The Giants are set to sign right-hander Justin Haley to a minor league contract, according to Roster Roundup (Twitter link).
Haley, 28, appeared in 10 games with the 2017 Twins as a Rule 5 pick before he was returned to the Red Sox. He was selected to the Red Sox’ roster a year later in 2018 but pitched in only four games at the MLB level before being outrighted off the 40-man roster at season’s end. In the offseason, he opted to sign with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization rather than pursue a minor league contract with an MLB organization. Things didn’t go well for Haley in the hitter-friendly KBO. He made 19 starts there and was tagged for a 5.75 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 34 walks in 87 2/3 innings of work before being cut loose (somewhat ironically, in order to open roster space for former Giants outfielder Mac Williamson to sign with the Lions).
That may all be a relatively unappealing profile at first glance, but Haley has a strong track record in Triple-A, where he’s pitched to a 3.53 with 7.6 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 260 1/3 innings across parts of three seasons (47 starts, two relief outings). He’s typically posted average or better ground-ball tendencies and has limited home runs fairly well, surrendering an average of 0.97 long balls per nine innings pitched.
Watch the Giants fix him.
i think there’s something here. he has a strong track record in AAA and KBO stats can be misleading.
Sacto guy. Maybe he’ll get to pitch for the river cats.
Good homer prevention.
Didn’t he just win Daytona?
Yeah as a big Sox fan I was actually quite happy when the Twins had to return him after the rule 5 pick didn’t work out. I think he could be a legitimate ML pitcher – maybe not anything spectacular but a possible back end starter or swing man definitely.
Guy looks like an assassin in A ball
nascar didn’t work out? dang