Former Oakland A's Player Signs with S.F. Giants
According to the man himself, Daulton Jefferies has signed a deal with the San Francisco Giants. Jefferies was originally selected by the Oakland A's in the first round (37th overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft. Now 28, the Merced native is headed across the Bay, reunited with manager Bob Melvin.
Jefferies underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2022 and missed the entire 2023 campaign while recovering. In the big leagues, the right-hander has made 14 appearances (10 starts) and totaled 56 1/3 innings with a 5.75 ERA. He threw 77 innings combined between Las Vegas and Oakland in 2021 and another 79 in 2019, but those are the two highest innings totals he's put up as a professional. Coming off of TJ, he's not likely to be pushed too hard in 2024.
The details of the deal are not known, but it seems safe to say that this is a minor-league deal, perhaps with an invite to Spring Training. The Giants could use more pitching options, and Jefferies will certainly represent some depth for the club as the season moves along.
The right-hander's strikeout rate has never been terribly high, especially in the big leagues, but his walk rate has also generally held right around two free passes per nine innings over his career.
Jefferies may not represent a huge, impactful signing on day one for San Francisco, but the hope is that as the season goes on and he gets more and more time under his belt that he can start to reclaim some of the tools that led him to the big-leagues in the first place. Given that he hasn't accumulated a ton of innings as a pro, they could start him off as an opener or even in the bullpen in Triple-A Sacramento before deciding on next steps.
However the Giants use him, fans on both sides of the Bay will be pulling for him as he continues to chase his dreams.