The Giants announced Thursday that right-handed reliever Randy Rodriguez has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. Fellow righty Daulton Jefferies was optioned to Sacramento in his place. It’ll be Rodriguez’s MLB debut if he gets into a game.
Rodriguez, 24, is out to a terrific start in Sacramento, tossing 10 2/3 innings and yielding only a pair of runs on seven hits and four walks with 10 strikeouts. He entered the 2024 season ranked 11th among Giants prospects at FanGraphs and 28th at MLB.com. Both outlets praise him as a potential big league reliever, with FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice being a bit more bullish on Rodriguez’s athleticism improving his chances of eventually improving currently shaky command.
Rodriguez misses plenty of bats with an upper-90s heater and hard slider, but he also walked 14% of his Double-A opponents last year and turned in a mammoth 20.7% walk rate in a sample of 37 2/3 innings following a move to Triple-A. He’s more than halved that walk rate in his first 10 appearances of the ’24 season (9.5%). That’s an encouraging trend, particularly since Rodriguez’s window to hone his command and cement himself as a big leaguer is dwindling — despite only just being called up for his debut. The Giants selected him to the 40-man roster following the 2021 season, meaning Rodriguez is already in the last of three minor league option years. He’ll be out of options in 2025.
Overall, Rodriguez has a 3.75 ERA in 261 2/3 minor league innings, but nearly all of his success has come at the Low-A, High-A and Double-A levels. This early stretch in 2024 is his first run of success in Triple-A. He’ll give the Giants a fresh arm following a bullpen game that saw them use five different pitchers to get through eight innings in a road loss to the Red Sox.
Giants must be evaluating who is worth investing more time between rodriquez and Jefferies – Jefferies has proven to be a batting practice pitcher in MLB thus far.
The real pitcher awaiting their time is Mason Black (26.1 IP 29K 8BB 1.01 ERA) he is a legit starter in wait.
He seems to walk a lot of guys. That’s almost the same as a hard hits in my book. Dodgers would eat this kid alive. He’d have a 50ERA and wouldn’t even make it past the 1st inning
If you are talking about Rodriquez he is a reliever but yes he walks alot last season 37 IP and 37 BB
If you are talking about Black he has some control issues but this year he has toned down his walk rate but it is no where near rodriquez awful rate.
Also Dodgers can beatdown many elite pitchers so that is not a team to judge a pitcher on
It just proves it’s almost pointless to bring up Rodriguez if he’d be utterly useless right now. Give him another year or two to double down on the command
Did you not read the article? It says that Rodriguez halved his walk rate since his promotion to AAA. Sure, 10 appearances. is a small sample, but it certainly doesn’t say he needs another year or two in the MiLs. That’s a huge exaggeration.. Plus, it’s also who is better to have in the Giants’ pen, Jefferies, or Rodriguez. After watching Jefferies in his feckless outings, it’s clearly Rodriguez.
his 37 BB with 37IP was in AAA….if he halved it, then his walking is a much bigger issue
Admittedly, I misunderstood the article. I missed that he pitched at AAA in both 2022, and 2023. But the numbers you cite are not the halved numbers. Those 37 BB in 37.2 IP, was from 2023. AND, counting 2022, it’s actually 48 BB, in 43.2 IP.
The 10 appearances where he’s halved his walk numbers that I quoted from the article are from 2024. In those appearances he’s walked 4 in 10.2 IP. And he is moving in the right direction. In 2022 his BB/9 (in a small sample of 6.0 IP) was 16.5. In 2023 it was 8.8. And this season it’s 3.4.
So what is this Rodriguez’s Rod nickname? RanRod?
Best of luck to him!
his nick name is “FREE PASS” Rodriguez to hitters
Team RanRod!
How can a player be “recalled” when he hasn’t yet been in the major leagues? I know, I know, he was on the 40-man and optioned, so technically he is recalled, but to me it is an oxymoron.
all players are ‘optioned’ at the beginning of the year if they dont make the roster out of spring, so anyone who started the year on the 40 man would be technically recalled to make an appearance
Thats a great name, I wish him well.
RanRod!!
I hope he does well. One bad outing and back down you go it seems
The Giants are hard to watch this season. Can’t score runs and poor relief.If the starter falters it’s game over.
I’m hoping we don’t even get to see him today. How about they score some runs and they don’t have to get too deep into the bullpen at all. Sorry Randy, but not really excited to see last relief options..
The Giants need to DFA Slater and Hjelle, and as soon as Yaz inevitably hits the IL, dump him. Time to inject some youth and speed into this sleepy lineup.
whoa hold up, Slater does not have a track record of hitting even low .200s
he needs more time to get on track-he earned it the time if by June then maybe its on him or is it hitting coach for dramatic downturn
This is Slater’s 8 season with the Giants and in that time he has a .254 avg. He is who he is… a .250 avg hitter who is on the wrong side of 30 (31). I’m not sure why other Giants fan love him so much, I’ve enjoyed watching him over the years but it’s guys like this that the Giants hold on to for too long! .We have 7 OF on the 40 man (including Ramos, Matos, Meckler) Give 24 yr old Ramos another chance, he’s tearing it up right now. Granted this would probably be Ramos’ last shot with the Giants but give it to him! We also have Late Night that can move to OF in an emergency, if Lee, Conforto, Ramos, Matos, Meckler, or Yaz can’t do it.
RAMOS???!! We talkin’ about Ramos?! c’mon Ramos only hits when its practice, you know AAA practice, not the actual MLB games.
Yes I know, even I thought RAMOS? But then I looked at the Data…. and he got the Bart treatment more than I realized & I could argue he hasn’t had a fair shot yet.
In ’22 he was called up 4 different times, never getting more than 7 AB’s in any of those 4 call ups.. In ’23 he was called up 3 times with 26 AB’s the most in any call up, Getting an AB in only 23 total games and in 7 of those games he only got 1 AB, how was he supposed to get into any rhythm, especially when Kap would either pitch hit him (7 games) & 2 AB’s in 5 games, That’s only 11 games in 2023 that he got 3/4 AB’s
There is also an argument he never performed well enough in AAA to deserve a decent shot. Going well now though. I’d have him as next in the outfield line.
I’m not sure he would find any consistency if brought up as a 4th outfielder. Still young though so need to give him at least one long look. Conforto will probably move on after this year, so will need to continue the different left field new season starter curse at least.
Unless Conforto turns it around, he won’t be missed. He’s got 3 hits in his last 18 ABs. His .259/.303/.446, .749 OPS doesn’t look terrible, but just a couple weeks ago he was hitting .298/.355/.596, .951 OPS. Since 4/15 he has more SOs than hits. He’s struck out 15 times and gone 12 for 59 for a BA of .203. He’s been brutal.
Since 4/15, Yastrzemski, by comparison, has gone 11 for 34 for a .324 BA, and has out-homered Conforto 3 to 1. I’d be fine with the Giants sitting Conforto for a while and letting Ramos, or Matos get some playing time.
The more I watch this Team the more I see that it’s just pipe dream that we will compete this year
There are so many good teams out there and we simply can’t compete right now
So yes let’s bring up the youth and get ready for 2025
i’m tired of hearing the announcers and BoMel saying of so many players
“ he’s finally getting his timing right and it’s all gonna come together soon “
Bailey Winn Harrison Loupp Miller Fitzgerald. Teng got a look. Now Randy gets a go.
They aren’t exactly ignoring their youth.
Miller is a stud.
I think he’ll stick awhile.
Yeah. Finding some consistency. Looks good.
There was a guy here in the second half of last year who did a great impression of Millers mom. Miller was relatively unknown to me at that stage. The poster was onto something.
and who knows
Rookies could all come together mixed with our strong vets – and have this great young team in this year’s stretch like the Diamondbacks did last year and make a run for it
Bauer better
That was three years ago and with sticky fingers Mr. Dead Primate.
And also now.
I’m absolutely positive that that horse is dead, and has been for awhile. Your continuing to whip it is a useless endeavor on your part.
Maybe dead apes ride dead horses in perpetuity ?
Time to DFA Jeffries. His stuff was too hittable the first time up and yesterday wasn’t much different. Bring up Mason Black for the next spot start. “Blake Snell’s spot” in the rotation is 0-6. Otherwise this team is 15-11. If they get a solid starter in that spot, this is a playoff team, bad offense and all.
They just need Blake Snell to turn into Blake Snell for the rest of the year.
He’s the “solid starter” they went out and got. Pitching is not the problem here.
Consistent run production is the problem.
“Pitching is not the problem here.
Consistent run production is the problem.”
IMO you got that half right. I’d say starting pitching has definitely not been the problem, but relief pitching has. This season so far, the starters are ranked 6th in WAR in MLB, and 4th in the NL. The relievers rank 27th in MLB, and next to last in the NL. I do agree about consistent run production not being close to what it should be.
Once Snell gets on track and Winn goes to long relief the pen will get better. I think the relief guys are struggling trying to fill in that void in the rotation. Hard hit balls right to the defense will hopefully start finding some holes. That issue blows my mind.
Half right again…
We need Cobb back as well.
It will be interesting to see if he can replace Winn in the rotation.
I agree that Winn should elevate the relief core. But even with Snell they’ll still have only 5 starters. Winn has been good as a starter, and it will be somewhat disappointing to see when he does get demoted to the pen.
Cobb is only a few weeks away. and it will be interesting to see who comes back first between him and Snell. If/when Ray returns it will also be interesting to see how the Giants handle 6+ SPs. Of course, that’s assuming everyone stays healthy. Probably not going to happen.
Early on I thought by the time Ray was ready Hicks would probably be ready to go back to bullpen work. Now I have serious doubts. Hicks is transitioning well, but would also solidify the bullpen. Great problem to have really. Looking forward the rotation will be good for years if they play their cards right.
Can he rake?