The SF Giants add veteran reliever in series of roster moves

The SF Giants were very busy on Monda, signing veteran reliever Luke Jackson to a two-year, $11.5 million pact with a team option for a third season. They also shipped pitcher Yunior Marté to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitching prospect Erik Miller.

The SF Giants add veteran reliever in series of roster moves

Marté was occupying a spot on the 40-man roster, so the trade was needed to create room to finalize the Jackson signing. Marté posted a 5.44 ERA in 39 appearances for the Giants last season while flashing a good slider-sinker combination. His command was not always crisp, but opposing hitters never looked too comfortable in the batter's box when he was on the mound.

Miller was drafted by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2019 draft out of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. The trade brings him much closer to where he played collegiately for three seasons beginning in 2017.

The left-handed hurler sustained a rotator cuff strain that limited him to just 12.2 frames in 2021. However, he proved to be much more durable last year as he tallied a 3.54 ERA with 62 strikeouts across 48.1 innings split between High-A and Double-A. Miller does not currently occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.

Luke Jackson was coming off of a strong 2021 campaign in which he registered a 1.98 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 9.9 K/9 and a 2.41 SO/W ratio in 71 appearances for the Atlanta Braves. He sustained an injury in his pitching elbow that required Tommy John surgery as the start of 2022.

The right-handed hurler will be at the 12-month mark in terms of recovery on Opening Day. Given that he is a reliever, the timeline for returning is usually slightly more accelerated than a starting pitcher, but Jackson might still be rebuilding arm strength when spring training comes around.

The Giants have now added two relievers to major league deals this winter in Jackson and Taylor Rogers. The bullpen remains a priority to improve as the Giants' unit posted a 4.08 ERA in 2022, which was the 11th-worst mark in baseball.