The Giants went into last offseason in a desperate search for bullpen help.
After blowing 32 saves during a nightmarish 2016 season, general manager Bobby Evans attacked the free agent market, locking up closer Mark Melancon on a four-year, $62 million deal to help seal up San Francisco’s ninth inning leaks.
While Evans had a full winter to scour the market for relief pitchers, two players the Giants ended up adding to their 25-man roster during the 2017 season have provided immense help to a bullpen that ranks 15th in the Major Leagues with a 4.07 earned run average.
Over the past month, rookie Kyle Crick and former Texas Rangers’ closer Sam Dyson have become two of the most consistent relievers for San Francisco, earning high praise from manager Bruce Bochy.
With Melancon on the disabled list for the second time this season, Dyson slid into the closer’s role at the beginning of July, and has quietly racked up five saves in five opportunities during Melancon’s absence.
On Tuesday evening, Dyson earned his first victory with the Giants after throwing two scoreless innings against the Cleveland Indians in which the right-hander did not allow a hit.
“Wow, he’s done a really nice job, hasn’t he?” Bochy said after the Giants’ walkoff win. “You know, he’s got great stuff. You look at his body of work last year, really in the Major Leagues. He’s used to pitching in high leverage situations, he’s got the stuff to do it. A good, hard, sinking fastball, great movement on his pitches. A hard breaking ball, a changeup, he’s got poise that you like from a closer.”
Dyson converted 38-of-43 save opportunities for the Rangers last season, but in his first 17 appearances this year, Dyson completely lost his way. Dyson had one of the worst stretches of any pitcher in baseball during the first two months of the season, as his ERA ballooned to 10.80 after he failed to convert any of his four save opportunities.
After being removed from the closer’s role in Texas, Dyson continued to suffer, leading the Rangers to designate him for assignment in late May. Even though the Giants already had Melancon on the roster and were struggling to create up save opportunities, the Giants worked out a trade with Texas, and helped Dyson rediscover his command in San Francisco.
Dyson’s presence has been especially important given Melancon’s absence, which has also allowed a number of other relievers to pitch in more high-leverage situations. Right-hander Hunter Strickland has been steady in a set-up role, dropping his ERA to 1.85, which now ranks 10th among all National League relievers. Cory Gearrin has posted an ERA of 2.22 this year, a full 1.5 points below his career mark of 3.74. Perhaps the most surprising player to ascend in the Giants’ bullpen, though, is Crick, who began the season with AAA Sacramento.
After being selected by the Giants out of high school in the first round of Major League Baseball’s 2011 draft, Crick worked his way through the organization as a starter, at one point earning the franchise’s top prospect designation and drawing comparisons to Matt Cain because of his live fastball. However, Crick’s control remained a significant issue for much of his Minor League career, and he wound up repeating the AA level in three straight seasons.
In 2016, Crick’s earned run average skyrocketed above 5.00, which undoubtedly tested the Giants’ patience given the fact he remained on the 40-man roster. This offseason, though, general manager Bobby Evans approached Crick about moving to the bullpen, and he was receptive to the idea.
Instead of starting the year with AA Richmond, Crick worked as a reliever for AAA Sacramento, and recorded a 2.76 earned run average in 24 appearances with the River Cats. Then, after a mid-June implosion by righty Derek Law, the Giants optioned Law to AAA and gave Crick his first Major League opportunity.
Since joining the big league club, Crick has weathered his ups and downs, but lately, he’s enjoyed an extended high. Over his past six appearances, the Texas native has totaled seven innings and surrendered just a lone run.
“His (Crick) command has gotten so much better over the last year I would say,” Bochy said. “I thought he looked good this spring and he carried that into Sacramento and he’s brought it up here. The command not just of the fastball, he’s always had a big fastball, a live fastball, it’s a swing and miss fastball. It’s been fun to watch how his secondary pitches have come along and he’ll throw a changeup too.”
On Thursday evening, Crick appeared against the Padres, and turned more than a few heads when he blew a 97-mile per hour fastball past San Diego outfielder Jabari Blash for a strikeout. Though the fastball is still Crick’s bread, butter, salad and main course as well, Bochy has been pleasantly surprised by a few of the other offerings Crick has concocted that may have started the year on the back burner.
“He’ll (Crick) throw his breaking ball behind in the count and get back even, use his changeup and he’s become more of a complete pitcher,” Bochy said. “He’s one of those players we had to be patient on and we’re being rewarded just like he is.”
On Friday, Bochy did have positive news regarding the closer who signed what was at the time the largest contract ever for a Major League reliever, as Melancon has begun throwing off the mound.
“He (Melancon) threw off the mound yesterday, 20 pitches or so,” Bochy said. “So the progression is starting to pick up here a little bit. He said it felt good. So he was very encouraged with where it felt yesterday.”
Melancon has battled elbow trouble this year, and has also struggled through one of the most trying seasons of his career. However, Melancon remains hopeful he’ll be able to return to full health shortly, and Bochy said the Giants would like him to be back from the disabled list sometime around the end of the month.
With Melancon down, Dyson’s experience as a closer made him an easy choice to slide into a coveted bullpen role. But after an impressive stretch from Crick, the former Rangers’ closer isn’t the only Giants’ reliever who could earn more high-leverage opportunities in the coming months.
“It’s one of those cases where you know, guys earn that,” Bochy said. “He’s (Crick) throwing the ball, he’s earning a little bigger role. Plus, when guys need a break, George Kontos will be off today for example, I need to give him a day so even though he threw a few pitches. Crick is available today, so we could use him in the sixth or seventh along with a lefty.”