Top 3 non-tender players that the SF Giants should sign

Top 3 non-tender players that the SF Giants should sign

2. Reliever Alex Reyes

The Giants need help with the bullpen and few non-tender pitchers offer more upside than former St. Louis Cardinals reliever Alex Reyes. The right-handed reliever was set to earn $2.85 million through arbitration, but St. Louis decided to cut ties after Reyes missed the 2022 season due to undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

The prognosis in returning from shoulder surgery for a pitcher is typically not great. It was the same surgery that former Giants reliever Reyes Moronta underwent.

Similar to third baseman Brian Anderson, Reyes carries major injury risk. However, it bears repeating that the Giants have assumed a high degree of injury risk in the past with signings like Carlos Rodón, Alex Wood, Alex Cobb, and Anthony DeSclafani.

When healthy, Reyes has the upside to be one of the better relievers in baseball. The 28-year-old pitcher posted a 3.24 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.35 WHIP, 11.8 K/9, and a 1.83 SO/W ratio in 69 appearances for the Cardinals while earning his lone All-Star selection in 2021. This included 29 saves in 34 opportunities.

Control has been an issue as he has tallied 6.0 BB/9 but it comes with 11.0 K/9 throughout his five-year career. The Giants' bullpen could use a reliever who accumulates high strikeout totals, especially with pitch-to-contact hurlers like Tyler Rogers and Scott Alexander.

Signing Reyes would be the type of move that has considerable upside with very little downside from a financial perspective.