Left-hander Smyly accepts free agent offer from Braves
When the 2020 regular season came to an end, San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler expressed interest in re-signing starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly.
The Giants figured out a way to bring Gausman back, but they missed out on the chance for a reunion with Smyly. The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that they signed the left-hander to a one-year, $11 million deal.
A left index finger injury limited Smyly to just 26 1/3 innings this season, but he didn’t need much time to make an impression on opposing clubs. With an uptick in his fastball velocity and an impressive 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings, Smyly emerged as a desirable option for teams seeking help in their rotation this offseason and ultimately landed with a Braves club that has one of the deepest starting staffs in the National League.
After committing $18.9 million to Gausman by extending the veteran righty a qualifying offer, the Giants must now figure out a way to assemble a rotation that’s better than the one that was a relative weakness this season.
Smyly likely would have slotted in behind Gausman and Johnny Cueto in the middle of the Giants’ rotation, but there are plenty of other free agents available, including a slew of intriguing left-handed options who might be inclined to sign the type of shorter one- or two-year deals that are expected to be common this offseason.
Oft-injured former Yankees pitcher James Paxton has the best track record of any left-handed free agent, but he had back surgery at the beginning of the year and has also dealt with knee issues and a forearm flexor strain over the last few seasons.
If the Giants are interested in more durable options, former Rangers and A’s lefty Mike Minor could be a strong bounce-back candidate after the 2019 American League All-Star posted a 5.56 ERA in 12 appearances this year. Other southpaws coming off down years who could emerge on the Giants’ radar include Jose Quintana, who dealt with multiple injuries this season, Alex Wood, who has had two consecutive bad seasons, and Mike Montgomery, who has had more success as a reliever than as a starter.
There’s also a group of left-handed free agent starters who are nearing the end of their careers, but could still provide good value to a team such as the Giants in search of more balance in their rotation. 36-yearold Cole Hamels, 38-yearold J.A. Happ and 40-yearold Rich Hill all appear to be interested in signing with a contender, and while the Giants haven’t made the playoffs in four seasons, Zaidi has said he expects the team to push for a postseason berth in 2021.
Looking for a wild- card candidate to watch? Look no further than Erik Jokisch, a 31-year-old left-hander who last pitched in the majors in 2014. Jokisch led the Korean Baseball Organization with a 2.14 ERA in 27 starts this year and is reportedly considering a return to the United States.
With Smyly signing for $11 million and former D’backs pitcher Robbie Ray agreeing to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Blue Jays, it appears the Giants may have to spend more money than they initially would have liked to fortify the middle of their rotation.