SF Giants: Which Players are Free Agents this Offseason

Left-Handed Reliever Tony Watson

After a successful, three-year stint with the SF Giants, Tony Watson is poised to hit free agency for the second time in his career.

Over the last decade, few relievers have been as effective as Watson. Over the course of his career, the left-handed hurler has posted a 2.80 ERA (3.61 FIP) with a 1.09 WHIP and 32 saves.

Watson relies on a side-arm delivery and good command from the left side to disrupt the timing of opposing hitters. He has been about as good as anyone at disrupting timing as he has induced a ground ball in 44.3 percent of his batted ball events. Furthermore, he has generated a solid 1.26 groundball/flyball ratio.

With the Orange and Black, he has remained a solid option out of the bullpen. In three seasons, the 35-year-old has pitched to a 3.20 ERA (3.62 FIP) across 138 innings.

In 2020, the veteran reliever generated a 2.50 ERA with a 0.889 WHIP and 15 strikeouts. He continues to excel at keeping runners off of the bases.

He had a 0.53 ERA heading into the final weekend of the season, but the San Diego Padres added four runs to his ledger in just one inning of work.

As strong as his 2020 season was, there is going to be some tepidness for prospective teams when evaluating Watson. On the one hand, he strung together a really nice season. On the other hand, he has concerning peripherals such as a FIP that has sat above four in each of the last two seasons.

That said, the Giants will have a tough time replacing the reliability that Watson has demonstrated if he leaves via free agency.