Perhaps the highlight of Rodon's season last year and the pinnacle of his big league career thus far, the former top prospect twirled the 20th no-hitter in White Sox franchise history in an 8-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on April 14. Rodon continued that early season dominance the rest of the way in 2021, finishing the season atop the leaderboard in earned run average with a minimum of 20 starts, pitching to the tune of a 2.37 ERA in 132.2 innings pitched which ranked best in the majors among starters. Unfortunately, Rodon would fall short of the 162 innings pitched threshold, preventing him from being recognized as the league's ERA leader. Durability and consistency are the two biggest question marks and concerns Rodon entering his Giants tenure, having only registered one season of 160+ innings pitched and just a single double-digit winning season to his name as Tommy John surgery and shoulder fatigue has plagued Rodon throughout his career. However, Giants GM Farhan Zaidi and skipper Gabe Kapler are hoping his success last year is just the start of Rodon turning a corner and putting his injury history behind him with more progress to be had.
Other signings this offseason have included the likes of pitchers Alex Cobb, Jakob Junis and Carlos Martinez, as well as the re-signing of pitchers Anthony DeSclafani (3-years, $36 Million) and Alex Wood (2-years, $25 Million) as well as team captain Brandon Belt at first base. Cobb, who was drafted by Tampa Bay back in 2006, registered several solid seasons for the Rays, recording a sub-3 ERA in back to back seasons in 2013 (11-wins, 3-losses, 2.76 ERA) and 2014 (10-9, 2.87). After a handful of rough seasons in Baltimore with the lowly Orioles, the 34-year old right-hander got back on track in 2021 with the L.A. Angels where he went 8-3 with an ERA of 3.76. The Giants are hoping Cobb can continue to climb back to his former self, signing him to a 2-year, $20 Million dollar contract back on November 30. Righty Jakob Junis, formerly of the Kansas City Royals, is a swingman-type pitcher who has pitched both in the starting rotation and as a reliver, and will likely hear Kapler call his name from the bullpen after inking a one-year deal. The Giants also announced the signing of former Tigers lefty Matt Boyd (1-year, $5.2 Million plus incentives) who will be sidelined until midseason with an elbow injury that required surgery last September. Boyd is a distant relative of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller and further adds to the team's pitching depth.
One of the more interesting signings is that of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez. The former 2-time All-Star with the Redbirds saw a fall from grace after recording three consecutive stellar seasons as a starter from 2015 to 2017, before being thrusted into a role split between the starting rotation and as a reliver. Looking to rebound after back to back sub-par seasons out of the bullpen, Martinez lands with a Giants ballclub that has become a safe haven for second chances and a hotbed for players looking to make a rebound. In need of a bat to supply some thump in the outfield, the Giants kicked the tires on such big names as Nick Castellanos and potentially bringing back Kris Bryant, before ultimately deciding on a much cheaper approach by bringing in Joc Pederson. Agreeing to a 1-year, $6 Million dollar deal, the Palo Alto native returns home to the Bay Area where he hopes to visit McCovey Cove quite often with his bat as a left-handed power-hitter. Having played his first 6+ big league seasons in the division with the Dodgers before splitting 2021 with the Cubs and Braves, Pederson became just the ninth players in Major League history to win back to back World Series titles with different teams. Now he'll try to become the first to ever do so with three different ballclubs as he joins the hometown Giants who are coming off a 107-win season, their most in franchise history.
Whether or not the Giants will have enough firepower to keep up with the Dodgers' ever-expanding cast of All-Stars which just added former MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman to the mix with a megadeal worth $162 Million over six-years, will be a tall task to say the least, but is a challenge Kapler and company will not shy away from. As for the notable departures, outfielder Alex Dickerson (Braves), infielder Donovan Solano (Reds) and outfielder/infielder Kris Bryant (Rockies) all inked deals to play elsewhere, as did reliever Reyes Moranta (Dodgers), while SP Johnny Cueto and RP Tony Watson remain free-agents. Meanwhile, the Giants prepare for life after former All-Star and MVP catcher Buster Posey who announced his retirement following the 2021 season. Opening Day is scheduled for April 7.
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