SF Giants: Right-Handed Hurler Silvino Bracho Inks MiLB Deal

The SF Giants bolstered their pitching depth by signing right-handed hurler Silvino Bracho to a minor league pact.

Earlier in the offseason, SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi identified bullpen depth as a priority this winter, and adding Silvin Bracho helps them in achieving that end.

The 28-year-old had pitched in parts of five seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being outrighted off of the 40-man roster just a couple of weeks ago.

In that time, Bracho registered a 4.82 ERA (4.86 FIP) with a 24.1 percent strikeout rate against an 8.5 percent walk rate in 89.2 frames out of the bullpen. He only saw one inning of work in 2020, and he yielded two earned runs on two hits.

With that being said, his minor league numbers are much more appealing. In seven seasons, the right-handed hurler has posted a 2.97 ERA, 1.033 WHIP, 97 saves, and an exceptional 35.2 percent strikeout rate:

Bracho’s fastball sits in the low-90’s, but the video shows that he gets good run on his pitches, and that could be a quality that the Giants can hone. On top of this, the rest of his arsenal includes a slider and a changeup. He leans heavily on his changeup but flashes the slider to keep hitters honest.

The Diamondbacks saw Bracho as a high-leverage arm as he ascended through the minor league ranks, but he struggled with consistency once he reached the major leagues. However, the Giants clearly like his ability to rack up the strikeout totals at such a high rate.

In recent years, the Giants have shown a preference for building bullpens through minor league signings and waiver claims. There are going to be plenty of misses with this process, but they will discover a Sam Selman or a Jarlin Garcia along the way.

Speaking of Selman, there are similarities between him and Bracho in that they both struck out opposing hitters well north of 25 percent in their respective minor league careers. The Giants must feel like this is a skill that they can leverage.

Either way, Silvino Bracho will join the SF Giants bullpen competition when Spring Training gets underway next season. He is one of the first moves the Giants have made to add depth to the bullpen, but they will add several more arms to the mix.