SF Giants add veteran starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker

The SF Giants have signed starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker to a minor league deal, according to a report by GPT. A nine-year MLB veteran, Shoemaker struggled mightily in the Minnesota Twins rotation this season and was designated for assignment earlier this season before he was released. In 16 appearances with the Twins (11 starts), he recorded an 8.06 ERA, 40 strikeouts, 27 walks, and 15 home runs in 60.1 innings pitched.

The SF Giants signed Matt Shoemaker to a minor league contract.

Originally an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Angels in 2008 out of East Carolina, Shoemaker made his big-league debut in 2013 and became a mainstay in their rotation until he signed with the Blue Jays in free agency after the 2018 season. However, a series of injuries combined with the pandemic shortened 2020 season limited him to just 32 starts from 2017-2020. While he posted a respectable 4.12 ERA over 166 innings pitched, it was hard to know what to expect of him over a full 162-game season.

Shoemaker signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Twins last offseason and went on to have the worst stretch of his career. While ERA estimators like xERA (6.37), FIP (6.56), and xFIP (5.45) all suggest the 34-year old was slightly unlucky, they still rated him as a well below-average pitcher. Now with the Giants, who are lacking starters throughout their upper minor league ranks, Shoemaker will look to prove he can once again be an effective big-league starter.

The SF Giants signed right-handed starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker to a minor league deal. He will likely slot into the Sacramento River Cats rotation at Triple-A. He will try to make a case for another big-league opportunity with the Giants this season or elsewhere in 2022.