SF Giants: Pitching depth bolstered with waiver claim

The SF Giants bolstered their pitching depth earlier this week by welcoming back a right-handed hurler on a waiver claim. Jake Jewell was claimed off of waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week and optioned to Triple-A as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

SF Giants: Pitching depth bolstered with waiver claim

Surprisingly, this is Jewell’s second stint with the Giants organization. The Giants claimed the 28-year-old pitcher in January of 2020 back when they were a little more aggressive on the waiver wire.

However, he was placed on waivers shortly thereafter but went unclaimed. He did not have enough service time to reject a minor league assignment, so he remained with the organization until the end of the 2020 season before electing free agency.

Jewell signed a minor-league pact with the Cubs for the 2021 season. Though, he struggled badly, allowing 11 earned runs across 10 frames before being placed on waivers. The Dodgers put in a claim on the righty but he only made two appearances for their Triple-A affiliate before being designated for assignment again.

In three major league seasons, Jewell has registered a 7.75 ERA in 38.1 innings split between the Los Angeles Angels and the Cubs.

Despite his struggles at the major league level, he has performed much better in three seasons in Triple-A, posting a 3.88 ERA in 78 appearances while appearing exclusively out of the bullpen. Perhaps, the Giants see this as a cause for hope and that he just needs to be in the right environment to succeed.

It is worth a look. After all, the Giants have seemingly run out of pitching depth in the upper minors so adding Jewell on a waiver claim makes sense.

Since he was a waiver claim, Jewell was added to the 40-man roster and could be an option for the club down the stretch. That said, he is not eligible for the playoff roster given that he joined the organization after August 31. That detail is likely a moot point as he would not likely be a candidate had he joined the Giants organization before the deadline.

Nevertheless, the Giants are taking a chance on a pitcher that they believe has some upside. They have had success in getting the best out of a handful of relievers in 2021 and they might be testing out their luck with Jewell.