The Giants are bringing back an old friend to beef up their minor league pitching depth.
Right-handed pitcher Chris Heston, who played for San Francisco from 2014-2016, is returning to the club on a minor-league deal, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Bay Area. Heston had a break out rookie season with the orange and black in 2015, posting a 3.95 ERA, and throwing a no-hitter at Citi Field on June 9th, the 17th no-hitter in Giants history.
Heston, 29, was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2016, but never was able to etch out a spot with the big league club, and was eventually claimed on waivers by the Minnesota Twins last season. He also spent some time in the Dodgers minor league system. A shoulder issue contributed to his lack of major league appearances in 2017, but according to Pavlovic, Heston is “said to be back to full health.”
It is very unlikely that Heston would crack the Giants’ rotation, at least anytime soon. Heston would appear to enter Spring Training with at least four guys in front of him for the final two rotation spots, in Chris Stratton, Ty Blach, Tyler Beede, and Andrew Suarez. Heston will initially provide pitching depth at AAA Sacramento.