Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants’ bullpen has been projected to be filled with unknowns, mostly a talented but unproven bunch who could excel or could be optioned without much surprise.
They have added one more piece who comes with a lot more certainty.
The Giants and veteran lefty Jake McGee are in agreement on a deal, a source confirmed with KNBR, that is worth $7 million over two years pending a physical, MLB Network reported Tuesday. That represents the only multiyear contract given out to a pitcher during the Farhan Zaidi regime.
The Giants’ 40-man roster is filled, so either someone needs to be removed from it or the Giants can wait for spring training to announce the McGee deal, at which time they can shift a few players to the 60-day injured list.
The 34-year-old McGee is coming off a resurgent, World Series season with the Dodgers in which he posted a 2.66 ERA in 20 1/3 innings, which included an impressive 33 strikeouts. If his age and experience will make him an oddity in the Giants’ pen, so will his arsenal. His fastball ticked up to average 95 mph last season and he threw it repeatedly, 95 percent of the time. Giants relievers love their secondary pitches, especially sliders, but McGee was basically a one-pitch pitcher last season.
He immediately becomes a closer candidate — if such a role exists — and inherits the role free agent Tony Watson leaves vacant: an elder statesman. McGee, like Watson, was a minor league starter who converted to reliever with great success. Last season, young lefties like Caleb Baragar and Sam Selman, minor league starters working on the transition, praised Watson showing them the process of getting ready to pitch every day.
The Giants already had added righty Matt Wisler, who has major league experience and had been a minor league starter, and perhaps they have their two pillars for the more inexperienced relievers to lean on. John Brebbia, too, will bring some experience, but only upon his return from Tommy John surgery.
Apart from McGee and Wisler and lefty Jarlin Garcia, the next-closest thing to a sure thing for Opening Day is Trevor Gott, but only because he has no more options remaining. The other righties who will be in the picture include Reyes Moronta and Tyler Rogers, while Baragar, Selman and Wandy Peralta will be the lefties fighting for spots.
They do not have a semblance of a hierarchy yet, but that’s not a great concern. In adding McGee, they are adding a San Jose native who had reverse splits last season, with righties hitting .135 off of him but lefties posting an .855 OPS. If they can find a better way for him to put away lefties, he may become a ninth-inning pitcher.