SF Giants swap out lefty relievers ahead series against the Toronto Blue Jays

Matt Gage is set to make his debut with the SF Giants more than 10 years after being selected by them in the 10th round of the 2014 MLB draft. According to the team's transaction log, his contract was selected on Friday. In a corresponding move, Scott Alexander was released.

SF Giants swap out lefty relievers ahead series against the Toronto Blue Jays

Alexander was signed to a minor league deal in June. It was only a matter of time before he rejoined the Giants, as the bullpen was relatively light on left-handed relievers. He was added to the major league roster when Erik Miller went down with an elbow sprain.

While the Giants have a need for depth from the left side of the bullpen, Joey Lucchesi quickly emerged as the go-to lefty reliever in leverage spots with Miller out. Alexander struggled during his brief stint with San Francisco, allowing one earned run in 1.1 innings across two starts. He did not look sharp in either outing.

The veteran reliever has quite a bit of success in the majors, with a 3.36 ERA across 11 major league seasons. However, he has pitched to a 6.11 ERA in 21 appearances, 19 of which came with the Colorado Rockies earlier in the year.

Left-handed pitcher Matt Gage will take his spot on the roster. Similar to Alexander, he joined the Giants on a minor league deal. Gage was selected by the Giants in the 2014 MLB draft. The was the same draft the Giants drafted Logan Webb and Austin Slater (and Joe Ryan). Whether they signed or not, 10 of their 40 picks reached the majors, which is a pretty good ratio.

Gage pitched with the Giants organization until he was released midway through the 2018 season. It has been a whirlwind of a ride for him since then. He made stops in independent ball and the Mexican League, along with stints in half a dozen organizations.

All the while, the 32-year-old pitcher has put up solid numbers in the minors. In 10 minor league seasons, he has a 3.85 ERA and a 3.08 SO/W ratio. Gage has also seen sporadic time on the mound in the majors. He has a 1.42 ERA split across three seasons. This includes a brief stint with the Detroit Tigers earlier in the year, where he tallied 5.2 scoreless innings.