SF Giants Double-A affiliate releases 3, promotes reliever

The Richmond Flying Squirrels made several roster cuts on Monday, including two pitchers who were invited to the Arizona Fall League (AFL). Plus, one of the better SF Giants bullpen prospects was promoted to Double-A.

SF Giants Double-A affiliate releases 3, promotes reliever

A trio of pitchers including Tyler Schimpf, Frank Rubio, and Travis Perry were released by Richmond, per the team's transaction page. However, Cole Waites received a promotion after an impressive start to the 2022 season in Single-A.

Schimpf is the most notable of the three relievers released. The righty posted 33 strikeouts in 25.1 frames with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in 2019 before receiving an invitation to pitch for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the AFL.

Schimpf yielded six earned runs with 10 strikeouts against eight walks in seven appearances with the Scorpions. He made a gradual climb up the minor league ladder, reaching Double-A for the first time this year, but he struggled to the tune of a 9.00 ERA in 14 appearances.

Rubio generally produced positive results earlier in his career. The 2017 draftee posted a 1.89 ERA in 32 outings in Single-A in 2019. Similar to Schimpf, Rubio was invited to the AFL in 2019 where he allowed just two earned runs in nine appearances.

However, Rubio posted a 4.34 ERA across 18.2 frames with the Flying Squirrels. This included 16 strikeouts against 11 walks.

Lastly, Perry was selected in the 28th round of the 2018 draft out of Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. The 25-year-old pitcher generated a 2.88 ERA with the Eugene Emeralds last year, but he could not follow up that effort as he tallied a 6.60 ERA in 15 innings with Richmond.

The Flying Squirrels will get a new arm in Waites. The bullpen prospect was selected in the 18th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of West Alabama in Livingston, Alabama. Despite being a 2019 draftee, Waites only had a total of 30.1 innings as a pro under his belt before the 2022 campaign.

Waites sustained a wrist injury in 2021 that kept him on the shelf for much of the season. However, he has opened a lot of eyes with his performance in 2022. The righty posted a 3.55 ERA with 27 strikeouts against only four walks in 12.2 innings with the Eugene Emeralds before receiving a promotion.

Given how aggressively he has been moved up the minor league ladder, it is fair to say that Waites likely has some fans in the front office. If he continues to perform, he could be in line for another promotion before the end of the season.