Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
There are so few certainties around the Giants’ pitching staff, but they are adding one more possibility with plenty of potential.
The Giants and Anthony DeSclafani on Wednesday agreed on a one-year deal worth $6 million, while the righty can make an additional $250,000 in performance bonuses.
The 30-year-old can be classified as a flier, though he comes with a more established resume than most. DeSclafani was an above-average pitcher in 2019, when he posted a 3.89 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 166 2/3 innings with Cincinnati. It was his fifth season in the majors and among his best, but was followed by his worst.
A strained back muscle delayed his debut until August, and two blowups that month (a combined 16 runs in 5 1/3 innings) wiped away any chances of finishing with decent numbers (winding up with a 7.22 ERA). He transitioned to relief late last season and could fit there as a multi-inning righty with the Giants, who love flexibility. He could become 2021’s version of Trevor Cahill, who’s a free agent.
DeSclafani’s fastball last season was its hardest (94.9 mph), but his slider is easily his best pitch. He threw it 30 percent of the time, and opponents batted just .190 off the pitch. He also has a curveball that he threw less, and the Giants hope a pitching team led by Brian Bannister and Andrew Bailey can find the right formula to maximize his use, whether that’s out of the bullpen or rotation.
The better outcome would be that the Giants have found a fairly low-cost starter with a decent ceiling because the rotation holes are glaring. Kevin Gausman will be back and lead the staff, followed by a Johnny Cueto who struggled mightily last season. (With those two, DeSclafani and even recent-signing Matt Wisler, the Giants sure like former Reds pitchers.)
Beyond that, at the moment, are a bunch of questions. Young Logan Webb still intrigues but would need an excellent camp to nail down a spot; Tyler Beede is recovering from Tommy John surgery and should enter the conversation sometime early in the season; perhaps Conner Menez could make a run. But the Giants have plenty of work still to do in the free-agent market, which is of course led by Trevor Bauer.
DeSclafani does not qualify as a splash but does qualify as help, an established major leaguer with quality years but who is coming off of a down season, which made him readily available. The Giants have another arm to play with, and another promising pitcher has a one-year pact with the Giants, hoping to turn this career stop into much more money and success, as Gausman, Drew Smyly and Drew Pomeranz have done the past two seasons.