Former San Francisco Giants Reliever Draws Rave Reviews at Bullpen Session

A former San Francisco Giants relief pitcher held a bullpen session recently and the feedback was positive.

Oct 3, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Tyler Matzek (68) delivers in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Ahead of the MLB trade deadline in July, the San Francisco Giants were making moves with an eye toward saving as much money as possible in what was shaping up to be another lost season.

It was the right decision, as the team wasn’t in a position to make a legitimate playoff push. They were too inconsistent, in every facet of the game; when their lineup would get hot, the pitching staff would go ice cold.

One of the deals that the Giants made was with the Atlanta Braves, as they parted ways with free agent signing, outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler and relief pitcher Luke Jackson in exchange for third base/left field prospect Sabin Ceballos and veteran reliever Tyler Matzek.

It was strictly a money move for San Francisco, as Matzek didn’t appear in a game with the team after being acquired. The last time he appeared in a game was May 4 before missing the remainder of the campaign with an injury.

After being on the Giants roster for one month, he was released and rejoined the Braves a day later before being granted free agency on Nov. 4.

Matzek didn’t play in the 2023 season because of injury, so making only 11 appearances in 2024 was certainly a less-than-ideal outcome.

Still a free agent with less than a month until spring training gets underway, Matzek held a bullpen session in Irvine, Calif., last week so that he could throw in front of teams and show that he is healthy and his rehab went well.

As shared by Pat Ragazzo of On SI, there was a good amount of interest being shown in the veteran lefty. Multiple World Series contenders in the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were all present for the workout.

Scouts who watched free agent lefty reliever Tyler Matzek’s bullpen in Irvine, Cali yesterday felt he looked strong and healthy

Could be an MLB bullpen option for teams. Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies among those who attended and fit

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) January 24, 2025

He would make for a worthwhile flier for teams to take that are in need of a lefty who could factor into the mix as a late-game option.

In his career, Matzek has made 168 appearances and pitched 285.1 innings with a 3.72 ERA, 1.360 WHIP and 272 strikeouts. He began his Major League career as a starting pitcher but has transitioned into the bullpen full-time since returning to the MLB in 2020 with Atlanta following his previous appearance before that being in 2015 with the Colorado Rockies.