18-year MLB veteran joins SF Giants coaching staff as a bullpen coach

The SF Giants have reportedly made another coaching hire. 18-year MLB veteran Jesse Chavez is joining Tony Vitello's coaching staff as the bullpen coach, per Shayna Rubin of The San Francisco Chronicle. The news was revealed when Sam Hentges was speaking to beat reporters on Friday.

18-year MLB veteran joins SF Giants coaching staff as a bullpen coach

The Giants have not officially announced the hirings yet, and every hire has been reported separately. This makes tracking it relatively difficult. Luckily, John Shea of The San Francisco Standard has sketched out the coaching staff thus far.

The latest hires include Chavez, Christian Wonders, and Ron Washington. They all bring different backgrounds to the table. In particular, Washington is beloved by players and known for his tireless dedication to teaching the fundamentals.

The lone holdovers from last year's staff include Oscar Bernard (assistant hitting coach), Alex Burg (catching coach), and Taira Uematsu (quality control coach). The Giants have filled out much of the coaching staff, but the first base coach and third base coach currently remain open.

Jesse Chavez was originally a 42-round pick in 2002 by the Texas Rangers out of Riverside City College. He debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008 and pitched in every season over the next 18 years.

The veteran hurler's last stop was with the Atlanta Braves this past season. He pitched to a 9.00 ERA across eight innings. It marked his third and final stint with Atlanta. And, the transaction log was a bit bizarre by the end, as he would clear waivers and re-sign a minor league deal on more than one occasion.

Chavez pitched for nine clubs over the years, including a three-year run with the A's in the mid-2010's. He posted a career 4.27 ERA while winning a World Series ring with the Braves in 2021.

The right-handed hurler's career numbers reflect the volatile career arc of relievers, where there were some years where he was quite good, and others where he was best suited for non-leverage innings.

Nevertheless, being able to appear in 18 major league seasons as a middle reliever is not an easy task at all. His longevity speaks to his ability to find ways to get outs and make an impact. Oftentimes, it is these types of players that make great coaches. It is no surprise to see Chavez transition to coaching so quickly. That seemed like a likely outcome once his career concluded, and he will now take over for Garvin Alston as the bullpen coach.