A day after welcoming Ryan Vogelsong back to AT&T Park, the Giants are bringing back a familiar name in Joe Nathan.
According to Jon Heyman, the veteran reliever is signing a minor league deal with San Francisco, the team that originally selected him in the 6th round of the 1995 draft. Nathan was originally a shortstop, but the Giants turned him into a pitcher.
Nathan, 41, pitched two innings with the Cubs earlier this season and a third of an inning for the Tigers in 2015 before undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery.
He played for the Giants from 1999 to 2003, but didn’t turn into a dominant closer until he was traded out of San Francisco. Nathan was part of a package that also included Francisco Liriano and prospect Boof Bonser that landed the Giants catcher A.J. Pierzynski, an infamous deal that looks worse in retrospect.
Over 16 big league seasons, Nathan owns a 2.88 ERA and 377 saves.
