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SF Giants release former Yankees centerpiece of Giancarlo Stanton trade

The SF Giants released right-handed pitcher Jorge Guzmán on Wednesday, making the former centerpiece of the Giancarlo Stanton trade a free agent.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants release former Yankees centerpiece of Giancarlo Stanton trade
SF Giants release former Yankees centerpiece of Giancarlo Stanton trade

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants released right-handed pitcher Jorge Guzmán on Wednesday in a series of minor-league roster moves. They also released former Brewers catcher Jacob Nottingham and veteran outfielder Clint Coulter. Guzmán was once a top prospect in the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins organizations and was notably the centerpiece of the trade package that sent Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees. Guzmán recorded a 3.00 ERA with the Giants Triple-A affiliate this season in 27 appearances (36 innings pitched) but issued as many walks as strikeouts (26).

Guzmán was signed by the Houston Astros in the 2014-15 IFA period out of the Dominican Republic and spent the 2015-2016 seasons in Rookie Ball. Following the 2016 campaign, the Astros traded Guzmán and Albert Abreu to the Yankees for veteran catcher Brian McCann and cash considerations.

With the Yankees, Guzmán turned a corner in short-season ball and emerged as a top-100 prospect in the minors. In his age-21 season, Guzmán posted a 2.30 ERA in 13 starts with 88 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 66.2 innings pitched. With his prospect stock at an all-time high, the Yankees traded him alongside veteran infielder Starlin Castro and infielder prospect José Devers for Stanton and cash.

Guzmán remained a prospect as he climbed the minor-league ranks in the Marlins' organization, but his stock steadily declined. Guzmán's lack of command raised questions about his viability in the rotation. When the COVID pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, the Marlins decided to permanently move him to the bullpen. Despite never appearing in a game at Triple-A, they briefly called him up to make his MLB debut.

An elbow injury limited Guzmán to just 11 appearances between the majors and Triple-A in 2021. So, the Marlins outrighted him off their 40-man roster, and he became a minor-league free agent following the season and signed with the Giants.

Guzmán remained out for the first half of 2022 with the Giants but quickly climbed the minor-league ranks upon his return. The organization was clearly building toward giving him a chance to contribute in 2023. However, after an unexceptional performance in spring training and early in the season, the SF Giants have decided to go in a different direction. Still only 27, Jorge Guzmán will look to catch on elsewhere and return to the majors.

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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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