It appears the Giants have found their Jose Alvarez replacement for the time being.
San Francisco acquired left-handed reliever Ben Bowden from the Rays in a trade on Sunday. The 27-year-old is a former second-round pick who spent most of his time with the Rockies organization.
The Giants were in the market for another lefty reliever after placing Alvarez on the 60-day injured list.
Bowden’s career hit roadblocks in 2017 and 2020 when he missed both with injury and the minor-league season being canceled, respectively. Bowden struggled in 39 appearances at the major league level with the Rockies in 2021 (6.56 ERA, 1.82 WHIP), but has put up pretty good numbers as a minor leaguer (3.42 ERA, 1.31 WHIP).
Bowden is exactly the type of player the Giants look for to buy low on. He’s a former high-pick that other organizations weren’t able to develop, and one that is major-league ready. San Francisco will rightly bet on their ability to unlock Bowden’s talent where others were unable to.