5 former SF Giants players who were recently released

There is a lot of roster activity right before the start of the regular season. Teams add players to the roster, place others on waivers, release some, and transfer those eligible to the injured list. There was a flurry of former SF Giants players hitting the open market, headlined by Mitch Haniger.

5 former SF Giants players who were recently released

This can be a tough time for veteran players. Baseball has consolidated the minor league headcount in recent years, meaning there are fewer spots available. Some struggle to find a home for the upcoming season, but this has also presented an opportunity for non-affiliated ball.

1. Mitch Haniger

The Giants shipped Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Robbie Ray last offseason. It could turn out to be a mutually beneficial move, as the Mariners shed some salary while the Giants hope to get a dependable arm in Ray at a relatively steep financial cost.

Haniger's lone season with San Francisco did not go as planned in 2023. It was more of the same with the Mariners last season. He struggled to a .620 OPS with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 423 plate appearances. The veteran bat tallied three hits in 18 at-bats this spring.

2. Ross Stripling

Similar to Haniger, Stripling's lone season with the Giants did not go as planned. He was sent to the A's in a surprise deal last offseason. The Giants shed some salary and received speedy prospect Jonah Cox in return.

The right-handed hurler pitched to a 6.01 ERA in 22 appearances last season. This did include a 3.89 FIP, so there is a pretty large difference between his bWAR (-1.1) and fWAR (+1.1). Stripling latched on with the Kansas City Royals and allowed 13 earned runs in eight innings of work.

3. Nick Ahmed

Nick Ahmed is four-fifths of the way to a Steve Finley, which is when a player appears for every NL West team. He crossed three teams off the list in 2024, most notably with the Giants. He latched on later in the year with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. He hit one home run last season, which of course, came in a Dodgers uniform against the Giants.

Ahmed caught on with the Texas Rangers on a minor league deal this spring. He had a surprisingly strong camp, slashing .324/.361/.647 with three home runs and eight RBI in 36 plate appearances. However, the Rangers were not swayed by this given his extensive track record of being a below-average hitter. He still does play a decent shortstop.

4. Curt Casali

Curt Casali appeared in parts of three seasons with the Giants. This includes last season when the Giants ran out of catching depth while Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy were on the injured list. Casali had been with the Chicago Cubs organization. They released him to pursue the opening with the Giants. He finished the year with San Francisco.

Casali joined the Atlanta Braves on a minor league contract this year. Braves starting catcher Sean Murphy is out with a cracked rib, which would seemingly open the door for someone like Casali. The Braves went in a different direction. Casali recorded 14 hitless at-bats.

5. Drew Pomeranz

Remember when the Giants signed Drew Pomeranz in the year 2024? It happened. I promise you that, and if you remember that, you deserve a prize. What is that prize? Probably a field trip outside.

The southpaw pitcher has not pitched in the majors since 2021. He missed a couple of seasons due to injury, but teams always have a need for left-handed pitchers. Pomeranz joined the Mariners on a minors pact, allowing four earned runs with eight strikeouts and three walks in 5.2 frames before being released.