SF Giants announce a pair of late-season promotions in the upper minors

The minor league season is winding down but teams are still making late-season promotions to extend a player's year. On Tuesday, pitcher John Michael Bertrand was promoted to Triple-A and replaced by Trent Harris on the Double-A roster according to a team announcement.

SF Giants announce a pair of late-season promotions in the upper minors

This will be Harris' second promotion of the season. He had been pitching in Eugene's bullpen, but their season came to a conclusion over the weekend. Evidently, the Giants want to get Harris stretched out a little more after a strong first season in pro ball.

The right-handed pitcher was signed as an undrafted free agent last year and has made a name for himself this year despite a draft pedigree. In fact, he was considered a sleeper prospect in the Giants farm system according to Jim Callis of MLB.Com.

Harris breezed through the lower minors this year. If you watched him pitch, you will see why. He has two plus pitches with a mid-90's four-seam fastball and a 12-to-6 curveball. Harris likes to throw his fastball up in the zone and gets a lot of swinging strikes in the process. His curveball overwhelmed hitters in the lower minors both in the zone and as a chase pitch.

The 25-year-old pitcher throws a tight cutter as well. If that pitch turns into a reliable third option, there is a chance that he could move to the rotation.

Overall, he registered a 1.64 ERA with 104 strikeouts and 24 walks in 76.2 frames split across two levels. This includes an even 2.00 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 45 innings with Eugene. Those types of strikeout numbers will get you noticed and there is a good chance that Harris earns a camp invite next spring.

On the other hand, John Michael Bertrand proved to be a workhorse in Richmond's rotation this year. The lefty pitcher posted a 4.32 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, and a 2.98 SO/W rate in 146 innings this season. He made 28 appearances, including 27 starts, for the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Bertrand does not overwhelm opposing hitters with velocity or stuff but he just knows how to pitch. He flashes a low 90's fastball with a changeup, slider, and curveball. He commands his pitches in all four quadrants of the strike zone to keep hitters guessing. Plus, he fields his position quite well.