to work out of the bullpen as he looks to channel Rich Hill and reestablish himself as a credible big league hurler. He got off to a nice start, holding the Dodgers to a run in four sharp innings during his Giants debut. Los Angeles got some revenge in their next meeting, however, tagging Kazmir for a pair of runs in an inning of work.

Giants Activate Scott Kazmir From Restricted List

By Steve Adams | June 4, 2021 at 1:51pm CDT

TODAY: The Giants will activate Kazmir prior to tonight’s game against the Cubs, and Kazmir will be the starting pitcher.

JUNE 1: The Giants placed lefty Scott Kazmir on the restricted list yesterday, with manager Gabe Kapler explaining to reporters that the southpaw had returned to his Texas home “to attend to a personal matter” (link via Kerry Crowley of the San Jose Mercury News). The team didn’t provide additional details, nor was any specification for how long Kazmir might be away from the club provided. Lefty Conner Menez was called back to the big league roster to take Kazmir’s spot.

Kazmir, 37, made an improbable return to the Majors in May after nearly five years had elapsed since his most recent outing. He tossed four innings of one-run ball in that impressive return before yielding a pair of runs in one frame in his second — and, to date, only other — appearance with the Giants. Kazmir’s 91.9 mph average fastball velocity in that pair of appearances was right in line with the numbers he posted during his last MLB run in 2014-16.

Hopefully, the left-hander will be able to return to the Giants at some point and continue what has already been a rather remarkable comeback story. For the time being, his absence from the club opens up a 40-man roster spot, as players on the restricted list don’t count against the 40-man.

Giants Place Mike Yastrzemski, Logan Webb On Injured List

By Anthony Franco | June 3, 2021 at 6:11pm CDT

The Giants announced they’ve placed outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and starter Logan Webb on the 10-day injured list. Yastrzemski, whose placement was retroactive to June 2, has a sprained right thumb. Webb has a right shoulder strain; his placement was retroactive to May 31. Corner infielder Jason Vosler and righty Nick Tropeano have been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to replace the pair on the active roster.

Yastrzemski’s IL stint doesn’t figure to be a long one. Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic) the 30-year-old is expected to miss seven to fourteen days, so it’s possible he’ll return when first eligible on June 12. Yastrzemski is hitting a productive .222/.332/.456 with six home runs over 184 plate appearances this year.

Webb, on the other hand, looks to be in for a more significant absence. Kapler says he’ll be shut down from throwing for a couple weeks (via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). This is the second time in as many months Webb is going on the IL with a shoulder strain. While he returned after the minimum ten days last time, the Giants will now take things a bit slower. The 24-year-old Webb has pitched well this season, tossing 49 innings of 3.86 ERA/3.36 SIERA ball.

The Giants haven’t yet decided who’ll start tomorrow night’s game against the Cubs in Webb’s place. Scott Kazmir is a possibility, though (Slusser link). The veteran lefty was placed on the restricted list Monday when he went to his Texas home to address a personal matter, but he’s expected back in the next few days.

Kapler also provided updates on a couple other injured Giants. Starter Aaron Sanchez, who has missed nearly a month with biceps tightness, threw live batting practice this afternoon (via Slusser). First baseman Brandon Belt, out since May 26 with a left oblique strain, has progressed to taking batting practice and could return to the lineup this weekend (Baggarly link).

Giants Select Scott Kazmir, Designate Braden Bishop

By Mark Polishuk | May 22, 2021 at 2:52pm CDT

Scott Kazmir’s comeback story is complete, as the Giants have selected the veteran southpaw’s contract from Triple-A. Kazmir will start for the Giants in today’s game against the Dodgers — ironically, the team Kazmir last pitched for in the big leagues, back during the 2016 season. In corresponding moves, outfielder Braden Bishop was designated for assignment, and left-hander Sam Selman was optioned to Triple-A.

After appearing in parts of 12 MLB seasons from 2004-16, Kazmir pitched 12 innings with the Dodgers’ Triple-A team in 2017 but it seemed like his career was drawing to a close. However, the left-hander announced in early 2020 that he was preparing a comeback attempt, and after a stint in independent baseball, Kazmir landed a minor league deal with San Francisco last February.

Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is no stranger to Kazmir, as the southpaw pitched for the Athletics and Dodgers when Zaidi was working in those clubs’ front offices. Since being hired as the Giants’ PBO, Zaidi has also developed a knack for finding hidden gems and reviving stalled careers — this roster development can be seen in the standings, as many of those unheralded players have helped the Giants to a 28-17 record.

Kazmir might represent the most impressive revival yet, considering his 37-year-old age, his long absence from the big leagues, and the number of injuries that dotted his career. It is worth remembering, however, that when Kazmir was in his prime, he was a very effective pitcher. Kazmir has appeared in three All-Star games, helped the Rays reach the World Series in 2008, and he has a 4.01 ERA over 1689 2/3 innings.

San Francisco has received excellent results from its rotation so far, though Kazmir will now get an opportunity due to injuries to Aaron Sanchez and Logan Webb. Sanchez’s return may be a while off and Webb’s shoulder strain isn’t thought to be overly serious, but Kazmir will get some time to show what he can do in 2021.

Bishop’s tenure with the Giants could come to a quick end, as the team only claimed him off waivers from the Mariners on May 17. Bishop has appeared in each of the last three MLB seasons, hitting .133/.188/.156 over 99 plate appearances with Seattle.

Giants Option LaMonte Wade Jr., Reassign Scott Kazmir, Shun Yamaguchi

By TC Zencka | March 28, 2021 at 4:36pm CDT

The Giants settled on a trio of roster moves today, optioning outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. and reassigning pitchers Scott Kazmir and Shun Yamaguchi to minor league camp, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle and others (via Twitter). Shea notes that the Giants roster is now down to 31. Wade is the only one of the three currently on the 40-man roster.

The Giants acquired Wade, 27, this winter from the Twins exchange for right-hander Shaun Anderson. While there was some thought that he could break camp as an extra outfielder, he hit just .195/.320/.341 over his first 50 spring plate appearances. As he is already on the 40-man roster, there’s a decent chance that Wade finds his way to the Majors at some point during the season.

For now, this likely means Darin Ruf will make the opening day roster, in part because of the enhanced degree of flexibility he affords manager Gabe Kapler, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Ruf and Austin Slater look like the backup outfielders on the roster, though both can play first base as well, which will be important early in the season as Brandon Belt hurries to get himself back up to speed after missing part of camp. Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group notes that these moves suggest Belt will be able to get himself ready in time for the opener, however.

Kazmir, 37, was certainly a long shot to make the roster. He last pitched in the Majors for the Dodgers in 2016. He threw 15 innings in independent ball last season with a 4.20 ERA. He followed up that effort with two starts and two relief appearances this spring for the Giants, allowing nine earned runs in 8 2/3 innings.

Yamaguchi, 33, joined the Giants after being released by the Blue Jays. He struggled in his 17 appearances last season, finishing with a 8.06 ERA/5.09 SIERA. He recovered with a nice spring: six innings with a .150 ERA. The Giants will likely attempt to keep him in the organization for depth.

Giants, Scott Kazmir Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | February 27, 2021 at 10:58am CDT

FEB 27: Kazmir’s deal is official and he will report to spring training, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).

FEB 23: Comeback season is upon us, it seems. The Giants have agreed to a minor league contract with left-hander Scott Kazmir, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney. He’ll be invited to Major League Spring Training. Kazmir will earn a $600K base salary if he makes the Giants, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. His deal doesn’t include any opt-out dates.

It’s been nearly five years since Kazmir, now 37, pitched in the Majors with the Dodgers. Current San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was serving as general manager under president Andrew Friedman in Los Angeles at that point, and he was also an assistant GM in the Athletics’ front office in 2013 when Oakland inked Kazmir to a two-year deal.

There’s some obvious history between Zaidi and Kazmir, who at one point was one of the game’s brightest young starters. Kazmir broke out with the Rays in 2005, drawing Rookie of the Year votes that season and going on to make a pair of All-Star teams with Tampa Bay, where he posted a 3.51 ERA and a 25.1 percent strikeout rate from 2005-2008 (back when the league-average strikeout percentage was just 17 percent).

Injuries looked to have derailed Kazmir’s career after a disastrous stint with the Angels. He recorded just five outs in the Majors from 2011-12 and looked to be in danger of washing out entirely before even celebrating his 30th birthday. But Kazmir parlayed a minor league deal with the Indians — not unlike the one he’s now signing with the Giants — into a strong rebound campaign in 2013. He rewarded the A’s with an All-Star season in ’14 and a strong first half in ’15 before being traded to the Astros. Injuries again waylaid Kazmir in the second and third seasons of his three-year pact with the Dodgers, and he hasn’t been on a big league mound since Sept. 2016.

Overall, Kazmir owns a lifetime 4.01 ERA that, remarkably, is an exact match with both his FIP and his SIERA. He’s fanned 22.2 percent of his opponents at the MLB level against a 9.4 percent walk rate. Those numbers come across as that of a third or fourth starter, but Kazmir has shown on multiple occasions that when he’s at his best, he’s a good deal better than that.

Whether he has anything left in the tank remains to be seen, but Olney notes that Kazmir hit 92-93 mph in recent bullpen sessions. He’s never been a particularly hard thrower, so that velocity aligns nicely with Kazmir’s peak years. Even during his All-Star campaigns in 2006, 2008 and 2014, Kazmir averaged just north of 91 mph on his heater.

There’s no harm in the Giants taking a look this spring to see if Kazmir has another rebound in him — even if this comeback seems all the more improbable given his age and his considerably longer layoff from pitching in the Majors. He’ll add another intriguing, high-upside arm to a Giants staff that has rolled the dice on Aaron Sanchez, Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani on Major League deals.

Quick Hits: Pence, Acuna, Anderson, Yankees, Andujar, Kazmir

By Mark Polishuk | August 23, 2020 at 11:08pm CDT

After being designated for assignment by the Giants earlier today, Hunter Pence’s second stint with the club has likely come to an end, and the longtime fan favorite wasn’t shocked by the news after hitting only .096/.161/.250 through 56 plate appearances. “I think I’ve been in the game long enough to know that no matter what, what I was producing on the field, you’ve got to bring a little bit more to the table than that. I completely understood,” Pence told Henry Schulman and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pence said he would “stay open” to the possibility of continuing to play should an opportunity arise, though he acknowledged that retirement might be on the horizon, describing the last “couple of years” as “the bonus rounds” of an outstanding career. If this is indeed it for Pence, he’ll hang up his glove after 14 years of Major League ball that included four All-Star appearances, a league-wide reputation as a clubhouse leader, and a place in the hearts of all San Francisco fans for his contributions to two World Series championships.

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