The Giants announced that they have signed right-hander Joe Ross to a minor league deal, with Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com among those who relayed the news on Twitter. Ross has received an invitation to major league Spring Training, though he underwent a second career Tommy John surgery in June of last year and isn’t likely to be ready until midseason at the earliest.
Ross, 30 in May, was a first round draft pick of the Padres in 2011 and once considered one of the top pitching prospects in the league. He was traded to the Nationals alongside Trea Turner in the three-team, 11-player deal that also sent Wil Myers to the Padres and Steven Souza Jr. to the Rays. Over 2015 and 2016, he made 32 starts and three relief appearances, posting a 3.52 ERA over 181 2/3 innings. He made another 13 starts in 2017 before he required Tommy John for the first time, wiping out the remainder of that season and most of 2018 as well.
He stayed healthy in 2019 but didn’t quite get his results all the way back. He had a 5.48 ERA that year, splitting his time between the rotation, the bullpen and making eight starts in Triple-A. He sat out the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19 concerns but returned in 2021. He was quite solid that year, tossing 108 innings with a 4.17 ERA, 23.7% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 43.2% ground ball rate. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in August. He tried to rehabilitate the injury via non-surgical means but ultimately had to go under the knife again last summer.
For the Giants, they’re taking a no-risk flier on Ross, hoping that he can perhaps get back into game shape by the later stages of the season. They have six solid rotation options right now, with Logan Webb, Sean Manaea, Alex Cobb, Ross Stripling, Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani all in place, as well as long reliever Jakob Junis and depth options such as Tristan Beck, Thomas Szapucki and Sean Hjelle. That’s a fairly crowded mix right now but injuries will inevitably pop up as the season progresses.
For Ross, he’ll get to make use of the club’s facilities and could wind up pitching near his old stomping grounds, as he was born in Berkeley and went to high school in Oakland. The Giants play in San Francisco, of course, and their Triple-A team plays in Sacramento. Despite being drafted over a decade ago, Ross still hasn’t hit his 30th birthday. If he can get into healthy form by the end of the year, he can return to the open market and look to set himself up for a stronger deal in 2024.
Think you spelled Cody wrong
Ross is Boss.
Second TJ Surgery? Oh that’s going to be interesting to see how he reboundd, although Taillon is a good example of two TJ surgeries working out.
I thought Ross was mid-30s at least. I wonder if it’s a two year deal? The likelihood of him pitching any meaningful innings this year seems low. Hope he makes it all the way back.
His brother is in his mid 30’s. Joe will be 30 in May. He’ll be back stronger than ever by mid season! You can bank on that!
and pitch another sub-100 inning season
Joe Ross was great on the tv show “Car 54 where are you”.
Great, here comes the next Kevin Gausman
Giants specialty.
Rehab project to stash on the 60 day. If he gets back to shape he becomes depth or trade for later.
These deals usually work out well for SFG but only time will tell.
It’s a MiLB deal – no 60 day IL placement needed.
They actually work out well for the playoff contenders that decide to pay the player their fair market value after they rebuild it with the Giants limping through another season of mediocrity.
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD
I’m not dead, yet! I’m feeling better. Think I’ll go for a walk.
HE’S NOT DEAD YET !
“He’ll be stone dead if anything happens to his elbow.”
Giants have 2 solid starters in Webb and Cobb. The rest are questionable.
Manaea is an innings eater but has not been a good starter since 2018. He has a 4.42 ERA the last 3 seasons.
Stripling is a good swingman or 6th starter but has not ever thrown more than 123 innings as a starter.
Wood had a 5.10 ERA last season and 4.53 ERA over the last 3 seasons. He is not a quality starter.
DeSclafini is coming off a major injury and cannot be counted on to throw a full load. When a pitcher injures that drive leg to the point it requires surgery, it’s rare to get back to being an effective starter the following season and I have never seen anyone return from that injury to throw more than 100 innings the following season. He will need to build back both strength and stamina in the ankle. 2024 is a more likely bounce back scenario for him. I wish him the best of luck.
So, the Giants need all the starting options they can get. Ross might be ready by the time the Giants need is the greatest in the 2nd half.
you forgot junis and long who have also been used as starters in the past –
Big dude. Not afraid to take the ball on the biggest stage. He’s got a ring. Why not take a flyer on him!?
I totally forgot he was on the market. I always expected more from him in Wash. Could be ineresting.
Would love to know if the new minor league facility factored into his decision. Got to be a chance I would think. Looks and reads like a fine place to rehab.
Would love to see him make a comeback! He was such an interesting prospect and he had great stuff.
I will always remember when Scherzer was a scratch for Game 5 of the 2019 World Series and Joe Toss filled in for him. When he walked from the dugout to the BP to warm up before the game he got a huge ovation. He went on to pitch decently in that game even though the ants lost.
He had a high ERA in 2019 which mostly came from some bad outings as a reliever. He (along with Fedde) was instrumental in the Nats stretch run climb into the playoffs, during which he filled in well as a starter.
Good luck to him in SF.
Okay where is that closet GM-wanna-be 27champsYankees, he’s late on commenting THIS Giants acquisition.
WTH!
Don’t feed the trolls.
Yes, Virginia, we all need to ignore it. Obviously, it only posts to get reactions
It posts on Giants news? And it’s a Yankees fan? Only one reason. Problem is that my post here just fed it. Like gfan says, don’t feed the trolls.