The San Francisco Giants placed left-handed relievers Tyler Matzek and Taylor Rogers and infielder Thairo Estrada on waivers on Wednesday, a league source said The athleteKen Rosenthal. The move makes them available to any team that wants to claim them and pay the prorated remainder of their respective 2024 salaries. Rogers also has a guaranteed salary for 2025 that would become the responsibility of any team that claims him.
Matzek, acquired in the Jorge Soler trade last month, has yet to throw a pitch in a Giants uniform (he’s currently on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento), but the 28-year-old Estrada was the second baseman on Opening Day and was under the team’s control through 2026. According to Baseball Savant’s Outs Above Average, Estrada has been one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball over the past two seasons. However, he’s struggled mightily at the plate this season, with a .246 on-base percentage and some of the worst chase rates in baseball.
Although Estrada has been irrevocably placed on the waivers list, he can still play for the Giants unless he is claimed. The claiming team would owe him the roughly $850,000 he is owed for the rest of the season, which could be high enough to scare off some teams. It’s possible he stays with the Giants, but if you’re looking for an indication of whether the Giants planned to offer Estrada arbitration this offseason, this move strongly suggests that’s unlikely.
Just 15 months ago, Estrada seemed to be in the organization’s long-term plans, a young player with Gold Glove-level defense and a .942 OPS in mid-May. After that peak, he hit just .245 with a .286 OBP, and his numbers have dropped even further this year. The Giants have given Marco Luciano innings at second base in Sacramento this season, and both Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely are also candidates for some of Estrada’s at-bats if he is signed.
Rogers, on the other hand, is having a very strong season with a 2.45 ERA and above-average strikeout and walk rates. The 33-year-old is due around $2.15 million this season and $12 million in 2025, which is not an unreasonable commitment for a contender if it means he gets a late-inning pitcher in the postseason. Rogers’ twin brother Tyler is currently the Giants’ setup man.
On Tuesday, the Giants lost two key members of their pitching staff to the injured list, as left-hander Robbie Ray (hamstring tightness) and right-hander Jordan Hicks (right shoulder soreness) were both placed on the 15-day IL. Going into Game 2 of their series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, the Giants were 67-66 and 5 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot.
(Photo by Thairo Estrada: Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)
