SF Giants 2020 starting pitcher signs with rivals

In 2020, left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson pitched with the SF Giants in an attempt to bounce back from a rough 2019 season with Colorado. He pitched decently for San Francisco in the pandemic-shortened season, leading to a full-time starter's role between two teams in 2021.

Now, Anderson is heading to the Giants' longtime rivals in Southern California.

As first reported on Friday by FanSided MLB Insider Robert Murray, Anderson agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jeff Passan of ESPN added further details that the contract was for one year and $8 million.

Anderson was a main part of the SF Giants rotation

Anderson made 13 appearances - 11 of them starts - for the Giants in 2020. He went 4-3 with a 4.37 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched. The southpaw walked 25 batters and allowed 58 hits as the Orange and Black missed the expanded postseason by just one game.

In starting the second game of the Giants season that year on July 24, Anderson went 1 2/3 innings while allowing three hits and three walks with no strikeouts at Dodger Stadium. He gave up just two runs in that outing but spent the next week in the bullpen - giving up just one run in 5 2/3 innings - before returning to the rotation full-time beginning August 6.

The highlight of Anderson's 2020 came August 22, when he pitched a complete game three-hitter with just one run (unearned) and four strikeouts against Arizona in a 5-1 Giants win.

Anderson signed with the Colorado Rockies as a first-round pick out of Oregon in 2011. He reached the Major Leagues in 2016 and turned in a 3.54 ERA in 19 starts that year, but the subsequent two campaigns saw ERAs of 4.81 and 4.55. Anderson then pitched only five games in the big leagues in 2019 and gave up 27 runs in 20 2/3 innings, after which Colorado waived him and the Giants claimed him

As a free agent after the 2020 season, Anderson inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $2.5 million. In 18 starts with Pittsburgh, he had a 4.35 ERA. Just before the trade deadline, the Seattle Mariners acquired him for a pair of minor leaguers. Anderson wasn't quite as good in Seattle, allowing 10 hits per nine innings and a 4.81 ERA over 13 starts.

In Los Angeles, Anderson could be stretched out to start or piggyback for long relief appearances, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.