Giants add 6 right-handers on MiLB deals

The San Francisco Giants stocked up their bullpen depth the past two weeks, signing six pitchers with MLB experience to Minor League deals.

The team signed right-hander Matt Carasiti on Jan. 22, inked right-handers Jorge Guzman, Luis Ortiz, Raynel Espinal, and Wei-Chieh Huang on Feb. 1, and added right-hander Cody Carroll on Feb. 9.

Carasiti, 30, was selected by Colorado in the sixth round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of St. John’s University, making his MLB debut on Aug. 12, 2016 with the Rockies. He is 1-1 with a 7.46 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and a 2.05 WHIP in 25.1 MLB innings between the Rockies and Seattle Mariners.

He was a Mid-Season, Post-Season, and MiLB.com Organization All Star with Hartford in 2016, as well as a Mid-Season All-Star with Iowa in 2017. In 100.0 Triple-A innings, Carasiti is 3-4 with 28 saves, 3.15 ERA, 113 strikeouts, and a 1.33 WHIP.

Guzman was the No. 87 prospect according to Baseball America while in the Miami organization in 2018. The 26-year-old has pitched 2.2 MLB innings with the Marlins, and has 20 strikeouts in 15.1 career Triple-A innings.

He’s twice been traded for MLB All Stars, going from Houston to the Yankees for catcher Brian McCann in 2016, and from New York to the Marlins in 2017 for MVP Giancarlo Stanton.

Huang, who tossed 5.2 innings with the Texas Rangers in 2019, is a 2015 Futures Game alum and was acquired by Texas in a 2018 trade with Arizona for left-hander Jake Diekman. The 28-year-old is 21-12 with a 3.37 ERA, 381 strikeouts, and a 1.17 WHIP in 323.0 MiLB innings, striking out 42 batters in 31.0 Triple-A frames.

Espinal, the MiLB.com Fans’ Choice for Best Relief Pitcher in 2017, arrives after making his MLB debut in 2021 with Boston. The 30-year-old, who was also a Triple-A East Pitcher of the Week and a MiLB.com Organization All Star in 2021, is 23-13 with a 3.60 ERA, 289 strikeouts, and a 1.17 WHIP in 259.2 Triple-A innings.

Ortiz, 26, was the Rangers’ first-round pick out of Sanger High School in 2014. He was a top-75 prospect on MLB Pipeline in both 2016 (No. 73) and 2017 (No. 62), and was a Futures Game selection in 2018. Ortiz has pitched 5.2 MLB innings, and is 7-10 with a 5.23 ERA, 112 strikeouts, and a 1.50 WHIP in 141.0 Triple-A innings.

Similar to Guzman, Ortiz has twice been part of an All-Star trade package. Ortiz was sent to the Milwaukee organization in 2016 for catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress, and accompanied second baseman Jonathan Villar to Baltimore in 2018 for second baseman Jonathan Schoop.

Carroll was the Yankees’ 22nd-round pick in 2015 out of the University of Southern Mississippi. After three straight Mid-Season All-Star selections in the New York minors, Caroll was acquired by the Orioles in July of 2018 for All-Star closer Zack Britton.

The 29-year-old has 19 strikeouts and 18 walks in 19.0 MLB innings, but has shown much better control in the minors. He is 6-0 with a 3.71 ERA, nine saves, 87 strikeouts, and a 1.29 WHIP in 70.1 Triple-A innings.