SF Giants add former 4th-round pick on minor league deal

The regular season is just two weeks away, but the SF Giants front office continues to make moves around the margins to bolster depth. This time, they have added a right-handed hurler on a minor league pact.

SF Giants add former 4th-round pick on minor league deal

The Giants have signed 30-year-old reliever Taylor Williams on a non-guaranteed deal, per San Francisco's transaction log. Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News confirms that the deal includes a camp invite.

The Milwaukee Brewers originally drafted the righty in the fourth round of the 2013 draft out of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. He came up as a starter, but transitioned to the bullpen midway through his career.

In six minor league seasons, Williams has registered a 3.22 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 3.24 SO/W ratio and 11 saves. He debuted with the Brewers in 2017 where he yielded just one earned run in five appearances.

That proved to be his best stretch on a major league mound as he has made stops with the Seattle Mariners (2020), San Diego Padres (2020 - 2021), and the Miami Marlins (2021) since leaving Milwaukee via a waiver claim before the 2020 season.

In total, the young reliever has produced a 5.29 ERA, 3.96 FIP, 9.6 K/9, and a 2.14 SO/W ratio in five seasons in the majors. The gap between his ERA and FIP does indicate that he has been the victim of some bad luck. Plus, he records over one strikeout per inning, so there are some encouraging trends.

Williams flashes a mid 90's fastball with good spin that he pairs with a slider and a sinker. The slider, in particular, has proven to be tough to hit. Opposing hitters produced a .158 batting average against it in 2021, and that trend has been consistent throughout his career.

The Giants do not have an obvious spot in the bullpen for Williams given that this is an area of strength for the roster. With that being said, the former fourth-round pick could position himself for a promotion with a good performance in Triple-A. An opening has to be created on the 40-man roster, but Williams has generally been a good performer in the minors, so he could be in the conversation down the road.