Sept. 22: The Giants have formally announced the selection of Kazmir’s contract. Righty Jay Jackson was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to open a spot on the active roster.
Sept. 21: The Giants are planning to bring southpaw Scott Kazmir back to start tomorrow night’s game against the Padres, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Kazmir is not on the 40-man roster, but San Francisco opened a spot by passing reliever Reyes Moronta through outright waivers this afternoon.
Kazmir returns for his second big league try this season. The veteran signed a minor league deal with San Francisco over the offseason and completed a remarkable comeback effort by earning a big league call in late May. He picked up his first big league action in five years this spring, but Kazmir made just three appearances (including two starts) before being designated for assignment. He worked seven innings over those three games, allowing five runs on eight hits (including three homers) and a walk while striking out seven.
After being outrighted off the 40-man roster, Kazmir joined the U.S. National Team at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. He made just one start there, tossing five scoreless innings in a win over the Dominican Republic. He returned to the Giants’ top affiliate in Sacramento after the conclusion of international competition and has made six starts for the River Cats over the past month. He’s worked 52 2/3 frames in Triple-A this season altogether, posting a 4.61 ERA with strikeout and walk rates (22.1% and 8.3%, respectively) not far off the league average.
Johnny Cueto remains on the injured list, leaving the Giants a man short in the rotation behind Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Logan Webb and Alex Wood. Kazmir will get another opportunity to step into that role. San Francisco entered play tonight up one game on the Dodgers in the NL West. They’ll close out the week with road series against the Padres and Rockies before returning home to host the D-Backs and Padres to end the regular season.
Well the Dodgers are still paying Kazmir maybe he will help them out
You know a turd is a turd, no Matt what you pay him!
When I was a little girl in Panama, a rich American came to our town and he was wearing the softest most beautiful sweater. I said to him, “what do you call this most beautiful fabric?”, and he said “they call it Kazmir”.
I repeated the words “Kazmir, Kazmir”. I asked if I could have it, and he said “No. Get away from me.” Then he started to walk away. But I grabbed onto his leg screaming for him to give me the sweater and he dragged me through the street. And then he kicked at me with the other foot and threw some change at me. Oh, but I didn’t want the change. I wanted the Kazmir.
Hey Preller, did you buy that pitcher knowing that red dot was on it because you could get it at a discount?
Prov356, well done!
Didn’t mean to use Preller. I was reading the SD article and had his name in my head.
Revision:
Hey Giants, did you buy that pitcher knowing that red dot was on it because you could get it at a discount?
Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?
@Fever Pitch, Fantastic.
Is it on the wagon or off the wagon?
All teams look for cheap roster filling pitching who may have an upside or had history of possible scenery change. Kazmir surely will do better than Arrieta
I’m gonna have to plead ignorance on this one
If they can get 3 innings out of him with three runs or less, that’s a win
Good luck, Scott!
Since he returned to the organization, even in the minor leagues, before 8/31, he should be eligible to participate in the postseason if they choose to place him on the roster. Winning the World Series would be quite a feat for them this year since it’s an odd numbered year. Their last three championships were in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
not sure about that because one has to be on 40 by 8/31….they may have a loophole for injury or like you mentioned previously was on 40
Jesus dude, everyone knows. If there’s three things you can count on people telling everyone in earshot, it’s vegans about their diet, crossfit’s about their exercise, and Giants fans mentioning 10-12-14 & even years. Can we focus on the fact that the year numbers had zeeeeeero to do with those rings?? It makes you sound ridiculous
Why wouldn’t any fan talk about a cluster of championships? It’s normal. I think that more than one Yankees fan on here has a handle that includes “27 rings”.
However, I will agree with you that the even year thing is just silly marketing nonsense.
Also, I’m vegan and almost never talk about my diet to anyone that isn’t trying to feed me. A lot of people think gluten free and vegan are the same, and so I get offered a lot of things I can’t eat. It’s just factual and logistical.
Lastly… I don’t recruit. Eat your bacon and pork rind triple cheeseburger as you like, omni.
Yeah maybe I ought to change that to gluten-free, that’s definitely a fair point. And it wasn’t the talking about championships that bugs me, it’s the even/odd year thing. People around here constantly – still – say things like “It’s an odd year so we’re not winning it all”.. It just annoys the crap outta me
Thank you for being a good vegan, you bless humanity
Nice to see him get another start down the stretch, his stats hold up on par with the previously bad bullpen games. I think I can remember him giving up like 2 runs in 4 in his first start, maybe 4 in 4 in his last start. Pretty much what they got outta the last 2 bullpen games. I’m for it worse comes to worse we’re tied with the Dodgers again! Go Scott!
Awful team. How are they so lucky?
I don’t think anyone can stay that lucky for that long. Probably some reality to it
Was it always your goal to be a witless troll or did you just fall into it?
98-53, Goober.
Holy crap it’s ltully! I was wondering what became of the whole gang from sfgate
@Kewldood69 is obviously one of those people that can never have been wrong about anything. Clearly he prognosticated that the Giants would be terrible in 2021, and now that they’re not, he explains it away as they’re just incredibly lucky. He’s just like the other guys that, again, can’t admit they were wrong, so the Giants have to be cheating.
If anybody wants to learn a little something about baseball, maybe ask yourself why the Giants are a good team. Try to find reasons other than them being lucky, cheating, or having every guy on the team performing at their career best. None of those things are true.
Question of the year. Pulling for ’em to decline to a wild card game and lose it to the Cards. That would be sweet.
At least he’s facing Vince Velasquez. 3 innings 1 ER is great.
I’m guessing Kapler/the FO sees this as the best matchup to gamble on Kazmir. Like you said if he can give us three innings without getting completely rocked I’m satisfied. Hope the Giants can get to Velazquez early considering the Padres had to use some of their better relievers tonight.
YES! Let’s GO GIANTS !!!!
Don’t quite get this move. Due to the off day Webb is at full rest (hence why Gausman pitched tonight) and we should be trying to get every single win. Maybe this helps align the rotation a certain way for a certain series? I’m not sure
Even moving Webb up a day won’t avoid the need for a bullpen game this week – it’s just a question of whether it’s tonight, tomorrow or over the weekend at Coors. Also, having Webb pitch tonight won’t give him a chance for any additional starts – he’s still set up for 3 regular season starts no matter what (including Game 162, unless it’s meaningless and they decide to hold him back for their first postseason game).
I don’t have optimism. Too many games against the Padres down the stretch.
The Bruce Bochy curse.
Giants have a difficult time against the Padres.
That said, perhaps their Karma this season will overcome.
I’m more scared of the Coors series next to be completely honest especially since the Dodgers play the Dbacks. If the Giants survive the Coors series still in first I think the Giants have the division. After this road trip the Giants play the DBacks in San Fran….you know the Dbacks the Giants are 14-2 against then the Padres in SF. While the Dodgers play the Padres then the Brewers in LA.
This doesn’t say much for the Giants minor league pitching depth if Kazmir is their best option.
SP depth is the only place they aren’t deep and I still think they should have got someone at the deadline
Scott Kazmir is a disaster waiting to happen, but such is the situation when the team didn’t go out and get another Starter at the trade deadline. I’m sure the asking price on a decent starter was too high for Farhan, but these bullpen games and arms like Kazmir raise my anxiety level.
Desperado
Too bad he had so much promise but he is done
Kazmir is relentless. Great to see & good luck.
Dodgers get Scherzer, Giants get Kazmir. ‘Nuff said.
Yet who has the best record in baseball?
Looking at how Buehler and Urias have looked lately you better hope Scherzer can pitch every day
Seriously, you sound like a 2 year old. “How dare you say something negative about my Giants!” Waa! Waa! Go change your diaper.
Knowing Scherzer he could… the man is an animal on the bump
Buehler yes but Urias has been lights-out for two months.
Kazmir is one of the season’s feel-good stories. With the money he’s made in baseball, he didn’t have to put up with the hard work needed to make what was seen as a longshot comeback attempt. But he did it for no other reason than it’s what he wanted to do in his life. Hats off to him for believing in himself and sending an inspiring message to all of us, particularly kids. Don’t give up on your dream just because everyone else thinks you should.
Kudos to the Giants and Kazmir tonight as it’s beginning to look like the Dodgers’ string of division titles will come to an end. As a Dodger fan, I’m okay with it as it’s not a case of my team slacking off. Instead, another team came along and flat-out beat them with an amazing season. And it’s not the team all the experts predicted would do it.
To the Giants fans who find reasons to snipe at Zaidi and the job the front office has done: What planet are you living on? You should be deliriously happy and fully enjoying the kind of successful season that hardly ever comes around. And you’re doing in the face of an archrival that has challenged them every step of the way. What fan wouldn’t be happy with that?
What Giants fans are sniping at Zaidi right now?
Lots of them. The didn’t-acquire-a SP-stuff. They are all over this site, McCovey Chronicles and other places.
Cey Hey:
Nice post. I agree about Kazmir. But as a Giants fan, I not sure about the Dodgers not winning the division. If I had to bet, I’d still bet the Dodgers catch the Giants. 2 games is nothing with the number of games to play.
Maybe it’s the fatigue of a long season, Gausman looks to be leaking oil, Rogers’ novelty is wearing off, the hitters don’t seem to be as patient as they were earlier, and even Crawford is not making the plays that he usually does. I’m sure the long season is wearing on the Dodgers as well, but as Kruk and Kuip say, you just have to assume the Dodgers aren’t going to lose.
Always fun to read these comment sections after the fact and see how well the baseball braintrust did