Guardians reliever heading to the San Francisco Giants

Four-year MLB veteran Hentges has tossed 206.2 innings across 168 games for the Cleveland Guardians in his career.

The left-hander missed the entire 2025 MLB season while he recovered from shoulder and knee surgery, which came at a bad time, as he posted a 3.04 ERA with 27 strikeouts and five walks across 23.2 innings of work in the 2024 campaign.

Since making the move to a full-time role in 2022, Hentges has logged a 2.93 ERA in 138 appearances.

In fact, 2022 was Hentges’ best season, when he went 3-2 with a 2.32 ERA in 62 innings across 57 appearances while logging a career-best 1.3 WAR.

His arrival gives the Giants options within their bullpen, with Hentges joining fellow left-handed pitchers Erik Miller, Matt Gage and Reiver Sanmartin as the Giants’ back-end southpaw options heading into the upcoming MLB season.

The Giants’ bullpen is still seen as a work-in-progress since they traded Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees at last year’s trade deadline. Ryan Walker did lead the way with 17 saves, but he also finished the year with 4.11 ERA. 

Hentges was drafted by the Guardians (then the Indians) in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. After starring in the minor leagues, he transitioned to a full-time relief role in MLB, where he established himself as a reliable bullpen arm.

However, Hentges hasn’t pitched in a game since July 2024. Despite this, the team's decision to non-tender the veteran was seen as a surprise, given that they had tendered his contract last year, fully aware that he would miss the entire season.

Since then, his role has been filled by fellow lefties, Tim Herrin and Erik Sabrowski.

Despite the options that the Giants now have, the arrival of Hentges certainly makes things more interesting for them, and if he stays healthy, he could be more of an option than Miller, Gage and Sanmartin.