Giants Add Left-Handed Reliever Sam Hentges on One-Year Deal

The San Francisco Giants are making a bet on upside, agreeing to a one-year contract with left-handed reliever Sam Hentges worth $1.4 million, according to MLB insider Robert Murray. For a club seeking affordable bullpen depth, the move indicates a classic buy-low opportunity on a pitcher who has high-leverage experience.

Hentges, 29, is coming off a difficult two-year stretch defined almost entirely by injuries. Yet before his health began to unravel, he had quietly developed into one of Cleveland’s most reliable relief arms. Between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the lefty logged 114 1/3 innings while limiting opponents to a 2.91 ERA. His blend of power and deception translated into a 27.4% strikeout rate, and he kept traffic manageable thanks to a walk rate that hovered slightly better than league average.

The Guardians continued relying on him early in 2024, and he appeared on track for another strong season after delivering a 3.04 ERA in 23 2/3 innings. But his momentum abruptly stopped in July when he landed on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. After attempts to rest and rehab failed to resolve the issue, Hentges underwent surgery in September, a procedure expected to sideline him for 12 to 14 months.

Those complications lingered into 2025. Not only was he unable to return to the major-league mound, but he did not start a rehab assignment at any point. His year took another turn in September, when he required arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, carrying an additional recovery window of three to four months.

Cleveland, uncertain about his path back and facing a roster crunch, non-tendered him at the deadline. That decision pushed Hentges into free agency, where the Giants saw an opening to take a calculated gamble.

San Francisco’s hope is rather straightforward: if Hentges returns to anything close to the pitcher he was before the shoulder issues, they could end up with a very valuable arm in the middle or late innings at minimal cost. And with both surgeries putting him on track to be healthy by spring training, the Giants believe this is the right time to take the shot.