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SF Giants re-sign relief-pitching prospect to minor-league contract

The SF Giants have re-signed right-handed relief pitching prospect José Cruz to a minor-league contract after non-tendering him earlier this month.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants re-sign relief-pitching prospect to minor-league contract
SF Giants re-sign relief-pitching prospect to minor-league contract

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants re-signed right-handed relief pitcher José Cruz to a minor-league contract, according to the MLB transactions page. Cruz was among a trio of pitching prospects who were non-tendered to clear space on the 40-man roster earlier this month. Despite a rocky 2023 season, Cruz was still ranked among the organization's top prospects in an updated Giants prospect ranking this summer.

Cruz had a breakout 2022 season at Single-A San Jose. He struck out 86 hitters in 52 1/3 innings and was the best relief pitcher in the California League. While he was still far away from the majors, the Giants added Cruz to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Given how things played out, however, they were more aggressive than necessary.

The Giants presumably expected Cruz to take another step forward in 2023, but his inconsistent command did not take a necessary step forward. He was dominant at High-A to start the season, but posted a 6.66 ERA with 38 walks in 44.1 innings pitched after he was promoted to Double-A. Still only 23 with an impressive arsenal of pitches, Cruz remains an intriguing prospect with a chance to be a legitimate setup arm or better.

Cruz has a deceptive delivery, which results in a crossfire three-quarters arm slot that generates tremendously quick arm action. His release creates added arm-side movement and rise to his fastball, which has sat in the mid-90s and reached 98 mph at its best. Cruz also utilizes a breaking ball and changeup, although his change has generally been his most devastating pitch.

The SF Giants will welcome José Cruz back to the organization on a minor-league contract, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster. He will now prepare for spring training, where he will look to reassert himself as a top relief-pitching prospect.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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