TODAY: Dean cleared waivers and has been outrighted to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.
MARCH 20: The Giants have designated outfielder Austin Dean for assignment, per Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. His roster spot was needed for the signing of Matthew Boyd, whose deal is now official.
Dean, 28, was originally drafted by the Marlins in 2012 and eventually made his MLB debut with them in 2018. After 98 games with the Fish in 2018 and 2019, he was traded to the Cardinals, playing 25 games for them in the past couple seasons. He’s yet to impress in his limited MLB action thus far, having hit .225/.282/.391, for a wRC+ of 80. However, his Triple-A performance is much more impressive, as Dean has hit .322/.394/.535 in parts of three seasons.
The Giants just claimed Dean off waivers in November, meaning he could potentially depart the organization without ever suiting up for the team. Given his Triple-A track record, youth and remaining option year, he could potentially be claimed in the coming days by a team looking to add some cheap outfield depth.