SF Giants add funky arm slot in waiver claim with the Atlanta Braves

On Thursday, the SF Giants added Duncan Davitt on a waiver claim from the Atlanta Braves. He brings a funky arm slot and a decent pitch mix to the table.

In a corresponding move, Spencer Bivens was designated for assignment. Bivens put up respectable numbers in the Pacific Coast League, but struggled in his four appearances with San Francisco.

Bivens had a 3.68 ERA across two seasons in a Giants uniform, but with a change in coaches, it is clear that they did not view him as favorably. They seemingly turned over every other stone but Bivens, and given how the bullpen has performed this year, they are light on better alternatives. At the end of the day, players need to perform when their name is called, and Bivens did not.

With Davitt, the Giants are adding a pitcher without much success in the upper minors. However, he has some traits that could lead to becoming a reliable reliever.

Latest SF Giants pitcher brings an element of variance to a pitching staff that is light on it

The Giants do not have a lot of variance in the bullpen, or even on the pitching staff. Most of their pitchers throw from a three-quarters arm slot, and their pitch mix consists of a fastball and a slider. Variance does not always mean good, but it gives hitters a different look.

Tyler Rogers is a prime example of an extreme variance arm slot that makes him so unique. Hitters do not see that same delivery more than once in a game, so it is hard for them to adjust their timing.

For the most part, opposing hitters now see much of the same stuff and delivery from Giants pitchers. There are a few exceptions to this.

At the very least, Duncan Davitt brings a funky arm angle to the table. He throws from a sidearm delivery with elite extension. The release point is tough to pick up, and the extension means that his pitches get in on hitters quickly.

Davitt relies on a low 90's four-seam, but the four-seamer has a decent shape to it due to the extension and a high spin rate. He mixes in a mid 80's slider and a low 80's sweeper. Davitt also throws a curveball and a changeup, but he would likely benefit from scrapping those pitches. The four-seamer, slider, and sweeper all generate whiff rates north of 20 percent, so he does miss some bats.

While the 26-year-old pitcher has some nice traits, it has not translated to success in the upper minors yet. He has no problem throwing strikes, but his profile leans more control-over-command, meaning that he lands his pitches in the zone, but misses the target. That leads to a few extra hits and home runs.

Overall, Davitt has pitched to a 5.89 ERA in two seasons at Triple-A. He has worked primarily as a starter in the pros, but his recent performance might necessitate a move to the bullpen.

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