The San Francisco Giants have placed left-handed relievers Tyler Matzek and Taylor Rogers and infielder Thairo Estrada on waivers.
According to The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal, all three are now available for any team that is willing to both claim them and pay the prorated remainder of what they are still owed for their 2024 salaries. Additionally, Rogers also has one year remaining on his three-year contract. He is due $12 million for the 2025 season. Anyone claiming the former Kentucky Wildcats pitcher will then take on the responsibility for paying him for the rest of this season and next season. What happens to Rogers’ $60,000 donation to the Giants Community Fund is unknown at this time.
According to @Ken_Rosenthal, Thairo Estrada, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Matzek are on waivers; anyone can claim them and pay the remainder of their salary. Not unusual this time of year, but Estrada could be of interest to contenders.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 28, 2024
SF Giants Place Matzek, Rogers, and Estrada on Waivers
The Giants acquired Matzek last month from the Atlanta Braves when they traded Luke Jackson and Jorge Soler. He’s yet to pitch for Giants at the major league level and his last Braves appearance came on May 4. At the moment, he is on a rehab assignment for their Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento. Matzek’s current contract expires at the end of the season but there is a $5.5 million team option for the 2025 season.
Defensively speaking, Estrada is doing a solid job this season as the Giants’ second baseman. They named him their Opening Day starter. His skills at the plate could use some improvement, which certainly explains why they placed him on irrevocable waivers. It’s unfortunate for a player who many saw to be in the team’s long-term plans. The Giants have signed him through the end of the 2024 season and he is eligible for arbitration in 2025. Any team that claims him would have to pay the remaining $850,000 for the year. Estrada is currently under team control through the 2026 season. At this rate, it is highly unlikely that the Giants will offer him arbitration for next season.
Any team wishing to have a player playing for them in the postseason must have them in their organization by August 31. This includes both the 40-man roster and the 60-day injured list. Among the trio, Rogers seems like the most likely player that a team would claim off of waivers from the Giants. In addition to $12 million for 2025, the claiming team would have to pay $2.15 million for the rest of this year. His pitching would provide great value to any team looking for a late-inning reliever. He has appeared in over 50 games with a 2.45 ERA, throwing 59 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings pitched.
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