Why Giants Claiming Royals Reliever off Waivers is Significant

The San Francisco Giants made a waiver claim that means nothing except when one digs into the player’s recent work.

Kansas City Royals pitcher Eric Cerantola. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eric Cerantola is not a name that is well-known in Major League Baseball. But he’s a San Francisco Giant now.

On Monday, the Giants announced that they claimed Cerantola off waivers from the Kansas City Royals and then optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. At the same time, the Giants announced that their own reliever, Gregory Santos, had cleared waivers and was optioned to Sacramento.

The Cerantola claim is significant because by claiming him off waivers San Francisco had to move him to the 40-man roster. The Royals designated him for assignment on July 2, a move designed to remove him from the 40-man roster.

So why did the Giants make this move? There’s a key reason and it has to do with San Francisco’s bullpen.

Why Eric Cerantola is a Giant Now

Kansas City Royals pitcher Eric Cerantola. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Montreal, Quebec, native has toiled in the Royals’ minor league system since he was drafted in the fifth round out of Mississippi State in 2021. After trying him as a starter in the minors in 2022, Kansas City converted him into a reliever. From 2023 to this season, he shad a slow, but steady climb, to put himself in position to join the Royals.

This season he finally got there. On May 6, the Royals called him up. He pitched in four games and had a 10.13 ERA with four hits and six earned runs allowed in 5.1 innings. He walked 10 and struck out seven. He was up and down with Kansas City until his last appearance on June 30 against Tampa Bay, during which he allowed six walks in 1.1 innings.

So why take the flier? The Giants saw his numbers in the minor leagues, and he has the potential to give them something they don’t have right now — a future closer.

With Triple-A Omaha this season he was 1-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 27 games. He became the Storm Chasers’ ninth-inning option as he converted 11 saves in 14 chances. He also struck out 43, walked 16 and allowed batters to hit .219 against him in 30.1 innings.

The Giants’ bullpen is a mess. Eight different relievers have recorded at least one save and Caleb Kilian — who was a non-roster invitee to spring training this year — leads all relievers with eight saves in 10 chances. Ryan Walker has three saves and Erik Miller have two saves. San Francisco also played reliever Matt Gage on the injured list this weekend, joining Jason Foley, Joel Peguero and Keaton Winn.

Cerantola is depth right now, nothing more. The Giants want to see how he performs at Triple-A. But if he produces similar numbers at Sacramento and can earn a promotion, perhaps he could thrive in the high-leverage role he couldn’t in Kansas City. That would make him an asset to a San Francisco bullpen in need of one.