3 bullpen arms the SF Giants should target based on SO/W ratio

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Anyone who watched the SF Giants last season knows that the bullpen needs to improve. The Giants rotation excelled in SO/W ratio, but the bullpen, oddly enough, struggled in that area. The good news is that there are plenty of free-agent relievers who can help them improve in that area.

3 bullpen arms the SF Giants should target based on SO/W ratio

As a unit, Giants relievers posted a 4.08 ERA and a 2.41 SO/W ratio in 2022. Both marks were the 11th-worst in baseball. They need a little more balance in the bullpen, meaning pitchers who can tally high strikeout totals.

As currently constructed, they will feature a bullpen that includes Tyler Rogers and Scott Alexander. Both registered below-average strikeout rates in 2022, but they excel at getting ground balls. Every bullpen needs an arm or two who can get a ground ball with a runner on first base to set up the double play.

However, every team also needs a handful of arms who can get a strikeout when it is needed. That was not the Giants bullpen in 2022 as they recorded the third-worst strikeout rate (8.06 K/9) in baseball.

SO/W ratio is a good measure of being able to pitch effectively and the Giants bullpen needs more of it.

1. Chris Martin - 14.80 SO/W ratio

When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for reliever Chris Martin at the trade deadline, I thought that was a sneaky, good move. Some teams like the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies went with high-profile names like Josh Hader and David Robertson, respectively. However, the Dodgers made an under-the-radar move by acquiring Martin from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Zack McKinstry.

Hader struggled to a 7.31 ERA in 19 appearances for the Padres following the trade, whereas Robertson posted a 2.70 ERA in 22 outings with Philadelphia after the deadline. The Hader move was rough, but the Robertson trade was great.

Martin was even better as he generated a 1.46 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 0.52 WHIP, 12.4 K/9, and a 34.00 SO/W ratio in 26 appearances with the Dodgers. He recorded 34 strikeouts against only one walk in 24.2 innings.

On the year, he posted a 14.80 SO/W ratio in 60 appearances, which was the highest mark among relievers with a minimum of 30 innings pitched. Martin certainly beefed up his portfolio with a strong finish to the year, but it feels like he can still be had on a relatively affordable, short-team deal given that he will be entering his age-37 season in 2023.

Division Series - Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies - Game Four / Patrick Smith/GettyImages

3 bullpen arms the SF Giants should target based on SO/W ratio

2. Collin McHugh - 5.36 SO/W ratio

Chris Martin's 14.80 SO/W ratio led baseball by a pretty huge margin, so the drop-off for the next reliever is sizable but he is still very effective. New Giants general manager Pete Putila knows veteran reliever Collin McHugh well from their days with the Houston Astros.

McHugh turned in another strong campaign in 2022, registering a 2.60 ERA, 2.71 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, and a 5.36 SO/W ratio in 58 appearances. He was extremely stingy at allowing the long ball as he yielded just five homers in 69.1 frames.

The 35-year-old does well to soak up innings as well. He pitched over one inning in 32 appearances in 2022. The Giants are prepared to use Jakob Junis as their bulk innings reliever next year, but McHugh would be an upgrade in that regard.

McHugh is set to earn a nice payday in free agency after signing a one-year, $4 million pact with the Atlanta Braves last winter. Non-closers have already done quite well this winter with Nick Martinez (three years, $26 million) and Robert Suárez (five years, $46 million) both earning new deals with the San Diego Padres recently.

Similar to Chris Martin, McHugh will be on the older side as he will be entering his age-36 season in 2023. That said, he could still be in the market for a two or three-year deal in the neighborhood of what Martinez ($8.67 million AAV) and Suárez ($9.2 million AAV) received in terms of average annual value (AAV).

Familiarity can be a nice selling point for free agents, and Pete Putila's past experience with McHugh should help with any pitch.

Wild Card Series - San Diego Padres v New York Mets - Game Two / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

3 bullpen arms the SF Giants should target based on SO/W ratio

3. Adam Ottavino - 4.94 SO/W ratio

Adam Ottavino has quietly been one of the better relievers over the past decade. Plus, he is good enough to strike out Babe Ruth every time.

Giants fans know the veteran reliever well as he spent seven of his 12 seasons with the Colorado Rockies. If you can pitch at Coors Field, then you can pitch anywhere. Ottavino has proven that in recent seasons, appearing with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and the New York Mets.

Prior to the 2022, Ottavino was coming off of a pair of subpar seasons as he produced a 4.94 ERA in a combined 93 appesarances. So, last year was a chance for the 37-year-old to prove that he can still pitch and he did just that.

The right-handed reliever posted a 2.06 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 0.97 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, and a 4.94 SO/W ratio in 66 appearances for the Mets bullpen. His slider continues to be a plus pitch as opposing hitters registered a rough .165 batting average against it in 2022.

Similar to Chris Martin and Collin McHugh, age is not necessarily in Ottavino's favor. That could be good news for a Giants front office that has looked mostly for bargains when it comes to relievers. MLB Trade Rumors is predicting that Ottavino will receive a two-year, $14 million deal this winter.

That would be more than the Giants have handed out to a reliever in recent seasons, but still a relative bargain given how he performed in 2022. Ottavino fills up the strike zone and has a very good slider. Both of these qualities generally appeal to the Giants' front office, so it would not be surprising to see San Francisco connected to the righty reliever this offseason.

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