Recently DFA'd SF Giants slugger clears waivers and enters free agency

Former Dodgers and Padres corner bat Matt Beaty cleared waivers and became a free agent on Tuesday. He had been designated for assignment by the SF Giants.

The SF Giants announced on Tuesday that first baseman/outfielder Matt Beaty had cleared waivers and became a free agent. The Giants designated Beaty for assignment on May 30th to create a spot on the 40-man roster for right-handed reliever Luke Jackson. Beaty appeared in four games with the Giants this season, recording one hit in five plate appearances with a pair of strikeouts. He hit .272/.406/.447 with six doubles and four home runs in 30 games with San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate.

Royals corner bat Matt Beaty lobs the ball to first base during spring training. (2023)

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants added Beaty in a minor trade on Opening Day from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations. Beaty had inked a minor-league contract with the Royals during the offseason but was going to exercise an opt-out in his contract after failing to crack their 26-man roster by the end of spring training. So, the Giants scooped him up and kept him on the active roster for a short time before optioning him to Triple-A Sacramento.

Beaty was drafted by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Belmont University, overlapping with both Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler during their tenures in Los Angeles. Beaty reached the majors in 2019 and emerged as a key contributor for the Dodgers, hitting .265/.317/.458 with 19 doubles and nine home runs in 99 games.

The left-handed hitter slumped through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before bouncing back in 2021. Beaty made 234 plate appearances in 120 games, playing in a strict platoon, and posted an above-average .270/.363/.403 triple-slash with four doubles and seven homers.

Prior to last season, the Dodgers traded Beaty to the Padres for a pitching prospect. San Diego planned to utilize Beaty off the bench as a pinch-hitter, occasionally starting him in the outfield against right-handed pitching. However, injuries derailed his season and led him to post a horrendous .093/.170/.163 triple-slash in 47 plate appearances. He missed a significant portion of the season with an injury but was released shortly after his return.