San Francisco Giants: Five starting pitchers to target in free agency

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ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 23: Matt Harvey #33 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches in the second inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 23, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

RHP Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey could be an appealing under-the-radar target on a low-risk, high-reward deal.

Not long ago, the 30-year-old was one of the best pitchers in baseball, before a precipitous fall from grace that has taken him from the New York Mets to the Cincinnati Reds to the Los Angeles Angels to the Oakland Athletics.

This season has admittedly been a bit of a mess, as he posted a 7.09 ERA in 59.2 innings with the Angels before he was released and signed to a minor league deal by the A’s.

The Giants have shown a willingness to take a chance on bounce-back candidates in years past, with guys like Ryan Vogelsong, Sam Dyson and Stephen Vogt among the more successful reclamation projections.

It shouldn’t take much to sign Harvey.

After enjoying a resurgence of sorts following a trade to the Reds last summer, he signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Angels last offseason. This time around, he might have to settle for a minor league deal, or at the very least an incentive-laden MLB deal.

He has a 3.18 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 17 innings since joining Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate, so perhaps he has turned a corner.

The San Francisco Giants signed Drew Pomeranz to a one-year, $1.5 million deal last winter after a down year, and targeting Harvey this winter would be a similar approach.