SAN DIEGO -- The Giants parted ways with two of their former top prospects on Monday, trading outfielder Luis Matos to the Brewers and designating infielder/outfielder Tyler Fitzgerald for assignment.
Fitzgerald was DFA’d to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Dylan Smith, who was acquired from the Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. Smith was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, but he could be a candidate to contribute to the bullpen mix later this season.
Matos, 24, had been with the organization since signing with the Giants as a teenager in 2018, but he struggled to establish himself as a big league regular over parts of three seasons in San Francisco. He was DFA’d after being left off the Opening Day roster last week, though he’ll now get a fresh start in Milwaukee.
Fitzgerald, 28, was a fourth-round Draft pick of the Giants in 2019, and he enjoyed a breakout rookie campaign in ‘24, when he batted .280 with an .831 OPS and 15 home runs over 96 games. He entered the ‘25 season with incumbent status at second base, but he landed on the injured list with a left rib fracture in May and then slumped badly when he returned to the lineup two weeks later.
The Giants demoted Fitzgerald to Sacramento in late June, allowing Casey Schmitt to end the season as the club’s primary second baseman. Fitzgerald ended up appearing in only 15 games for San Francisco over the final three months, batting .154 with a .592 OPS and two home runs over that span.
With free-agent addition Luis Arraez now holding down second base and Schmitt and Christian Koss serving as backup infielders, the Giants had no spot for Fitzgerald, who began the season at Sacramento before getting cut on Monday.
Smith was DFA’d after Detroit set its Opening Day roster last week, but he’s only 25 and logged a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings in seven relief appearances for the Tigers in 2025. A third-round Draft pick out of the University of Alabama in 2021, Smith came up as a starter, but he converted to relief in ‘25 after dealing with injuries to his right forearm, triceps and shoulder over his first few pro seasons.
Smith has been working to consolidate his arsenal, but he has intriguing stuff, including a sinker that has reached 96 mph, a four-seam fastball and a mid-80s slider. He recorded a 3.65 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings in 12 relief appearances for the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate at Toledo in 2025. The 6-foot-2 hurler has Minor League options remaining, so the Giants will be able to shuttle him between Triple-A and the Majors if needed this season.
Smith is the second reliever the Giants have acquired in the last 10 days, as they also signed left-hander Ryan Borucki to a one-year Major League deal on March 21. Borucki made his San Francisco debut during the club’s opening series against the Yankees, giving up one run over 1 2/3 innings in two outings.