Andrew Wantz Elects Free Agency
The Rays announced that right-hander Andrew Wantz has cleared waivers and elected free agency. Tampa designated him for assignment a few days ago. He has a previous career outright, which gives him the right to reject further outright assignments in favor of the open market.
It was a very brief stint in the majors for Wantz. He was selected to the roster on Friday and designated for assignment on Sunday. He made one appearance, allowing five earned runs in an inning and two thirds.
The Rays were spinning plates for a while there, due to a few unique situations. Griffin Jax was hit by a comebacker last Tuesday and was removed after two innings. The next day, Steven Matz started, coming off a stint on the injured list with no rehab assignment. He lasted three innings, which led to Jonathan Heasley absorbing four frames in relief. After that, the Rays bumped off Heasley and added Wantz to give them a fresh arm. On Saturday, starter Drew Rasmussen only went four innings. Wantz was one of five relievers who pitched behind him. Wantz is out of options, so he was designated for assignment when they freshened up the bullpen once more.
Earlier in his career, Wantz had some decent results with the Angels. He tossed 117 innings for that club from 2021 to 2023, allowing 3.85 earned runs per nine. His 9.7% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 25.4% of batters faced.
In 2024, the Angels tried stretching him out in the minors, which didn’t work. He posted a 6.17 ERA in seven appearances for Triple-A Salt Lake and then underwent some kind of elbow surgery. The details on that procedure were murky but he was outrighted off the roster at season’s end and then signed a two-year minor league deal with the Rays for 2025 and 2026.
He was back on the mound late last year with encouraging results, allowing just one earned run in 13 innings. He wasn’t able to carry that over into 2026, as he put up a 7.04 ERA in Triple-A before being called up for emergency action. That number was at least a bit misleading, as his .403 batting average on balls in play and 57.3% strand rate were both on the unfortunate side. His 20.7% strikeout rate, 9.9% walk rate and 45.8% ground ball rate were all close to average. His 4.04 FIP suggested he deserved far better.
In situations like this, it’s common for the player to re-sign with the club he just walked away from. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rays re-sign Wantz in the near future but he has the chance to explore other opportunities.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
KBO’s LG Twins Sign Yacksel Rios, Release Yonny Chirinos
The LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization are signing right-hander Yacksel Rios, per Korean news outlet Naver Sports. He’ll take the place of another former big league right-hander, Yonny Chirinos, who is being released. Rios had been with the Cubs organization, but the MiLB.com transaction log indicates that he was released earlier this week. Rios surely requested his release in order to pursue this opportunity. The Cubs will likely receive a nominal cash sum from the KBO’s Twins as compensation for granting Rios his release.
Rios, 32, has pitched to a 4.24 ERA in 17 2/3 innings with the Cubs’ top affiliate in Des Moines this season and tossed 1 2/3 shutout innings with the big league team earlier this year. He’s a veteran of exactly 100 major league innings but has struggled to a 6.21 ERA across stints with the Phillies, Pirates, Mariners, Red Sox and A’s (in addition to his brief ’26 stint with the Cubs).
Rios averaged 98 mph on his four-seamer earlier this year in his quick MLB look but has sat 96.6 mph in Iowa. He combines that four-seamer with a sinker of comparable velocity, a splitter in the low 90s and a slider that sits around 86 mph. Rios has a 4.14 ERA in parts of five Triple-A seasons. He’s regularly misses bats but, like many hard throwers, has struggled to command his potent arsenal.
With the KBO’s Twins, he’s expected to compete for closing opportunities. A big showing in the final four months of the season could plausibly earn him a look back in the majors this offseason, but it’s likelier to be an audition for a full season in either the KBO or in NPB next season. If he throws well, he’d have a path to securing a seven-figure payday in one of the top Asian leagues, and an eventual return to the majors can never be fully ruled out.
Chirinos, also 32, was in his second season with the Twins. His first year overseas went brilliantly, as he worked to a 3.31 ERA over 177 innings. He’s made eight starts and pitched only 33 2/3 innings this season, however. Opponents have teed off and dinged him for a 6.68 ERA during that time. Despite pitching only 33 2/3 frames, Chirinos has yielded 47 hits and 14 walks (plus four more plunked batters).
Latest On Athletics’ Rotation
The Athletics have taken a few rotation hits lately, with both Luis Severino and Aaron Civale hitting the injured list, the former due to a shoulder strain and the latter due to right shoulder tendonitis. Per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com, Civale has already begun a throwing progression but the update on Severino isn’t nearly as encouraging. Severino has been diagnosed with a strain of shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle. He will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Though Gallegos doesn’t specifically say so, the implication seems to be that Severino will be shut down for that four-to-six-week timeline. That timeline would take him pretty close to the All-Star break. Even if he is declared healthy then, he would need some kind of ramp-up period before going out on a rehab assignment. In other words, he may be on the IL into August.
That’s not an ideal development for the club, nor for the pitcher. For the A’s, Severino has been a mainstay of their rotation. The results haven’t been ace-like, but Severino has taken the ball and given them a chance to win. He signed a three-year, $67MM deal ahead of the 2025 season then gave the club 29 starts last year with a 4.54 earned run average. This year, he made 12 more starts with a 4.16 ERA.
The club’s temporary home of Sutter Health Park, normally the home of the Giants’ Triple-A club, has been very hitter-friendly and may have impacted Severino’s numbers. He had a 6.01 ERA at home last year and is at 5.33 this year. On the road, he had a 3.02 ERA last year and is at 3.38 in 2026.
Perhaps the home/road situation is oversimplified, since it’s not as though he’s been dominant under the hood. Since signing with the A’s, his 8.3% walk rate and 42% ground ball rate are close to average but his 19.4% strikeout rate is a few ticks worse than par. He has an overall 4.20 FIP and 4.47 SIERA since signing with the club. Regardless, it’s surely unwelcome that the A’s will be looking to proceed without Severino for several weeks.
For him personally, it could impact his contract situation. Severino can opt out of his deal after the current campaign, walking away from $22MM. He was trending towards a borderline decision, based on his decent but not astounding numbers. Since he has complained about the club’s facilities in the past, perhaps that would have tipped him towards opting out, but this injury might make that less likely.
Turning back to the club, they have Gage Jump and Jeffrey Springs listed as their probable pitchers for their next two games. J.T. Ginn should be following on Thursday. Despite the Severino and Civale injuries, they optioned Jacob Lopez today when they called up Kade Morris and Mason Barnett. Lopez has a 6.75 ERA this year, with subpar strikeout and walk rates of 15.6% and 13.6% respectively.
The club hasn’t made any formal announcements about the other rotation spots. Morris and Barnett could start. José Suarez has starting experience but has mostly been throwing under two innings in his appearances since joining the club last month. Gunnar Hoglund won’t be in the mix since he recently underwent season-ending hip surgery.
Since Civale has already started throwing, perhaps he will be back in the mix soon. If the A’s need another arm before he gets back, they have Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, Joey Estes and Luis Morales on optional assignment, with Lopez now on his way to join that group.
The American League playoff race is wide open. Despite a 28-31 record, the A’s currently sit just half a game back of a Wild Card spot. If they manage to hang in the race into July, they should be looking for pitching at the deadline, even if Severino is working his way back to the club by then.
Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images
Royals Claim Matthew Lugo, Select Beck Way
The Royals have claimed outfielder Matthew Lugo off waivers from the Angels, according to announcements from both clubs. The Halos had designated him for assignment last week. The Royals have optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. Additionally, the Royals announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Beck Way and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan. Kansas City had two 40-man openings for Lugo and Way due to catcher Elias Díaz and left-hander Bailey Falter being designated for assignment in recent weeks. The Royals also announced today that Falter cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. Díaz was outrighted last week.
Lugo, now 25, seemed to have a breakout season in 2024. Originally a draftee of the Red Sox, he was traded to the Angels that summer as part of the deal sending Luis García to Boston. Between those two organizations, Lugo hit .287/.376/.578 in the minors for a massive 156 wRC+, indicating he was 56% better than league average offensively.
Unfortunately, his results since then haven’t been nearly as encouraging. He has 642 minor league plate appearances dating back to the start of 2025 with a .261/.339/.430 line and 91 wRC+. He has also been sent the plate 70 times in the big leagues, with a .232/.243/.464 line and 89 wRC+ in those. Defensively, he’s considered a passable corner outfielder but isn’t elite out there. He has some ability on the basepaths, generally stealing 10 to 20 bases a year in the minors.
Ideally, Lugo will get his offense back to that form he showed in 2024, or something close to it. The Royals had some open roster space and Lugo has options, so there’s little harm in putting in a claim to get a close-up look at him at Omaha. He has a couple of options remaining, so he could be easily kept on the farm through the end of the 2027 season, though it’s also possible he gets bumped off the 40-man roster before then.
Way, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Yankees in 2020. He was one of three players sent to the Royals in the 2022 deadline deal sending Andrew Benintendi to the Bronx. A starter at that time, Way has since been moved to a relief role. Last year’s results weren’t strong, as he posted a 5.93 earned run average in 74 1/3 innings on the farm.
This year’s numbers have been much better, though his 4.50 ERA in 30 innings doesn’t jump off the page. If it weren’t for a .361 batting average on balls in play and 62.5% strand rate, his ERA would be notably lower, hence his 3.22 FIP. His 32.6% strikeout rate and 50% ground ball rate are both well above average, while his 7.8% walk rate is also better than par. His four-seamer and sinker are both averaging in the upper 90s. He also throws a cutter, slider and changeup.
The Royals will give him a shot to see if he can get big league hitters out. Since this is his first major league call, he has a full slate of options, meaning he could be shuttled to Omaha and back when the club needs fresh arms.
Falter, 29, was acquired from the Pirates at last year’s deadline. Since then, he has been either injured or ineffective. Late last year, a left bicep contusion put him on the IL for over a month. This year, left elbow inflammation put him on the IL for about six weeks. Around those IL stints, he put up an ugly 12.46 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. He is out of options, so that performance got him bumped into DFA limbo and through the waiver wire unclaimed.
The lefty has the right to elect free agency but is unlikely to do so. Players with at least three years of big league service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of the open market, but they need five years of service to exercise that right while keeping their salary commitments in place. Falter is under the five-year line and making $3.6MM this year, so he presumably doesn’t want to walk away from that money.
Assuming he accepts his assignment, he’ll try to get back on track in Omaha and earn his way back onto the roster. Prior to joining the Royals, he was working as a decent back-end guy. He logged 296 innings for the Pirates with a 4.32 ERA.
Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images
Athletics Select Kade Morris
June 2nd: The A’s made it official today, announced they have selected Morris. They also recalled Barnett. In corresponding moves, they optioned Lopez and right-hander Michael Kelly. To open a 40-man spot for Morris, righty Brooks Kriske has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Kriske hit the 15-day IL on May 13th with a right shoulder impingement. His 60-day count is retroactive to that date, meaning he won’t be eligible for reinstatement until July 12th. His current status is unclear but Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reported shortly after his IL placement that Kriske wouldn’t throw for three weeks.
June 1st: The Athletics are calling up pitching prospect Kade Morris, reports Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The club will need to open active and 40-man roster spots for the right-hander, who will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Morris, 24 this month, was a third-round pick of the Mets in 2023. He was flipped to the A’s at the 2024 trade deadline in the deal which sent Paul Blackburn to Queens. At the time of the deal, Morris was still at the High-A level but he has since bumped up to the upper tiers of the minor leagues. He got a very brief look at Triple-A at the end of that 2024 season but started 2025 at Double-A. He got promoted to Triple-A more permanently a year ago, making his first 2025 Triple-A start on June 1st.
In that past year, he has made 30 starts for Triple-A Las Vegas. He has logged 159 innings, allowing 4.92 earned runs per nine in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His 18.5% strikeout rate is a few ticks below major league average but his 9% walk rate is around par while he has induced grounders on about half the balls in play he has allowed. His four-seamer and sinker both average around 94 miles per hour. His slider is his most-used secondary pitch.
Most prospect evaluators put Morris just outside the top ten prospects in the club’s system. That includes Baseball America, who had Morris at #13 coming into the season but now list him at #11. The BA report notes that he has good control of his arsenal but his main vulnerability is not having a good weapon for lefties since his changeup isn’t strong. Lefties have a .277/.409/.511 line against him this year and the line was .332/.395/.533 last year.
FanGraphs is a bit more bullish. In April, they gave Morris the #3 spot in the system, behind only Leo De Vries and Gage Jump. The report notes that a slight improvement to his changeup would make him a playoff-caliber starter, though he’s currently more of a back-end guy.
The A’s have taken a few rotation hits lately. Shoulder tendonitis sent Aaron Civale to the injured list a week ago. A shoulder strain put Luis Severino on the IL over the weekend. Those two injuries have led to the A’s reaching into their depth, with Gunnar Hoglund not an option since he required season-ending hip surgery. Jump got the call last week to replace Civale, joining the rotation alongside Jeffrey Springs, J.T. Ginn and Jacob Lopez.
Perhaps Morris is getting the call to take Severino’s rotation spot, or maybe to serve as a long reliever. The A’s also have Mason Barnett, Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, Luis Morales and Joey Estes on the 40-man roster, so they have some other options who could be mixed in while Civale and Severino are on the shelf. Since this is the first time Morris has been given a roster spot, he has a full slate of options and could be easily sent back to Vegas if he’s not sticking around for an extended audition.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Padres Select Jase Bowen
June 2nd: The Padres officially announced their selection of Bowen today. Laureano lands on the 10-day IL due to right hip inflammation, retroactive to May 31st. Pivetta has been moved to the 60-day IL as the corresponding 40-man move.
June 1st: The Padres are calling up outfielder Jase Bowen, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The Friars will need to open space on the active and 40-man rosters for Bowen, who will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Bowen, now 25, was originally an 11th-round pick of the Pirates back in 2019. As a hitter, he has shown some pop but there have been some concerns regarding his approach. Through the end of 2024, he had over 2,000 plate appearances on the farm. He hit 64 home runs but his 7.5% walk rate and 25.6% strikeout rate were both subpar figures. He had a combined .243/.315/.406 line and 99 wRC+ in that time.
His 2025 numbers were a little bit intriguing. He missed time due to injury and only made 366 plate appearances but produced a strong .272/.353/.449 line, leading to a 124 wRC+. He improved his walk rate to 10.7% but was punched out at a 28.7% clip. His output was aided by a .376 batting average on balls in play. He didn’t have a roster spot at season’s end and became a minor league free agent, which is when the Padres signed him to a minor league deal.
This year, he has been with Triple-A El Paso and putting up good numbers, but with similar caveats to last year. He has 13 home runs, a 9.5% walk rate, a .292/.362/.600 line and 121 wRC+. However, his 26.6% strikeout rate is still a bit high and he again benefitted from a high BABIP, this time a .349 mark.
Even if his offense over the past two years isn’t totally sustainable, he can contribute in other ways. Back in April, FanGraphs ranked Bowen the #17 prospect in a weak Padres’ system. They raised concerns about his approach at the plate but noted he is a strong runner, which helps him on the basepaths and in the outfield. He stole at least 16 bases in each season from 2021 to 2025. Defensively, he’s spent time in all three outfield slots. If he can maintain any of his recent offensive numbers, that would be great. But even if not, he profiles as a decent fourth outfielder who can run down the ball and swipe a bag from time to time.
The Padres have recently had Fernando Tatis Jr. covering second base, leaving them with an outfield of Gavin Sheets, Jackson Merrill and Ramón Laureano. On the bench, they’ve got Nick Castellanos and Bryce Johnson, but both of them have been struggling. Castellanos has a .191/.221/.339 line while Johnson is at .188/.257/.250. Neither of them are optionable, so perhaps one of those two will be designated for assignment to open roster space for Bowen.
It’s also possible someone in that group is headed to the injured list with an unreported injury. If that’s the case, then the Friars could open a 40-man spot by moving someone to the 60-day injured list. Nick Pivetta would be a good candidate since he’s already been on the 15-day IL for almost two months, initially landing there April 13th. He hasn’t yet begun a rehab assignment and therefore isn’t in line for a near-term activation.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Astros Activate Josh Hader
2:25pm: The Astros have now officially announced Hader’s reinstatement. Correa was indeed moved to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot. They also placed infielder Braden Shewmake on the 10-day IL, retroactive to May 31st, with a right adductor strain. Outfielder Zach Cole was recalled to replace Shewmake.
12:56pm: The Astros announced yesterday that righty Logan VanWey was being optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land. The team didn’t specify a corresponding move, noting that a transaction would be announced Tuesday. Manager Joe Espada now tells SportsTalk 790’s Matt Thomas that closer Josh Hader will be reinstated from the injured list and active for tonight’s game. Hader is on the 60-day IL, so in addition to VanWey’s option, Houston will need to open a 40-man roster spot. That can be achieved simply by transferring Carlos Correa to the 60-day IL following his season-ending ankle surgery, however.
Hader’s 2025 season ended in mid-August due to a capsule strain in his left shoulder. He didn’t end up requiring surgery and was even hopeful of being able to return at some point during a potential postseason run. The Astros wound up falling shy of the playoffs, so we never found out whether he’d have been able to do so.
The plan for Hader was a mostly normal offseason. General manager Dana Brown said in mid-November that his closer had already thrown off a mound three times. The hope organization hoped to have the multi-time All-Star back in the Opening Day mix. That might well have been the case based on Hader’s shoulder alone, but he began experiencing biceps pain early in spring training. He was eventually diagnosed with tendinitis, ruled out for Opening Day, and has now missed more than two months of the season.
Hader has pitched well for most of his minor league rehab stint. The 32-year-old breezed through his first seven appearances, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk with 11 punchouts in seven frames. He was roughed up a bit in his final two outings, yielding five runs (three earned) on four hits and a pair of walks without a strikeout. That nudged his minor league ERA up to 4.15, but the bulk of his work between Double-A and Triple-A is reason for encouragement.
It’s worth noting that Hader’s sinker has averaged 93.9 mph in Triple-A — well shy of last year’s 95.5 mph, which was already his lowest mark since 2020. He’s very likely still building up velocity after a long layoff and a pair of fairly notable arm issues, so it’s not a major warning light, but it’ll still be worth keeping an eye on his velocity in the early stages of his return. Hader had no problem missing bats even back in 2017-18, when his sinker was sitting 94.4 mph, but he pushed that average up to 96.4 mph over a four-year period from ’21-’24.
Hader’s return should be a substantial boon for an Astros bullpen that has been pieced together for much of the season. Bryan Abreu was a natural fill-in for Hader in the ninth inning after last year’s dominant performance in a setup role — or so it seemed. Abreu, however, has lost about three miles per hour off his heater this year, dropping from an average of 97.3 mph to 94.8 mph. He stumbled through an abysmal April before getting better results in May, but Abreu’s velocity isn’t any better now than it was in March — and he’s walked nearly 24% of his opponents this season. He doesn’t look close to his former self.
Houston has also seen at least modest steps back from key relievers like Steven Okert and Bryan King. Both have comparable ERAs to last season but with diminished rate stats. Lefty Bennett Sousa, who posted a 2.84 ERA in 50 2/3 frames last year, has pitched 3 1/3 innings this season and is on the injured list due to elbow inflammation.
All of that has conspired to leave Houston relievers with a major league-worst 5.16 ERA on the season. The Astros’ bullpen is tied for the sixth-lowest strikeout rate in baseball (20.5%) and has the third-highest walk rate (12.4%). It’s a major reason the team finds itself seven games under .500. Getting Hader back in the fold should help protect late leads, but he’s only one of several high-end contributors whose absence has helped dig a brutal hole for the ‘Stros to try to escape in the two months leading up to this year’s Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Dairon Blanco, Sergio Alcántara Sign With Mexican League Teams
Outfielder Dairon Blanco has signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. He was playing in the minors for the Rangers but was released last week. Romero also reports that infielder Sergio Alcántara has signed with Pericos de Puebla in the same league.
Blanco, now 33, was a part-time player for the Royals from 2022 to 2025. For the most part, he was a bench outfielder whose best asset was his speed. Though he appeared in only 171 games and made just 285 plate appearances, he stole 59 bases in 73 tries in that time. He also received strong grades for his outfield glovework, as one would expect for a guy with big wheels.
His offense wasn’t considered as attractive but he wasn’t a zero at the plate. He slashed .257/.312/.416 over those four seasons with the Royals, leading to a 99 wRC+, indicating he was just barely below league average as a hitter. The right-handed hitter did best with the platoon advantage, slashing .296/.353/.509 against lefties compared to .228/.281/.349 against righties.
Blanco spent most of last year on optional assignment, only getting into nine big league games. The Royals designated him for assignment in March. He was claimed off waivers by the Rangers, though that club outrighted him off the roster that same month. He spent a couple of months as non-roster depth, hitting .230/.324/.295 in Triple-A, before the Rangers released him.
Alcántara, 29, began the year with the Phillies on a minor league deal. He hit .223/.389/.348 in 35 Triple-A games before being released. As a big leaguer, he has generally been a glove-first infielder. He has a .207/.278/.340 line in 506 plate appearances spread across four different seasons from 2020 to 2025.
In 532 shortstop innings, he has been credited with three Defensive Runs Saved and seven Outs Above Average. Oddly, the metrics are less kind with regards to his work at second and third base, even though those positions are considered less demanding than shortstop. Regardless, he has over 300 innings at each of those spots.
When players with big league experience sign with Mexican League teams, the contracts usually have provisions that allow MLB teams to sign them with no buyout. If either Blanco or Alcántara perform well south of the border, that could lead to a new minor league deal with an affiliated club.
Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Steve Adams
- Good afternoon! I’ll get going at the top of the hour, but feel free to start sending in questions ahead of time.
- Let’s get underway!
o-birds
- Will the Orioles be able to sign Gunnar before he becomes a free agent, knowing Boras is a players agent why do teams draft them knowing they will be difficult to sign when they become free agents? Thank you Steve 😊
Steve Adams
- I don’t see any real chance of a Henderson extension.Avoiding an agent in the draft seems pointless though. Very few players, regardless of representation, sign team-friendly extensions — relatively speaking, anyhow. And there are plenty of Boras guys who’ve signed long-term deals. The narrative is a bit overstated. Cooper Pratt just signed an eight-year deal before he even reached the majors, and he’s a Boras guy.
You get the player for six-plus years regardless.
Dodgers101
- Will skubal be sealed at the deadline?
Steve Adams
- Assuming that’s “traded” — the short, boring and most accurate answer is: “Maybe?”If the Tigers are 10+ games back, then yeah, I imagine he’ll be moved. They’ll get a big return in a trade that eclipses the draft pick they’d net upon him rejecting a QO and signing elsewhere.
But today’s brand of front office almost universally waits until the eleventh hour to make even minor decisions. The Tigers aren’t going to punt on the season in early June. Unless they’re still just absolutely buried in the standings, I doubt they’ll make a final call on Skubal any sooner than 72-ish hours before the deadline. If they have a glimmer of hope, they’re going to wait until the last possible second.
Giants Hire Gary Pettis As Third Base Coach
The Giants announced Tuesday that they’ve hired Gary Pettis as their new third base coach. He’ll replace Hector Borg, who was relieved of third base coaching duties recently and reassigned to a player development role within the organization.
An 11-year major league veteran known for his stellar outfield defense and baserunning prowess, the now 68-year-old Pettis has 27 years of coaching experience, including 22 prior seasons in the majors. The five-time Gold Glove winner served as both a third base coach and first base coach across stints with the White Sox, Angels, Mets, Rangers and Astros. Pettis spent a decade as Houston’s third base coach and was on the staff for both of the Astros’ World Series victories.
Pettis brings a highly experienced dugout veteran to rookie big league manager Tony Vitello’s staff. Notably, he served on the Rangers’ coaching staff under then-manager Ron Washington, who’s now the Giants’ infield coach. In addition to his work as the third base coach, Pettis will have plenty of wisdom to share with the Giants’ lineup about the finer points of baserunning, and he’ll presumably work with the team’s young outfielders as well.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported that the Giants were hiring Pettis as their new third base coach.