Gregory Santos elected free agency Wednesday after the Giants tried to send him outright to Triple-A Sacramento, removing another arm from San Francisco’s bullpen depth.
The right-hander made just three appearances for the Giants this season, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He allowed two earned runs on five hits across five innings, striking out one.
That limited sample tells only part of Santos’ story.
The 26-year-old showed real promise in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox, throwing 66.1 innings and demonstrating the stuff that’s kept teams interested. But injuries keep derailing his progress.
Santos underwent surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee in 2024, the latest in a series of health issues that have defined his career. He’s been a professional since 2016 when he debuted in Boston’s Dominican Summer League, but he’s thrown just 347 1/3 professional innings in nearly a decade.
“There’s a clearly talented arm under that pile of injuries, as Santos’ terrific 2023 season illustrates. However, he made his professional debut with Boston’s Dominican Summer League club all the way back in 2016 but still has only 347 1/3 professional innings under his belt due to myriad health troubles.”
Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors captured the Santos dilemma perfectly there. The talent’s real – teams have stuck with him through multiple organizations for a reason.
Now Santos is free to sign anywhere. Some club will likely take a flyer on that arm, hoping to finally unlock what he showed in Chicago.
For the Giants, it’s another hole to fill in their bullpen plans. They’re losing depth pieces while trying to build something sustainable for 2025.
