The Giants are hoping history doesn’t repeat itself with Trevor Rosenthal.
On Thursday, the franchise signed the right-hander for the rest of the season “at a rate of $4.5 million” and placed him on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, where he’s expected to remain until mid-August. San Francisco outlined the financial details of the contract in a press release, as Rosenthal can make an additional $1 million based on games played and and games finished.
Rosenthal can make an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for games pitched at the Major League level in 2022: $50,000 each for 15 and 18 games pitched; $150,000 for 23 games pitched; $200,000 for 28 games pitched; $250,000 for 33 games pitched; and $300,000 for 38 games pitched. He can also earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for games finished at the Major League level in 2022: $100,000 for 12 games finished; $150,000 for 15 games finished; $250,000 each for 18, 21 and 24 games finished.
The Giants had 71 games remaining when Rosenthal signed his contract, bringing his prorated salary to about $1.97 million. Given their deep pockets, this is a low-risk, high-reward deal.
Rosenthal, 32, missed all of 2021 for the A’s after signing a one-year deal with salary deferred over three seasons. It's worth noting he also underwent Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2018 campaign.
Oakland hoped he would be its closer to anchor a veteran-laden bullpen, but he never threw a pitch for the A’s as he underwent two surgeries, one for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and another for a torn labrum in his right hip. The A’s paid Rosenthal $3 million in 2021, are paying him $3 million this year and another $5 million in 2023.
“Obviously, the Bay Area can’t get rid of me!” Rosenthal told The Chronicle’s Susan Slusser. “And that’s good, I love it there. I’m really excited about what’s ahead. It’s going to be great to show what I can do.”
The last time he was on the mound, Rosenthal shined as a ninth-inning option, recording a 1.90 ERA in 23 appearances during the 60-game season in 2020. Rosenthal resurrected his career that year with the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres – ranking in the top 1 percentile for fastball velocity, strikeout rate, expected ERA and expected batting average against. Obviously, if the Giants get anything like 2020 Rosenthal for the stretch run they’d be ecstatic.
"Trevor is just health away from being one of the more effective closers in the game," manager Gabe Kapler said, via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. "Obviously it's been some time and he hasn't been on the mound in a while, but the talent hasn't gone anywhere. It's an electric arm and a physical, strong body. There's a lot of potential to really make an impact for us in the second half."
For now, Rosenthal is throwing bullpens in Arizona, though he could be making a rehab assignment in the coming weeks. The Giants could use another power arm to compliment Camilo Doval. San Francisco ranks 23rd in the league with a 4.25 bullpen ERA and the group’s 7.82 K/9 rate is the second-worst in baseball.
