SF Giants bring back left-handed hurler on a minor league deal

The SF Giants have recently added pitching depth in the upper minors. They have re-signed left-handed pitcher Raymond Burgos to a minor league deal with a camp invite, per the team's transaction log.

SF Giants bring back left-handed hurler on a minor league deal

Eagled-eyed Giants fans will remember that Burgos actually occupied a spot on the 40-man roster for a brief time in 2024. He even made his major league debut in a lone appearance that he had with the club. During that outing, he yielded one run in one inning of work in a 5-4 win against the Chicago Cubs in June.

Shortly thereafter, Burgos was placed on waivers by San Francisco. He cleared and accepted a minor league assignment to return to Sacramento.

In a bit of a surprise, Burgos did not get a longer look out of a bullpen that was light on depth from the left side. Manager Bob Melvin often went with Erik Miller as his go-to lefty out of the bullpen. The other lefty, Taylor Rogers, was often used in lower-leverage spots and did not have as strong of a platoon advantage against left-handed hitters as Miller demonstrated.

For Burgos, this will be his third straight year with the club. In minor league free agency, players often gravitate toward the team that gives them the best opporturnity. This leads to a lot of turnover on a year-over-year basis for many organizations in the upper minors.

The Giants originally signed Burgos to a minor league deal before the 2023 season. He posted a solid 3.38 ERA with 54 strikeouts against 25 walks in 58.2 innings split across two affiliates. Despite the solid numbers, Burgos was unable to land a deal with an affiliated organization to start the 2024 season. This is likely due to the reduction in headcount in the minors, resulting in more veteran minor leaguers pursuing opportunities in independent leagues.

The 26-year-old pitcher began the season with Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League. After one appearance, he was released to rejoin the Giants organization. In addition to his lone major league appearance, Burgos put together a solid campaign where he posted a 1.69 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and five walks in 26.2 frames with Sacramento. The signing does give San Francisco more experienced pitching depth in the upper minors.