Giants, lefty McGee finalize 2-year deal
The Giants added another experienced arm to their bullpen on Wednesday, officially announcing their two-year deal with left-hander Jake McGee. The deal is worth $7 million, according to reports from FanSided’s Robert Murray and MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
McGee, 34, posted a 2.66 ERA with 33 strikeouts and three walks over 20 1/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2020. He gave up one run over 2 2/3 innings in four postseason appearances to help Los Angeles win its first World Series title in more than three decades. McGee is the second former Dodgers player to sign with the Giants this offseason, joining fellow lefty Alex Wood, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal last month. McGee would be the first pitcher to sign a multiyear contract under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
A fifth-round Draft pick of the Rays in 2004, McGee has logged a 3.59 ERA over 11 Major League seasons with Tampa Bay, Colorado and Los Angeles. With 45 career saves, McGee could be a candidate to take over ninth-inning duties for the Giants, who relied on a closer-by-committee arrangement last year.
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McGee is poised to replace veteran Tony Watson, who served as the de facto leader of the bullpen in 2020 but is now a free agent. McGee’s arrival only strengthens the Giants’ relief depth from the left side, as they already have Jarlin García, Wandy Peralta, Sam Selman and Caleb Baragar on the 40-man roster. Selman and Baragar have Minor League options remaining, so they could open the season at Triple-A Sacramento if left off the Opening Day roster.
The Giants focused on bolstering their right-handed relief options earlier this offseason, signing Matt Wisler and John Brebbia to one-year deals and selecting Dedniel Núñez from the Mets in the Rule 5 Draft in December.
McGee is the latest addition in what has been a busy offseason for the Giants, who also retained Kevin Gausman and signed free agents Tommy La Stella, Anthony DeSclafani and Curt Casali. The Giants expect to get their first look at their 2021 squad on Wednesday, when pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale, Ariz., for their first Spring Training workout. The club’s first full-squad workout is scheduled for Monday.
Worth noting
The Giants announced they’ve signed right-handers Zack Littell and Jimmy Sherfy to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training.
Littell, 25, posted a 4.52 ERA over parts of three seasons with the Twins. Sherfy, 29, recorded a 2.98 ERA over 43 career appearances with the D-backs, but he didn’t pitch in the Majors in 2020 and instead spent the summer working out at the club’s alternate training site.