The prodigal farmhand returns!
The San Francisco Giants drafted LHP Matt Gage in the 10th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, the same draft that netted them Logan Webb, Austin Slater, and for a brief moment (he didn’t sign), starter Joe Ryan, now doing great for the Twins.
But back to Gage.
He never panned out for Bobby Evans and was cut in July 2018. Seven years and nine organizations later, he returned to the Giants on a minor league deal on July 2nd. Today, he joins the major league club for the first time.
The 32-year old southpaw has appeared in the majors for three other clubs over the years (Toronto, Houston, and Detroit) and has a 1.42 ERA in 25.1 innings. That includes 23 strikeouts to 11 walks with a 1.18 WHIP. He’s bounced around so much because he doesn’t feature electric stuff, sitting 92-94 with his fastball coupled with unremarkable slider spin.
His primary pitch has been a four-seam fastball, but last year he added a sinker. I know the Giants’ pitching plan under Farhan Zaidi stressed sinker-slider types, and while 99% of the fandom is aroused by the idea of throwing out everything that guy ever touched, I suspect that pitching coach J.P. Martinez knows better and that we’ll see Gage use his sinker more.
There’s also the chance that they combine his slider and curveball to give him a slurve. He has interesting break on those pitches, but they seem more like pitches that rely on sequencing and execution more than stuff. A reliever with a four-pitch arsenal might actually be okay in that instance, but sometimes it’s best not to overthink things. Relievers should have at least one great pitch.
The Giants need Gage because of the uncertainty surrounding Erik Miller’s health. To make room for him on the roster, Scott Alexander (himself a recent addition after being cut by the Rockies) was waived. The franchise has had success before when old farmhands have come back into the fold. Is this one of those times?