The Giants’ bullpen for the upcoming season came into clearer view Monday in two moves announced in quick succession.
The club signed right-hander Luke Jackson to a two-year deal worth $11.5 million with a club option for 2025 in what is likely to be the final major addition to the group. And San Francisco also swung a trade that sent Yunior Marte to Philadelphia for 24-year-old left-hander Erik Miller, a 2019 fourth-round pick out of Stanford.
Jackson, 31, missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he appeared in a career-high 71 games with a career-best 1.98 ERA while helping Atlanta to a World Series title in 2021. In seven major-league seasons, he has a 4.24 ERA in 253 appearances, including 77 games finished and 19 saves.
Jackson will earn $3 million in 2023 and $6.5 million in 2024, with $2 million buyout or $7 million club option in 2025, which can escalate to up to $10.5 million depending on the number of games he finishes in 2024 ($500,000 each for 30, 35, 40 and 45 games finished and $750,000 each for 50 and 55 games finished).
The Giants had been seeking to add one more arm to a mix that already included lefties Taylor Rogers (who signed a three-year, $33 million deal earlier this offseason) and Scott Alexander, and righties Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, John Brebbia and Jakob Junis. With six starters on the roster, Alex Wood or Anthony DeSclafani could also see time in relief.
It’s not clear, however, if Jackson will be ready for Opening Day.
His operation was performed last April 13, or about two weeks shy of a year to the day when the Giants open the season at Yankee Stadium on March 29. It typically takes pitchers 12-15 months to recovery from Tommy John surgery.
Jackson was teammates with Joc Pederson in Atlanta, and was one of two players, along with Ian Anderson, to present him his ring in an on-field ceremony during the Giants’ trip to Atlanta last season.
Miller, rated the Phillies’ No. 7 prospect by MLB.com, will likely start the year at Triple-A.
In 48 career minor-league games — 19 starts — Miller has a 2.51 ERA. But he has made only 10 appearances above Double-A, with a 7.50 ERA last season.
Marte, 27, made his major-league debut with the Giants last season, appearing in 39 games with a 5.77 ERA. He signed with San Francisco as a minor-league free agent before the 2021 season after seven years in Kansas City’s minor-league system. In 260 minor-league appearances, he has a 3.79 ERA, including a 3.39 mark in 68 games with Sacramento the past two seasons.
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