Former SF Giants first-round pick joins Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League

Former SF Giants first-round pick Tyler Beede is now looking to extend his playing career in the Atlantic League. The 32-year-old pitcher has joined the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, per the league's transaction log.

Former SF Giants first-round pick joins Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League

The Atlantic League has become a popular league for minor leaguers. With MLB reducing minor league headcount in recent years, it has led to many players pursuing non-affiliated ball to continue their playing career.

In particular, the competition level in the Atlantic League is pretty high, as that league features many former major league players. Pablo Sandoval is just one example of a player extending their playing career in that league for the past few seasons.

Tyler Beede is joining the Long Island Ducks. That roster features several former major leaguers like Mark Mathias, Zach Pleasac, and Nick Tropeano. If some of those names sound familiar, it is because they played briefly for San Francisco in recent seasons.

Beede was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft out of Vanderbilt University. That was his second time being picked in the first round. The first time came in 2011, when he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays with the No. 21 overall pick, but did not sign.

The Giants were hoping that the right-handed hurler would bolster the rotation down the road. He did appear on some top prospects lists, ranking as high as No. 88 according to MLB.Com prior to the 2017 season.

Beede had a deliberate ascent through the minor leagues. Perhaps, his best minor league season came in 2016, when he led the Eastern League with a 2.81 ERA in 147.1 frames. The righty pitcher debuted with the Giants in 2018 and spent considerable time in the rotation in the following season. Despite putting up a 5.08 ERA in 24 outings in 2019, there were some encouraging trends.

However, Beede underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020, and never regained his footing with the Giants. He was designated for assignment early in the 2022 season. Since then, Beede has appeared with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians.

Beede did pitch briefly with the Minnesota Twins organization earlier this year and put up a 9.00 ERA in nine innings before being released. He now joins a Long Island team that is second in the North Division with a 23-21 record.