Rodriguez’s struggles could mean end in S.F.
Righthander Dereck Rodri
guez, who enjoyed a superb rookie season with the Giants in 2018 but struggled in 2019 and didn’t find a groove in 2020, was designated for assignment by the team Friday.
Rodriguez, the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, posted a 2.81 ERA as a rookie, but it jumped to 5.64 last year. He opened this season at the team’s alternate site in Sacramento and made just two appearances with the big club, giving up six runs on 10 hits in four innings.
“He has struggled to find a consistency over the course of the last couple of years. That doesn’t mean it’s not in there,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “But his stuff and strikethrowing ability, it just hasn’t been there consistently enough. That was the decision there. People still believe in him and believe he has the ability to turn this thing around.”
In a corresponding move, the Giants selected outfielder Joey
Rickard and added him to their bigleague roster. They optioned reliever Shaun Anderson to the alternate site.
Kapler called Rickard “arguably the best player” at the Sacramento site and will be filling a void left by injured Austin
Slater (groin strain) as a righthandedhitting outfielder.
Anderson, who has walked 11 batters in 101⁄3 innings, will work on his release point in Sacramento.
Brantly to Yankees: Rob Brantly, one of two catchers on the Opening Night roster, was traded to the Yankees for cash considerations.
Five days before the Aug. 31 trade deadline, Brantly was added to the Yankees’ 60man player pool and sent to their alternate site. The Giants deemed Brantly expendable after settling on Joey Bart and
Chadwick Tromp at the bigleague level.
A 31yearold journeyman who swings lefthanded, Brantly coupled with Tyler Heineman when the season began, but Brantly played just one game before he was demoted to the team’s alternate site in Sacramento. Sixtime AllStar catcher
Buster Posey had opted out on the season, and Tromp, who showed tremendous power in Spring Training 2.0, had experienced a tight hamstring.
Once Tromp got better, he was called up by the Giants, who designated Brantly for assignment and, once he cleared waivers, outrighted him to Sacramento. Heineman and Patrick
Bailey, the team’s top pick in the June draft, are the remaining catchers in Sacramento.
Aside from his brief time with the Giants, Brantly has played for the Marlins, White Sox and Phillies. John Shea covers the Giants for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey