Giants non-tender Petit, Sanchez

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants announced Wednesday night that they declined to tender 2016 contracts to right-hander Yusmeiro Petit and catcher Hector Sanchez. The moves cast the pair, who were eligible for salary arbitration, into free agency and trimmed the Giants' 40-man roster to 38.

The Giants won't save much money by non-tendering Petit and Sanchez, who earned $2.1 million and $800,000 last season, respectively. But with San Francisco striving to sign free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke, who's expected to command more than $31 million annually, the organization needs all the payroll flexibility it can summon.

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Petit thrived in long relief for the Giants. His finest moment with San Francisco came in Game 2 of the 2014 National League Championship Series at Washington, where he threw six scoreless innings of relief, beginning in the 12th. Brandon Belt's 18th-inning homer delivered the decision to a deserving Petit. Earlier that year, Petit retired 46 consecutive batters in an eight-game span, breaking the Major League record Mark Buehrle set in 2009 by one.

Petit also fell one strike short of pitching a perfect game on Sept. 6, 2013, against Arizona. Pinch-hitter Eric Chavez's single spoiled Petit's gem.

Petit appeared in a career-high 42 games this year and finished 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA.

As a switch-hitting catcher, Sanchez was potentially a valuable commodity. He often performed like one in 2012, batting .280 in 74 games to help the Giants surge to their second World Series title in three years. But injuries, particularly concussions, frequently derailed Sanchez's progress. He hit .240 in 244 games as a Giant from 2011-15, including .179 in 28 appearances this year.