SF Giants re-sign former Minnesota Twins reliever to minor-league deal

The SF Giants made a minor move to bolster organizational depth. According to the team's transaction log, they have re-signed former Minnesota Twins reliever Cody Stashak to a minor-league deal. Presumably, this will include a camp invite.

SF Giants re-sign former Minnesota Twins reliever to minor-league deal

The Giants recently cut ties with minor league infielder Michael Wielansky, so in a way, the Stashak signing could be a corresponding move if the Giants' headcount is at full capacity.

Stashak was originally a 13th-round pick by the Twins in the 2015 draft out of St. John's University. St. John's University is the same school Joe Panik attended, but they were not college teammates. Stashak was drafted as a starting pitcher but transitioned primarily to the bullpen by the 2018 season.

Overall, he has posted a 3.24 ERA, 1,09 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, and a 4.38 SO/W ratio across eight minor league seasons. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster and called him up in 2019. Over the next four seasons, the righty pitcher put up respectable numbers including a 4.13 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, and a 5.93 SO/W ratio. This does include a 27.2 percent ground ball rate, so he does allow plenty of contact in the air.

However, the 29-year-old hurler underwent season-ending surgery to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder in 2022. That type of injury usually takes over a year to recover from, and oftentimes, pitchers are not the same even when they make it back to the mound.

Unfortunately, the Twins outrighted Stashak off of the 40-man roster last winter, thereby becoming a free agent. There is no 60-day injured list in the offseason, so he would have occupied a roster spot all winter if he had been retained.

However, Stashak joined the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League last year where he tallied two scoreless innings before joining the Giants organization late in the season. In that time, he yielded seven earned runs across five innings with the Sacramento River Cats. Oddly, the Giants released the right-handed pitcher earlier in the offseason.

On the mound, Stashak flashes a quality slider that he pairs with a low 90's four-seam fastball and an occasional changeup. Opposing hitters have struggled against the slider, posting just a .181 batting average against it. He does not overpower hitters, but commands his pitch mix well and has generally produced favorable results when healthy.