Pitcher Cotton says S.F. is ‘the place to be’
DENVER — Jharel Cotton got the memo about the San Francisco Giants: They do some nice work with mid-career starting pitchers.
“My agents talked to me about it and they said this was the place to be,” Cotton said Wednesday at Coors Field, adding that they had mentioned how Anthony DeSclafani “came here and he made his career a lot better. So I'm trying to take that same path as well. Hopefully that happens.”
Cotton, 30, created some high expectations when he was a rookie with the A's in 2016-17, drawing comparisons to Pedro Martinez — including from Martinez himself, who saw Cotton's impressive changeup and said, “Jharel Cotton reminds me a lot of myself.”
But after a strong start in 2017, Cotton floundered, finishing the season with a 5.58 ERA. He needed Tommy John surgery the following year and didn't pitch in the majors again until 2021, when he worked out of the bullpen for Texas. He did the same in Minnesota this season and put up a 2.83 ERA in 25 appearances over three stints, but the team designated him for assignment Friday.
“I think one area of improvement for Jharel is landing his curveball and slider for strikes one or two,” said manager Gabe Kapler, who knows Cotton well from their days with the Dodgers. “Those are the third and fourth options for him, but it's also nice to be able to throw strikes with those pitches. One thing that he does very well is he gets in the zone frequently with his changeup and his fastball.”
As good as Cotton's changeup is, he could use it a little too often and be predictable. Kapler, the
Dodgers' farm director when Cotton was in L.A.'s system, said that on occasion it might be better to use that pitch out of the zone against some hitters or in some counts. “There might be some tweaks at the margins as it relates to that changeup in some specific counts,” Kapler said. “Other than that, I think Jharel is well positioned to make an impact for us.”
Cotton is likely to make his Giants debut in Thursday's bullpen game at Coors Field.
“You know, it's the big leagues and it's a cool stadium,” Cotton said. “I've never pitched here, so I can knock it off my list.”
To make room for Cotton, the Giants optioned Sean Hjelle back to Triple-A Sacramento; Hjelle worked four innings Tuesday and allowed two runs.
“The message to Hjelle is: ‘Clearly it wasn't about the performance in your last outing,' ” Kapler said. “This is what happens when you are a bulk-option guy or a starting pitcher and our roster needs as many arms as possible to get through the innings that we have to cover in the next couple of days.”
Vosler back, Brinson out:
Utilityman Jason Vosler also returned from Triple-A, with the Giants wanting another lefthanded bat on the bench, given the large number of right-handed starters they'll be seeing in the next week. Vosler has 22 homers this season combined between Sacramento and San Francisco.
Outfielder Lewis Brinson (.167, threeHRs in 16 games) was designated for assignment, but there's little doubt the Giants would have a spot for him in the future were it to work out.
“He was an awesome teammate,” Kapler said. “Very much as advertised, an excellent athlete and an excellent leader who spoke up in group meetings in a way that was really meaningful and made an impact on me.”