SF Giants eject recent waiver claim in corresponding move for Jason Foley signing

In a bit of a surprising move, the SF Giants DFA’d outfielder Joey Wiemer to make room on the 40-man roster for recently acquired reliever Jason Foley. We will have to see how this impacts the outfield depth chart.

There was some thought that the Giants would use Wiemer in a platoon role in right field given the fact that he hits left-handed pitching well and is an above average defender.

SF Giants DFA outfielder Joey Wiemer to make room for Jason Foley

Last season with the Miami Marlins, Wiemer slashed .236/.279/.436 with 3 home runs and 12 runs batted in across 27 games. His best season came during his rookie campaign in 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers when he slashed .204/.283/.362 with 13 home runs and 42 runs batted in.

At the very least it seemed Wiemer would be a strong candidate to be the team’s fourth outfielder next season given he can play all three outfield positions.

However, it seems the team is willing to part with him in order to make room for Foley. The Giants signed the pitcher to a one-year major league contract but he is coming off surgery and will probably not be able to return until midseason.

In Foley’s most recent season with the Detroit Tigers in 2024 he had a 3.15 ERA and 28 saves in 69 appearances and 60 innings pitched. He also had 28 saves so he could be a potential closer candidate when he returns. 

The Giants could still retain Wiemer if they can sneak him through waivers, but they may decide to trade him which is how they acquired him from the Marlins in the first place. 

This move creates more opportunity for someone like Luis Matos to snag a roster spot who seemed to be on the bubble given he is out of minor league options. Justin Dean, another waiver claim, may also benefit from this move as maybe he can snag that fourth outfielder spot given he is a solid defensive outfielder.

Perhaps the Wiemer DFA will also open the door to the Giants making another outfield addition. There is a clear hole in right field and the Giants would benefit from having an experienced option out there because no one would be excited about a Drew Gilbert, Luis Matos platoon.

It’s a bit of a surprising move since Wiemer seemed to factor into the team’s outfield plans in 2026, but maybe this DFA opens the door for a more exciting addition.