SF Giants add veteran rival and former division rival on minors pact

The SF Giants are always looking at ways to improve organizational depth and they did so by bringing in a reliever with a track record of success on a minor league deal.

SF Giants add veteran rival and former division rival on minors pact

Scott Alexander has joined San Francisco on a minors pact, per the team's transaction log. The left-handed hurler spent the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers but now he joins the other side of the rivalry.

Alexander is a local product who attended Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, California. He played collegiately at Sonoma State University before being selected in the sixth round of the 2010 draft by the Kansas City Royals.

The lefty debuted with the Royals in 2015 where he yielded three earned runs across six frames in his rookie campaign. In total, Alexander registered a 2.78 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 1.37 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, and a 2.05 SO/W ratio in three seasons with Kansas City.

Following the conclusion of the 2017 season, the veteran reliever was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team trade that involved Joakim Soria. On the surface, this seemed like a sneaky good move by the division rivals.

However, Alexander struggled to stay on the mound as he pitched a total of 111 innings with the Dodgers across four seasons. When he was healthy, he proved to be a quality arm as he posted a 3.49 ERA in that time.

In his final season was Los Angeles, the 32-year-old hurler made just 18 appearances as he battled inflammation in his left shoulder. The Dodgers outrighted him off of the 40-man roster in the offseason and he has found a new home in familiar territory with San Francisco.

Alexander flashes a mid-90's fastball that he pairs with a slider and an occasional changeup. The slider has proven to be a very tough pitch to hit as opposing hitters produced a .143 batting average against it in 2021.

Alexander does not get a ton of swings and misses, but he has induced a ground ball in 70 percent of batted ball events throughout his seven-year career. Given his experience and track record, he might emerge as a bullpen option later in the season for the Giants.