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Dedniel Nunez had been on the Giants’ radar for a while, a growing prospect for the Mets who might not have flashed the raw stuff but was establishing control. Typically it takes a while for developing pitchers, but in 80 innings in 2019 split between Low- and High-A, the righty struck out 94 while walking just 23.
And then the Giants watched as a now 24-year-old showed up in Instructional League play in October and November and was touching 97 mph.
“The velocity spike and some of the other qualities we saw on video in Instrux are what clinched it for us,” GM Scott Harris said on a Thursday conference call.
With the 14th pick in the first round, the Giants made the Dominican Republic native their only choice in the big-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. For Nunez to be fully under Giants control, he would have to last all of the 2021 season on the active roster, which might be easier than usual if rosters are expanded again.
It also is easier for a reliever, a role in which the Giants will use Nunez, who was a minor league starter for the Mets. The Giants lack righty relief, even after signing Matt Wisler earlier this week. Apart from Wisler, Tyler Rogers and Trevor Gott are the closest to sure-things for Opening Day, with Reyes Moronta, Camilo Doval, Sam Coonrod and Shaun Anderson also hunting for roster spots from the right side. The Giants still may add another righty from a deep free-agent market. With Nunez’s addition, there 40-man roster is 38 deep.
Nunez has not pitched above A-ball, which is a big jump to ask a pitcher to make (which comes with the Rule 5 territory). He pitched to a 4.39 ERA in ’19, all but one of his outings as a starter.
The Giants saw a different pitcher in the fall league, Harris mentioning his “power” curve, as well.
The build is similar to Dany Jimenez, last year’s Giants pick, who was returned to the Blue Jays after two outings because of his command issues (and was plucked again in the Rule 5 draft by Oakland). Nunez comes with a better history of throwing strikes and recent history of impressing radar guns. The Giants’ pitching minds get another arm to play with, though they don’t have a ton of time to develop him.
In the minor league portion of the draft, the Giants used their first pick on Rockies outfielder Vince Fernandez, who’s from Livermore. Harris said the club was “intrigued” by Fernandez’s power, having hit 24 homers (and 25 doubles and eight triples) in 499 plate appearances in High-A in 2018. He was suspended 50 games the following season for testing positive for amphetamine.
“He was a guy that our scouts were really high on, specifically for his tools,” Harris said of the 25-year-old lefty bat. “He has performed at every level in the Rockies system and has a strong track record against right-handed pitching.”
The Giants also drafted Cardinals righty Ronnie Williams and Mets second baseman Mitchell Tolman. They lost Jalen Miller, a 2015 second-round pick, to the Braves.