Another solid yet unspectacular signing for the San Francisco Giants. They've committed nearly $200 million this offseason, but have spread it around to seven players. The Giants announced today that they've signed right-handed reliever Luke Jackson to a two-year, $11.5M deal that includes a $2M buyout on a $7M club option for a third year. Jackson missed all of 2022 following Tommy John surgery, but figures to be back in the majors sometimes in the first few months of the 2023 season. Jackson had some ups and downs over his last three seasons in the majors, but overall was about 15-20 percent better than average during that span, with an above-average strikeout rate and well-above average ground ball rate.
In Luke Jackson, the SF Giants are getting someone whose best pitch is a slider that he throws more than half the time. Jackson is similar to Camilo Doval in that way. The Giants' pitching staff overall figures to be one of the best in the majors at preventing homers and inducing ground balls. Now, the SF Giants must improve their infield defense. Infield defense was a major problem for the Giants in 2022, and so far they have yet to address it this offseason. They've signed some everyday-type outfielders in Mitch Haniger and Michael Confroto, which moves Joc Pederson out of the outfield, but in the infield the only major move was losing Evan Longoria, who was one of their better infield defenders.
Nonetheless, once the Giants are able to improve their infield defense, the pitching staff begins to look formidable. The Giants' rotation is seven deep before accounting for top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison, and the extra arms from the rotation figure to slide into the 'pen. The Giants traded away Yunior Marte for LHP Erik Miller today, and so their 'pen projects as something like: Camilo Doval, Taylor Rogers, Brebbia, Tyler Rogers, Luke Jackson, Scott Alexander, and then starting candidates like Jakob Junis and Anthony DeSclafani. It's a solid group, and with good infield defense it could be one of the better pitching staffs in the NL.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
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