DeSclafani could bounce back this season
Starter had effective 4-pitch mix against Seattle on Thursday
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. » The “bounce back” pitcher has become a staple of the Farhan Zaidi era in San Francisco and Anthony DeSclafani could be the Giants’ top candidate in 2021 to return to form following a lost season.
In a rotation that features several pitchers who battled inconsistent performances or missed starts due to injury in a condensed 2020 season, DeSclafani stands out for the stability that was once his calling card and the early impression he’s made in Cactus League play.
With 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night at Scottsdale Stadium, DeSclafani looked the part of a mid-rotation starter who pitches to contact and can consistently keep his team in games.
Unlike fellow Giants starters Johnny Cueto, Alex Wood and Aaron Sanchez, DeSclafani has never been named an All-Star and never received a Cy Young vote. At this point in his career, though, DeSclafani might have the best upside of any veteran Giants pitcher not named Kevin Gausman.
He can run his fastball up to 96 miles per hour as he did Thursday against the Mariners and his slider has been a plus offering at times during his career. The Giants think that by increasing his changeup usage, DeSclafani can unlock more of his potential and pitch as well as he did or better than the 2016 season when he had a 3.28 ERA in 20 starts.
“I feel really good with (the changeup),” DeSclafani said. “Today was so-so. I threw a couple really good ones and some that I yanked a few. But the emphasis is on throwing it more and more whether it’s to lefties and righties.”
Prior to spring training, DeSclafani acknowledged one of the reasons he signed with the Giants on a one-year, $6 million deal was the team’s recent track record with helping starters reestablish themselves.
The reputation exists for good reason.
Drew Pomeranz, who posted a 6.08 ERA with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, was Zaidi’s first “bounce back” project as he signed with the Giants to rebuild his stock as a starting pitcher. Working out of the rotation didn’t pan out for Pomeranz, but a brief stint in the team’s bullpen made him a valuable asset on the trade market.
The Giants traded Pomeranz to the Brewers for Mauricio Dubón and after Pomeranz wrapped up the 2019 season in Milwaukee, he parlayed his bullpen experience into a four-year, $36 million deal with the San Diego Padres.
Gausman and lefty Drew Smyly followed in 2020 as Gausman pitched well enough in San Francisco to receive a one-year qualifying offer worth $18.9 million for this year while Smyly showed in a 26-inning sample size that he could still strike out hitters in bunches. The Giants said they were interested in a reunion with Smyly, but the lefty was one of the first free agents to sign over the offseason as he inked a one-year, $11 million deal with the Braves.
The bounce back philosophy is still alive and well in the Giants’ front office as the club signed DeSclafani, Wood and Sanchez to one-year deals, but Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris know they won’t always strike gold. Pomeranz was a failed experiment in the rotation while Smyly missed more than a month last season due to injury.
Betting on starters who haven’t had recent success is a gamble, but until the Giants develop more homegrown pitchers, it’s the type of move the front office seems compelled to make.