SF Giants bolster bullpen depth, add former Tigers reliever on a major league deal

On Tuesday, the SF Giants bolstered bullpen depth. They announced that they have signed former Detroit Tigers reliever Jason Foley to a major league deal. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reports that Foley will make $2 million in 2026.

SF Giants bolster bullpen depth, add former Tigers reliever on a major league deal

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle shared the announcement on social media. In that announcement, it relays that Foley underwent shoulder surgery last May and is expected to return by the middle of next season.

For now, Foley will occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. When spring training opens up, there is a good chance that he is transferred to the 60-day injured list to create an opening on the 40-man roster.

Foley fits the mold of the type of pitchers that the Giants have targeted this offseason in that he induces a healthy number of ground balls. Reiver Sanmartin and Sam Hentges have posted ground ball rates well above 50 percent throughout their respective careers. The same is true for Wilkin Ramos, who the Giants signed to a minor league deal in November.

Foley has registered a 54.1 percent ground ball rate across four major league seasons, so he is even above Hentges and Sanmartin in that category.

Perhaps it is fair to say that Foley's success depends largely on his contact-heavy profile. He excels at missing the barrel of the bat, but has well below-average chase and whiff rates.

In fairness, the right-handed pitcher throws his sinker more than half the time, which is a pitch that does not miss many bats. It is intended for contact. His sinker sits in the mid-to-upper 90's, and he pairs it with an upper 80's power slider. He mixes in an occasional changeup and four-seamer as well.

Across four major league seasons, the 30-year-old pitcher has recorded a 3.15 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, and a 2.94 SO/W rate. From 2021 - 2024, he tallied a 0.45 HR/9 rate, which was tied with Clay Holmes for the sixth-best rate among qualified relievers. This is to say that he is extremely stingy at allowing home runs.

For a brief period of time, Foley served as the Tigers' closer in 2024, where he recorded 28 saves in 30 opportunities.