The Giants have activated veteran reliever Mark Melancon from the disabled list, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area was among those to report (via Twitter). To create a roster spot, the club designated righty Jose Valdez for assignment (technically, after activating him from the 10-day DL).
Melancon will appear for the first time this season. He has dealt with ongoing elbow and forearm issues since joining the San Francisco organization on a four-year, $62MM contract before the 2017 season.
Though he signed to be a closer, Melancon is expected to spend some time working up to speed before his role settles out. Hunter Strickland has handled the ninth inning to open the year, performing well though perhaps not putting the job in a stranglehold, either.
It remains to be seen how that’ll all shake out. Generally, it’s preferable to have that problem than for Melancon still to be on the shelf. It is fair to wonder, though: since the Giants are paying Melancon top dollar, perhaps they would prefer to see him return to closing rather than running up Strickland’s future arbitration tab by giving him save opportunities.
Valdez, 28, has been knocked around in five MLB innings on the year, allowing three long balls among eight total base hits. He carries a 6.34 ERA in 55 1/3 total frames at the game’s highest level over the past four seasons.
Will he pitch well enough to opt out? Look how much Closer arms got last off-season. He can opt-out of 2 years, $28M
Doubtful he’ll only get a save chance like once every 2 weeks
He’d have to pitch really, really well. If he were a free agent tomorrow what would he get, 1/$2MM?
There is no way that he would get anywhere near that kind of money now on the open market.This has been a wasted contract for San Francisco and unless he returns to his past dominance with Pittsburgh I think that the Giants would wish that he would opt out.
Has anyone ever actually optioned opt of a contract besides Cespedes?
Off the top of my head I can’t name anyone but him and I can’t name anyone with a current opt out who is likely to exercise it (Kershaw would have to be filthy in the last two months this year to even consider it at this point).
Guys who opted out: Arod, justin Upton, cc sabbathia
AJ Burnett (opted out with TOR, to sign with NY)
LoL! Opt out? He’ll be lucky to have a job after this albatross of a contract is up!
No article on panik being activated… he just hit an RBI single for his first official at bat back in the majors.
Yep and nothing about Tomlinson being optioned. Of course if it were Boston or NY we’d see that news!
Relief pitchers are the Running Backs of baseball.
He’ll have to come on like a house afire to have any trade value, but I don’t think SF is even thinking like that. At this point they just want a reliable closer – hey, that’s what they’re paying for.
Melancon will be back on the DL in a week…. – Biter Giants fan
Well, heavens, stop biting people…