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SF Giants claim former Mariners reliever off waivers from Athletics

The SF Giants have claimed former Seattle Mariners reliever Devin Sweet off waivers from the Oakland Athletics, per a team press release.

Marc Delucchi

SF Giants claim former Mariners reliever off waivers from Athletics
SF Giants claim former Mariners reliever off waivers from Athletics /
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The SF Giants have claimed right-handed relief pitcher Devin Sweet off waivers from the Oakland Athletics, per a team press release. Sweet made his big-league debut earlier this season with the Seattle Mariners and posted a 10.38 ERA in seven MLB games between stints with the A's and Mariners. Despite some impressive minor-league numbers, the A's decided to designate the 27-year-old for assignment.

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Devin Sweet makes his MLB debut and pitches to the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. (2023)
Seattle Mariners reliever Devin Sweet makes his MLB debut against the Twins. (2023) / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Sweet was signed as a nondrafted free agent by the Mariners out of North Carolina Central back in 2018. In his first full pro season (2019), Sweet was excellent between Single-A and High-A, recording a 2.76 ERA with 152 strikeouts and just 27 walks in 127.1 innings pitched (34 games). However, he was unable to replicate that success in more prolonged outings since reaching the upper minors.

After struggling to post an ERA south of 5.00 in the hitter-friendly Texas League from 2021-22, Sweet finally took a step forward in 2023. Sweet made 27 appearances with the Mariners Double-A affiliate, racking up 47 strikeouts against eight walks with a 1.54 ERA in 35 innings pitched before he was promoted to Triple-A. Sweet posted a 2.57 ERA in seven Triple-A appearances with the Mariners and received his first-career big-league call up. However, he allowed a pair of runs in two appearances.

The A's claimed Sweet off waivers when he was designated for assignment at the end of August. Sweet made five appearances with the A's and two at Triple-A, he was relatively ineffective at both levels. Granted, there are some obvious small-sample size caveats.

The 5'11'' Sweet has a uniquely deep arsenal for a reliever, utilizing a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. He is also a rare reliever who pitches out of a traditional windup. None of his offerings were especially effective in his short big-league stints, but he has also been comfortable throwing all three of his pitches in any count. 

The SF Giants presumably would like to see if he can take another step forward working with their pitching coaches next season. Of course, he would have to remain in the organization, which may be unlikely given Farhan Zaidi's usual roster churn at the back of the 40-man roster. Still, if Devin Sweet remains with the team, he will likely spend 2024 looking for another MLB opportunity at Triple-A Sacramento.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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