Brewers sign SF Giants 2023 minor league pitcher to guaranteed pact

A former SF Giants minor leaguer from the 2023 season has found a new home for next season. Veteran pitcher Joe Ross agreed to a major league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Brewers sign SF Giants 2023 minor league pitcher to guaranteed pact

Jim Bowden of The Athletic confirmed that Ross' deal is for $1.75 million. The contract is pending a physical, so it has not been confirmed by the Brewers just yet.

Through the first two days of the Winter Meetings, the Ross signing was one of the bigger moves. Though, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did provide us all with a moment of entertainment on Tuesday.

The meetings are officially over now and the Ross signing remains one of the more notable moves. The Winter Meetings can be an exciting time for roster construction and player movement, but this year was rather dull.

Ross' deal with the Brewers is a nice reward following a long road back from major surgery. He has not pitched in a major league game since 2021 after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in May of 2022.

When San Francisco inked him to a minor league deal, there were little expectations as to whether he could make an impact on the 2023 roster. However, it did give him a chance to rehab close to home.

The 30-year-old was born in Berkeley and attended Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. He made it back to the mound late in the year, posting a 5.14 ERA in eight appearances across three minor league affiliates. This does include a brief cameo with the Sacramento River Cats at the end of the season.

Across six major-league seasons, the righty pitcher has been a steady arm when healthy, posting a 4.26 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, and a 2.89 SO/W ratio. That said, he has rarely been durable as he has eclipsed 100 innings just twice in his career, but this is due to the major elbow surgeries he has undergone.

Early in his career, Ross showed promise with the Washington Nationals as he posted a 3.52 ERA in 35 games across his first two seasons. The Brewers hope now that he is nearly two years removed from surgery, he can rediscover that form.