SF Giants pitcher with brief stint in 2019 signs with Atlantic League team

It was not that long ago when the SF Giants were one of the more aggressive teams on the waiver wire. This led to a lot of brief stints in the organization including a pitcher who just found a new home for 2022.

SF Giants pitcher with brief stint in 2019 signs with Atlantic League team

Merandy González, who spent less than a month in a Giants uniform in 2019, has signed with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League according to the league's transaction log. The right-handed hurler was claimed by the Giants in early March of 2019 and hit waivers again at the end of March before being claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals.

At the time, San Francisco's rotation had some stability with Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, and Jeff Samardzija all under contract that season. However, the organization desperately lacked depth, so the front office sought to add through waivers.

The plan was to claim any and all intriguing names on the waiver wire and try to keep them in the organization by sneaking them through waivers. It did not always work, but it gave the Giants a little extra flexibility and depth in case an emergency arose. This strategy did not work with González as he was scooped up by the Cardinals.

The 26-year-pitcher signed as an international free agent with the New York Mets in March of 2013. He moved deliberately up the Mets minor league ladder, reaching as high as High-A in 2017. However, his time with the Mets came to an end as he was shipped to the Miami Marlins along with minor leaguer Ricardo Cespedes in exchange for reliever A.J. Ramos just before the 2017 trade deadline.

He debuted with the Marlins in the following season where he allowed 14 earned runs with 19 strikeouts against eight walks in 22 frames as a rookie. Oddly enough, that his been his only action on a major league mound thus far.

He experienced much more success in the minors. Across seven seasons, he has registered a 3.06 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 0.4 HR/9, 7.6 K/9, and a 2.37 SO/W ratio. González worked primarily out of the rotation earlier in his pro career, but he has shifted to the bullpen in recent years. The righty demonstrated the ability to pitch in the strike zone while keeping the ball in the ballpark.

González spent the 2021 season in the Mexican League where he only made four scoreless appearances. He joins a York Revolution team that struggled to the tune of a 56-64 record in the Atlantic League last season. As a team, the Revolution posted a 5.82 ERA last season, so there is plenty of room for improvement.