Milwaukee Brewers announce that former SF Giants reliever is returning as Triple-A pitching coach

The Milwaukee Brewers recently announced its minor league coaching staff. Former SF Giants reliever and veteran pitcher Jeremy Accardo was included on that list as he is returning for his third season with the Nashville Sounds.

Milwaukee Brewers announce that former SF Giants reliever is returning as Triple-A pitching coach

The Sounds will be managed by David Tufo, who has been a coach in the Brewers' organization for the past several seasons. He served as the bench coach for Milwaukee's High-A affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, in 2023 so this is a bit of a promotion.

For Accardo, he returns for his third year as the pitching coach for the Brewers' Triple-A club. He has been coaching for the better part of the past decade. He started as a bullpen and pitching coach in the minors with the New York Mets but served as a pitching strategist for the Mets in 2019 and as an assistant pitching coach in 2020 and 2021.

The right-handed pitcher originally signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State University in 2003. Being undrafted is a bit more common now given that the draft concludes after 20 rounds. However, when Accardo was eligible, the draft would go up to 50 rounds.

Despite the lack of a draft pedigree, the veteran reliever reached Triple-A in just his second full season as a pro in 2005. And, he debuted for the Giants early in that same season. His rookie campaign was a positive one as he posted a 3.94 ERA in 29.2 innings for San Francisco.

The righty pitcher returned to the Giants bullpen in 2006, but struggled to a 4.91 ERA in 38 outings before being shipped to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Shea Hillenbrand and Vinnie Chulk. At the time, Hillenbrand was a year removed from his second All-Star appearance, whereas Chulk worked as a middle reliever.

On the other hand, Accardo was a fixture in the Blue Jays' bullpen for the next several seasons, alternating between strong and poor years. In his final couple of seasons, he made stops with the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians before making his final major league appearance with the Oakland A's in 2012.

Accardo continued pitching in the minors through the 2014 season. He received an invite to spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015, but did not make the club and was released.

The former Giants reliever defied odds by even making it to the majors after being signed as an undrafted free agent. Those types of players tend to make fine coaches and the fact that the Brewers continue to bring him back is a sign of that.