Tuesday BP: Mitch White expected to join Giants today
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A few days ago, with news that Alex Cobb would be moved to the 60-Day Injured List while he works his way through a few rehab setbacks, it was announced that the San Francisco Giants traded some sweet cash money to the Toronto Blue Jays for right-handed pitcher Mitch White, who had been designated for assignment.
I recommend reading Bryan’s analysis on White, but the TL;DR is this: White was once a top prospect with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who drafted him when Farhan Zaidi was working for them. White struggled quite a bit with the Blue Jays — we’re talking a 7.26 ERA in 65.2 innings — and those struggles persisted even when he was moved o a relief role.
Crucially, White is also out of options. Which means the Giants can’t stash him in the Minors and hope he shows something, like a Minor League free agent. Instead, he’ll have to join the Giants. And according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser, that will happen ahead of tonight’s game against the New York Mets
What’s not clear is what the corresponding move will be. Cobb’s shift from the 15-Day IL to the 60-Day IL cleared the 40-man spot for White, but the Giants will still need to open up a spot on the active roster. And since they already have the maximum of 13 pitchers on the active roster, that means White will have to replace another pitcher.
There’s no clear choice there. The Giants have four optionable relievers: Ryan Walker, Landen Roupp, Erik Miller, and Sean Hjelle. Walker is one of the team’s most trusted relievers; Roupp has been one of their best relievers; Miller is their only lefty reliever other than Taylor Rogers; and Hjelle only just got activated.
Of course, there’s always a chance that someone is nursing an injury and heads to the 15-Day IL, or they could get tremendously silly and send Kyle Harrison back to Sacramento for a little in-season sharpening (please don’t get tremendously silly, Giants).
Either way, expect to see White in the black and orange tonight, even if you don’t know how he’ll get there. Other than, you know … by normal modes of transportation.
