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Hyun Jin Ryu Signs Eight-Year Deal With KBO’s Hanwha Eagles

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Hyun Jin Ryu is headed back to South Korea. The KBO’s Hanwha Eagles announced the signing of Ryu to an eight-year deal worth 17 billion won (equivalent to just over $12.4MM). The contract also contains an opt-out provision at an unspecified date. Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News relayed the details (on X). A Korean-language report from X Sports first reported the 17 billion won guarantee. It’s the largest contract in KBO history.

Ryu debuted with the Eagles in 2006 at age 19. He won the league’s MVP award as a rookie thanks to a 2.23 ERA through 201 2/3 innings. The southpaw turned in a 2.80 ERA in 190 appearances over a seven-year run with the Eagles. After the 2012 season, Hanwha announced they’d make Ryu available to major league teams through the posting system.

Under the MLB-KBO posting rules in effect at the time, teams placed blind bids for the right to exclusive negotiation with the player. The Dodgers bid upwards of $25MM to win that auction. That opened a 30-day window for them to sign Ryu. The sides eventually came to a six-year, $36MM guarantee with various performance bonuses.

It turned out to be an excellent investment. Ryu pitched to an even 3.00 ERA over 30 starts in his debut campaign, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting. He turned in a 3.38 mark during his sophomore season before losing almost all of 2015-16 to shoulder and elbow problems. Ryu spent time on the injured list with various lower-body concerns between 2017-18 but remained effective when healthy. He finished his Dodger tenure with a flourish, turning in 182 2/3 innings with an MLB-best 2.32 ERA in 2019. He secured an All-Star nod and a runner-up finish to Jacob deGrom in NL Cy Young balloting.

That stellar year couldn’t have been timed any better. Ryu returned to free agency that winter, this time with all 30 teams eligible to put in offers. He signed a four-year, $80MM pact with the Blue Jays going into 2020. Through two seasons, it looked like a strong move. Ryu turned in a 2.69 ERA over 12 starts during the abbreviated schedule, finishing third in Cy Young balloting. He wasn’t as dominant the following season but managed a reasonable 4.37 ERA while starting a career-high 31 games.

Ryu’s final two seasons were impacted by injury. He battled forearm issues early in the ’22 campaign. An attempt to pitch through the injury was unsuccessful and he required Tommy John surgery in June. That kept him off an MLB mound well into the 2023 season.

The Jays reinstated Ryu on August 1. He managed 11 starts in the final two months, working to a 3.46 ERA. That’s solid production but wasn’t without some worrisome indicators. His fastball velocity sat at a personal-low 88.6 MPH. He struck out just 17% of opposing hitters and allowed 1.56 home runs per nine innings. The Jays deployed him in a very sheltered role. Skipper John Schneider called on Ryu to work beyond five innings just once. He only faced an opposing hitter for a third time in an appearance on 33 occasions.

That all worked against Ryu as he returned to the open market for what’ll be his age-37 season. At the beginning of the offseason, he said it was his preference to remain in MLB. It’s very likely that Ryu could’ve gotten a big league contract offer — the Mets and Padres reportedly showed interest — but it’s possible the market from major league teams wasn’t as robust as he’d anticipated.

Whatever the rationale, Ryu is returning to his home country. He’d spoken before about wanting to pitch for the Eagles between the end of his time in MLB and his overall playing career. He’ll do just that on a record-setting contract that runs through his age-44 season.

This almost certainly marks the end of Ryu’s time in the major leagues. He has had an excellent MLB career, allowing 3.27 earned runs per nine in 186 appearances. He tossed 1055 1/3 innings, struck out 934 batters, and collected 78 wins. A two-time Cy Young finalist, he also received down-ballot MVP votes in 2019 and ’20. Ryu made nine playoff starts over five separate seasons, working to a 4.54 ERA in 41 2/3 frames.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Reds Open To Post-Playing Role For Joey Votto

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First baseman Joey Votto has spent his entire career with the Reds but is currently a free agent. The club declined their $20MM option for his services in 2024, opting for the $7MM buyout instead, sending him to the open market for the first time in his career.

Votto is hoping to continue playing this year, but it seems he’ll have to don a new uniform in order to do so. Cincinnati’s president of baseball operations Nick Krall was unusually candid last month in firmly stating that the Reds “don’t plan to bring him back as of now.”

The veteran has received interest from the Blue Jays and Angels this offseason but remains unattached. Whether he finds a new playing gig or not, it seems he has future job opportunities on the table. Krall tells Gordon Wittenmyer and Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the club would welcome Votto back for some kind of role in his post-playing days.

“I’ve left the door open for that,” Krall said. “I’d love to have Joey in the organization, once his playing days are over. He’s a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer. He’s very well respected in the organization, and we all love him.” The exact nature of that role would likely be determined in the future, with the article floating possibilities such as a mentor, coach, special assistant, etc.

It’s understandable that the club would welcome such a development, given Votto’s franchise icon status. He played parts of 17 seasons with them, winning National League MVP in 2010 and making six All-Star teams in the process. He hit 356 home runs and walked nearly as much as he struck out, among many other accomplishments.

That may end up being the final tally of his accolades as a Red, but he’s still hoping to add to his track record with another club. Whenever it’s time to transition to a different stage, it seems he’ll have options available to him.

Yonathan Daza Signs With Mexican League’s Tecos De Los Dos Laredos

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The Tecos de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League announced the signing of outfielder Yonathan Daza for the 2024 season. Daza had appeared in the majors in four of the last five seasons, including each of the past three years.

Last year, the outfielder started in center field for the Rockies on Opening Day. Daza got off to a slow start, hitting .270/.304/.351 through 24 contests. Colorado outrighted him to Triple-A at the beginning of May. The Rox turned center field over to rookie Brenton Doyle. Daza hit .305/.350/.415 over 39 games with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque before suffering a left shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.

Daza reached minor league free agency at season’s end. Instead of signing a minor league pact with an MLB team, he’ll head to Mexico. Daza is a solid athlete who can handle all three outfield positions. His offensive profile has been built primarily on putting the ball in play with minimal impact. He’s a .281/.329/.354 hitter in a little less than 1000 career MLB plate appearances. If he gets out to a strong start with the Tecos, he could find renewed minor league interest down the line.

Brewers Re-Sign Brandon Woodruff

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The Brewers officially announced the re-signing of Brandon Woodruff on Wednesday evening. It’s a two-year pact with a mutual option for the 2026 season. The McKinnis Sports client is reportedly guaranteed $17.5MM on a backloaded deal. He’ll be paid $2.5MM for the upcoming season and a modest $5MM salary in 2025. The bulk of the money is concentrated in a $10MM buyout on the mutual option, which is valued at $20MM. Woodruff receives full no-trade rights.

Milwaukee placed the righty on the 60-day injured list within a couple hours of announcing the deal. That created the necessary 40-man roster spot for Gary Sánchez, who also finalized his contract on Wednesday.

Woodruff, 31, has spent his entire career with the Brewers but it seemed like that relationship was perhaps going to end at some point. Not too long ago, the Brewers had three key players that were all on track to make eight-figure arbitration salaries in 2024 before reaching free agency. Woodruff was one of those, along with fellow righty Corbin Burnes and shortstop Willy Adames. Given the way the club operates, it was expected that at least one of that group would be traded for salary relief and to restock some future talent.

But Woodruff dealt with shoulder issues throughout 2023 and wound up requiring surgery in October, which put his 2024 season in jeopardy. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected the righty for a salary of $11.6MM, a hefty amount for a pitcher who may not throw at all this year, especially for a lower-budget club like the Brewers. They reportedly explored some trade scenarios but ultimately just non-tendered Woodruff, sending him out to free agency.

That gave every club the chance to sign him, with the Mets having reported interest at one point. Their new president of baseball operations David Stearns is plenty familiar with Woodruff, as his time with the Brewers began the year after the righty was drafted. But in the end, Woodruff will be returning to Milwaukee to continue his tenure as a Brewer.

A two-year deal was always the most likely scenario for Woodruff. Pitchers facing lengthy layoffs like this, usually due to Tommy John surgery, often sign such pacts. That time frame allows the player to collect a paycheck while injured, while also giving the club a chance to potentially get a healthy full season at a relatively discounted rate. Woodruff’s situation is slightly different since he’s coming back from shoulder surgery rather than elbow surgery, but the logic is the same.

When healthy, Woodruff has been one of the better pitchers in the game. He has a 3.10 earned run average in his career, having struck out 28.9% of batters faced, walked just 6.5% of them and kept 42.8% of balls in play on the ground. Among pitchers with at least 650 innings pitched since the start of the 2017 season, that ERA ranks sixth in the majors.

But staying on the mound has been a bit of an issue for him, as he’s yet to hit 180 innings pitched in any big league season. In his big league career, he’s gone on the injured list due to a strained left oblique, a right ankle sprain and the aforementioned shoulder problems from last year.

Regardless, the Brewers are surely happy to get Woodruff back into the fold, as his results have clearly been excellent when he’s been able to take the ball. They have subtracted Burnes from this year’s rotation, having traded him to the Orioles, leaving Freddy Peralta as the de facto ace. They also acquired DL Hall in that Burnes deal, with the lefty hoping to earn a rotation spot this year. They also re-signed Wade Miley and Colin Rea while adding Jakob Junis and Joe Ross into the mix via free agency.

If Woodruff can get healthy by the end of the year, he’ll jump into that mix and help the club for the stretch run. Looking ahead to 2025, there’s not a lot of certainty for the Milwaukee rotation. Peralta is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, though he has $8MM club options for next year and the year after, with those a virtual lock to be triggered as long as he’s healthy. Miley and Junis have mutual options for next year, with those almost never picked up by both sides. The club has a ’25 option for Rea at a modest $5.5MM salary and $1MM buyout, making it a net $4.5MM decision, but it’s not a lock they would trigger that with his inconsistent track record. Hall still isn’t established as a capable big league starter.

Taking all of that into consideration, there’s very little that can be written in ink for next year’s rotation. There are some prospects near the majors who could step up, such as Robert Gasser and Jacob Misiorowski, but it makes a lot of sense to bring Woodruff back into the fold and hopefully have him come back healthy and effective by then. If that comes to pass, he and Peralta would give the club a strong front two next year, with three spots available for younger guys or future additions.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported the Brewers were signing Woodruff to a two-year deal. The Associated Press reported the financial details and the no-trade clause.

Red Sox Have Shown Interest In Gio Urshela

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The Red Sox have shown interest in free agent infielder Gio Urshela, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Cotillo tipped his hat on X to other uses on that site, @iTalkStudiosYT and @GlenielGarcia2, but he downplayed the situation more than those outlets. Cotillo noted that no deal was close and that the Sox haven’t done anything to separate themselves from other interested clubs like the Yankees, Mets, Angels and Marlins.

Urshela, now 32, is coming off a frustrating season with the Angels. He hit just two home runs in 62 games before suffering a pelvic fracture that ended his season prematurely. Nonetheless, plenty of clubs have been interested in him based on his previous work, where he combined a bit of pop, low strikeout rates and defensive versatility.

From 2019 to 2022, he hit 54 home runs in 435 games while getting punched out in just 19.3% of his plate appearances. His 6.3% walk rate was subpar but he nonetheless managed to hit .290/.336/.463 over those years for a wRC+ of 119, indicating he was 19% better than league average. He has spent most of his career at third base but has also lined up at the other three infield spots and has one inning in left field.

The Sox have a set infield right now with Rafael Devers, Trevor Story, Vaughn Grissom and Triston Casas lined up left to right, but there would be some sense in adding a quality multi-positional infielder like Urshela. Neither Devers nor Cases are considered especially strong defensively. Story has missed significant time in the past two seasons due to elbow surgery. Grissom has just 64 games of major league experience.

If Urshela were added, he could occasionally spell someone in that group or push them to the designated hitter slot. The club plans to use Masataka Yoshida as the DH fairly regularly but he can play the outfield on occasion as others get a rest.

Despite the logical fit, Cotillo downplays the urgency of a deal getting to completion, which suggests the Sox aren’t desperate to add him. If they don’t get something done with Urshela, their in-house options for a depth infielder are Enmanuel Valdéz, Bobby Dalbec, Pablo Reyes, David Hamilton and Romy González.

Nationals, Derek Law Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Nationals and right-hander Derek Law have agreed to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The CAA Sports client will earn a salary of $1.5MM if added to the roster and there’s also $500K available via incentives as well as three opt-out opportunities.

Law, 33, posted solid results for the Reds last year, logging 55 innings while allowing 3.60 earned runs per nine. However, he may have been lucky to do so, as his 18.8% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 39.5% ground ball rate were all below league average. The baseball gods could have been smiling on him a bit, as his .275 batting average on balls in play and 77.9% strand rate were both on the fortunate side.

His 4.62 FIP and 4.82 SIERA suggested he may not have been able to continue keeping runs off the board at the rate that he did last year. The Reds may have agreed, as they decided to non-tender Law instead of keeping him around via arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a modest $1.4MM salary but the Reds cut him loose instead.

The Nats are rebuilding and should have innings available for relievers at some point this year. Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey, Tanner Rainey and Dylan Floro are the only relievers on the roster with more than three years in the big leagues. If any of them are throwing well this summer, they could find themselves on the the trade block, since the Nats aren’t expected to be in contention. Floro is on a one-year deal while each of Finnegan, Harvey and Rainey are set to become free agents after 2025.

Law is a veteran journeyman who debuted back in 2016, having suited up for the Giants, Blue Jays, Twins and Tigers before joining the Reds. He has thrown 256 innings in the majors with a 4.08 ERA. He would be a logical fit on a club that’s lacking in experience, though he’ll have competition from other non-roster invitees like Richard Bleier, Luis Perdomo, Jacob Barnes and others. If Law doesn’t end up on the roster, the opt-outs give up some ability to pursue other opportunities, though the exact dates of those opt-outs haven’t been reported.

Brewers Sign Gary Sanchez To Restructured Deal

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February 21: Rosenthal updated his story today to indicate that Sanchez will reportedly accept a $3MM base salary with the potential to get to $7MM via incentives. The deal is now official, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Brandon Woodruff has been transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Woodruff’s own deal just become official earlier today. He’s expected to miss most or perhaps all of the upcoming season while rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

February 20: The Brewers and catcher Gary Sanchez agreed to terms on a one-year, $7MM contract in early February — but the team has yet to formally announce the signing. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic now reports that the Brewers had some concerns regarding Sanchez’s wrist, which he fractured in early September last season after being hit by a pitch, and that’ll likely lead to new financial terms. Sanchez will likely still be able to earn up to that same $7MM figure, per the report, but some of it will be contingent upon his wrist holding up. That implies that a lower base salary and incentives seem likely to be baked into the new-look contract arrangement.

While the financial terms of the deal seem likely to change, it doesn’t appear the concern was strong enough to torpedo the deal entirely. And, given that Sanchez was never expected to be the primary catcher on a roster featuring All-Star William Contreras anyhow, his role might not change much either. The veteran slugger will presumably operate as the primary backup to Contreras and also mix in at designated hitter a fair bit.

The Brewers could carry three catchers this season; they inked Eric Haase to a big league deal earlier in the winter. It’s a split contract, but he’s out of minor league options, so the minor league salary would only come into play if he first clears waivers. Rosenthal notes that the Brewers “plan to keep” Haase, though it’s at least possible they could simply be confident he’ll clear waivers and stick around as upper-level depth.

In particular, Sanchez will likely be in the lineup against left-handed pitchers as often as possible. The 31-year-old hit .267/.304/.680 against southpaws in 2023 and has generally posted better power numbers and a higher walk rate when holding the platoon advantage. Sanchez is just a .215 hitter against lefties in his career, but he’s reached base at a .314 clip and slugged .484 against them. Sanchez slotting in as a designated hitter against lefties could be used as a means of getting a breather for any of Milwaukee’s many lefty-swinging outfield/DH/first base options: Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick or Jake Bauers.

The exact terms of the newly framed deal aren’t yet available, but the Brewers were projected for a $122MM payroll with Sanchez penciled in for his full $7MM guarantee (per Roster Resource). That was already about $10MM shy of their franchise-record mark, and shaving some of Sanchez’s guarantee off the books creates even more wiggle room. Of course, it’s still not known how much Brandon Woodruff will command on his new two-year deal to return to the Brew Crew, though it’ll presumably be quite backloaded given that he’s expected to miss the majority of the 2024 season following shoulder surgery.

However that pair of guarantees shakes out, the Brewers will likely still have some distance between their 2024 payroll figure and the previous franchise-high, established just two years ago in 2022. That could leave a bit of space for further additions to round out the roster, and for a team that already moved ace Corbin Burnes and saw its GM proclaim that he’s “open to more conversations,” the possibility remains that further changes to both the payroll and roster outlook could yet come together.

Brewers Designate Jahmai Jones For Assignment

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The Brewers have designated infielder/outfielder Jahmai Jones for assignment, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His roster spot will go to right-hander Brandon Woodruff, whose previously-reported signing is now official.

Jones, 26, signed with the Brewers in July of last year. He spent most of the rest of the season on optional assignment, only getting into seven big league games, hitting .200/.273/.300 in those. He exhausted his final option year in the process and is now out of options, which was going to make it challenging for him to hang onto a roster spot going forward.

A second-round pick of the Angels back in 2015, Jones was once a top 100 prospect but has generally struggled to take his strong minor league work up to the majors. He got a brief cup of coffee with the Halos in 2020 before being dealt to the Orioles for Alex Cobb in February of 2021. He got into 26 games as an Oriole in 2021 but then required Tommy John surgery in May of 2022. He was later designated for assignment and released, as injured players can’t be put on outright waivers. That led to a two-year minor league deal with the Dodgers, though he opted out of that pact last summer before signing with the Brewers.

Amid all those jersey swaps, he’s hit .179/.233/.226 in a tiny sample of 90 plate appearances in the big leagues. But he’s been much more impressive on the farm, hitting .254/.378/.441 over the past three years. That includes a line of .268/.413/.466 last year between the systems of the Dodgers and Brewers, drawing walks in 18.7% of his plate appearances while only striking out in 21.8% of them. That production was 22% better than league average by measure of wRC+.

Jones also stole 12 bases in the minors last year and lined up defensively at second base, third base and the outfield corners. His time at third was minimal, just nine innings, but he’s also played center field in previous seasons.

The Brewers will have one week to trade Jones or try to pass him through waivers. He could garner interest based on his past prospect pedigree, strong offense in the minors and defensive versatility. However, since he is now out of options, he’ll have less roster flexibility going forward.

Rays Planning Utility Role For Amed Rosario

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The Rays deepened their infield mix with yesterday’s signing of Amed Rosario to a one-year contract, but despite the 28-year-old’s experience as a starting shortstop in both Cleveland and in New York, he’ll be ticketed for a multi-position role with his new club. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that Rosario will likely see time at both middle infield spots and in the outfield corners. Trade acquisition Jose Caballero, meanwhile, is still viewed as the starter at shortstop due to his superior glovework.

Injuries and/or performance can always change those plans, particularly with the entirety of spring training still to play out, but it seems Rosario will be used to spell several players and to boost the team’s production against left-handed pitching. The righty-swinging veteran is a career .298/.339/.467 hitter against lefties (121 wRC+) but has posted a rather hollow .262/.296/.374 line in his career against right-handed pitching.

Entering the 2023 season, Rosario looked like he could be in line for a notable multi-year deal once he reached free agency. From 2021-22, he’s posted a solid .282/.316/.406 batting line (103 wRC+) with enough defensive aptitude to be valued between 5.2 wins above replacement (via FanGraphs) and 6.2 WAR (Baseball Reference). He stumbled with a .263/.305/.378 slash in 2023, however, and seemingly wasn’t able to find a team willing to put down a significant bet that he could rebound to his previous status as a viable starter at the shortstop position.

The move to a utility role will be a new one for Rosario, who’s played the overwhelming majority of his career at shortstop. He logged 190 innings with the Dodgers at second base in 2023, following a deadline swap that sent him to L.A. in exchange for Noah Syndergaard, and he logged a combined 171 innings in the outfield from 2019-22 with the Mets and Guardians. Rosario has just 48 career innings in left field and none in right field. He’s tallied more than 6400 innings at shortstop in his career. While Rosario lacks experience in the outfield, he does still rank in the 95th percentile of MLB players in terms of sprint speed, per Statcast, so he should have the raw ability to cover ground in the corners. His route-running will presumably be a point of focus in camp.

Rosario’s addition helps the Rays take a more patient approach with a number of their young infielders. Junior Caminero and Curtis Mead are widely considered to be among the game’s top prospects (Caminero, in particular), and the Rays also have young infielders Jonathan Aranda, Osleivis Basabe and Austin Shenton on the 40-man roster. Aranda is down to his final minor league option year and probably ticketed for a big league look to begin the season, but the others each have multiple options remaining.

Giants Notes: Bart, Winn, Eldridge

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The Giants are nearing a decision point with catcher Joey Bart, who is now out of options and seems unlikely to crack the club’s Opening Day roster. Patrick Bailey is set to be the primary backstop after a strong season last year and the club signed Tom Murphy in the offseason to back him up. They also have Blake Sabol on the 40-man and can now option him to the minors. He was a Rule 5 pick last year and had to stay up due to the restrictions of that status, but they have now fully secured his rights and can send him down to act as a depth piece.

A spring injury could always clear a path for Bart but he otherwise seems poised to be squeezed off the roster in the next month or so. It’s something that Bart is aware of and he spoke to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle about it. “I try not to look out too far ahead,” Bart said. “I can only control what I can control, otherwise you can go off too many places mentally and that wouldn’t put me in the position to be my best. I’m just going to get after it and have fun and have a good spring.”

The second overall pick in the 2018 draft, Bart has hit just .219/.288/.335 in his first 503 major league plate appearances, striking out in 35.4% of them. His work at Triple-A hasn’t been outstanding either, having slashed .274/.357/.434 at that level over the past three years. That line looks decent at first glance but it all came in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, where it actually comes in below average, 97 wRC+. His 28.3% strikeout rate at that level is also on the high side.

Slusser notes that Bart showed up to camp this year in excellent condition, with caveats that “best shape of his life” narratives are common at this part of the calendar. Whether any other clubs buy into his altered physique or not, he could garner interest in spite of his uninspiring results thus far. He was still considered a top 100 prospect in the league as recently as two years ago and catching tends to always be in demand. Slusser speaks to an unnamed scout and executive who each suggest there would be interest from other clubs.

Last month, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at some clubs who could make sense as a landing spot, listing the Brewers, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Pirates and Rays. Milwaukee has since agreed to terms with Gary Sánchez while Pittsburgh added Yasmani Grandal, but the other three remain plausible fits. Bart’s recent struggles will likely lead to a modest return but the Giants have a few weeks to try to line something up.

Turning to the rotation, Slusser also relays that Keaton Winn is dealing with some elbow soreness. MRIs didn’t reveal any structural damage but manager Bob Melvin says they are “trying to formulate some opinions on where we go.”

Winn also dealt with some elbow soreness last spring and missed about a month of the summer, going on the injured list in the minors while on optional assignment. The fact that no structural damage can be found is perhaps a good sign, but any little issue with a starting pitcher figures to be magnified given the general flimsiness of the club’s starting rotation.

Both Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray are set to start the season on the injured list, rehabbing from hip surgery and elbow surgery, respectively. That leaves the club with a rotation headlined by Logan Webb but little certainty beyond that. Jordan Hicks will be attempting to transition from the bullpen to the rotation, a role in which he has yet to prove himself. Youngsters like Winn, Kyle Harrison and Tristan Beck are the likeliest to fill out the rotation but none of that group has even a year of big league experience.

If Winn’s elbow issue requires him to miss any time, that could force the Giants to turn to depth pieces, with Slusser highlighting non-roster invitees Spencer Howard and Daulton Jefferies as a couple of possibilities. The former has a career ERA of 7.20 while the latter has hardly pitched recently due to thoracic outlet surgery in June 2022 and then Tommy John surgery in September of that same year. If the Giants decide to bolster their rotation mix with an external addition, the free agent market still features Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Michael Lorenzen and others.

Turning to the long-term picture, Slusser also notes that prospect Bryce Eldridge will just be a first baseman for now. He was drafted last year, 16th overall, as a two-way player but it seems he’ll be putting pitching aside for the time being. “We haven’t ruled anything out there, but this year the focus is first base,” general manager Pete Putila says. “We’re super excited about the bat and we want him to get as many plate appearances as possible.”

After the draft last summer, Eldridge got into 16 Complex League games and 15 Single-A games. He hit .294/.400/.505 in 130 plate appearances but didn’t pitch. Prospect evaluators are generally more keen on his abilities as a hitter and it seems the Giants are as well. Listed at 6’7″ and 223 pounds, he played right field last year but will now be moving to first, which is where some evaluators expect him to wind up in the future.

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