SF Giants sign former Guardians, Red Sox hurler

The San Francisco Giants increased their pitching depth by adding an experienced reliever. According to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2, the Giants have signed Justin Garza, a former Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians pitcher, to a minor league contract.

SF Giants sign former Guardians, Red Sox hurler to a minor league deal

Alexander reports that Garza will report to minor league camp, implying that he is not in contention for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. However, the Giants may call him up from minor league camp if a necessity arises.

Garza was originally selected by the Guardians in the eighth round of the 2015 draft out of California State University – Fullerton. He was drafted as a starter, but his below-average control has forced him to move to the bullpen in recent seasons.

Over seven minor league seasons, he has a 4.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, and a 2.16 SO/W ratio. This includes a 3.98 ERA in parts of five years at Triple-A, but that performance has not translated into success in the majors just yet.

In two seasons with the Guardians and Red Sox, the right-handed pitcher has a 5.74 ERA, 46 strikeouts, and 30 walks. His most recent major league action was in 2023 with Boston, thus he has some recent experience against major league batters.

 

 

Garza’s pitching arsenal includes a mid-90s sinker, cutter, slider, and changeup. The sinker velocity is intriguing, but opposing batters can easily get lift on it, and he does not have an above-average pitch among his secondary offerings.

Of course, the 29-year-old has two minor league options left. That may be beneficial to the Giants if he gets added to the 40-man roster at some point.

The Giants’ bullpen options on the 40-man roster are inexperienced, so Garza might eventually replace them.

That is a conversation for another day, since Garza is expected to open the 2024 season in Triple-A. Even if he does not make the Giants’ roster this season, he has recently had success in Triple-A, which might benefit a Sacramento River Cats squad that is expected to be youthful and feature several of the team’s top prospects.