SF Giants Sign RHP Gerson Garabito To Minor League Deal

The SF Giants have signed former Kansas City Royals prospect, Gerson Garabito, to a minor-league contract.

According to a report by GPT, the SF Giants have signed right-handed pitcher Gerson Garabito to a minor-league contract. Garabito was signed by the Kansas City Royals as a 16-year old from the Dominican Republic in 2012 and had spent his entire career in their organization. He ranked as the Royals’ 19th best prospect in FanGraphs rankings prior to the 2019 season.

Now 25-years old, Garabito has slowly progressed through the minor leagues, reaching Double-A in 2019. In the Texas League, known for its hitter-friendly environments, Garabito made 26 starts, completed 141 innings, and held opponents to a 3.77 ERA. While he limited damage, Garabito only struck out 113 batters and walked 60. He still has the potential to be a back-end starter, but more likely projects in a Quad-A role like former Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez.

Garabito pitches from a high-arm angle and primarily works up in the zone with a fastball that sits between 90-92 mph. He has touched 95-96 mph in the past, but unless the Giants are planning to move him to the bullpen permanently, it’s unlikely he’ll ever deliver that velocity consistently. A curveball is Garabito’s best secondary pitch and could be an above-average pitch. His changeup has had its moments, but barring an unforeseen development, projects as an average offering.

Listed at just 6’0,” 160 pounds, Garabito has a well-refined delivery and has shown the durability to handle a starter’s workload. Still, his arsenal will have to be effective enough for that to come into play. The last we saw, he had enough control to consistently throw strikes but lacked the command necessary to be effective in the bigs without any plus pitches.

Garabito could have been selected but was passed over in last year’s Rule 5 Draft. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was likely slated to make his Triple-A debut and might have been able to earn his first call-up if he had a solid performance. Without a minor-league season this year, though, the Royals minor-league control over Garabito expired, and he opted to become a free agent.

Now, Gerson Garabito will likely slot into a starting rotation for an SF Giants upper minor-league affiliate, like the Sacramento River Cats. While there are many other options, the former Kansas City Royals prospect could pitch himself into a big-league debut with strong play at the Pacific Coast League.