SF Giants reshuffle trade deadline acquisition, place on IL

The SF Giants reversed a recent decision to option trade deadline addition Mark Mathias, placing him on the injured list instead.

Marc Delucchi | Aug 18, 2023

SF Giants reshuffle trade deadline acquisition, place on IL /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants reversed a decision to option infielder Mark Mathias to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday and placed him on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. He had been optioned to clear a spot on the roster for Johan Camargo earlier this week. By doing this, the Giants keep Mathias from counting against the total number of minor-league players in the organization, making it slightly easier to stay within the current 180-player cap. While Mathias is obviously not available to manager Gabe Kapler, he will receive a pro-rated MLB salary during his IL stint since he is now on the big-league roster.

SF Giants second baseman Mark Mathias hits a two-run RBI single against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. (2023) — SF Giants 2B Mark Mathias hits a two-run RBI single against the Angels. (2023) / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Mathias was acquired by the Giants at the trade deadline in a deal with the Seattle Mariners. He was unable to capitalize on a short MLB stint with the team, going 2-for-10 with four strikeouts and zero walks across five games. Granted, he did record a clutch two-run single in extra innings against the Angels.

Born in Santa Clara, California, Mathias was drafted in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Cal Poly by the Cleveland Guardians. A soft-hitting versatile defender, Mathias climbed Cleveland's minor-league ranks before he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers following the 2019 season. In 2020, Mathias made his MLB debut with the Brew Crew.

After receiving just 53 big-league plate appearances with Milwaukee, Mathias was traded to the Texas Rangers in a package for Matt Bush. In Texas, Mathias hit .277/.365/.554 with three doubles and five home runs in 74 plate appearances. Heading into this season, Mathias seemed like a solid candidate to find a bench role for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy but instead was traded to the Pirates for a minor-league pitcher.

Mathias hit just .231/.355/.269 in 62 plate appearances with the Pirates, although he did walk (10) nearly as much as he struck out (11) and was designated for assignment. He was claimed off waivers by the Mariners, where he played at Triple-A before he was dealt to the SF Giants alongside outfielder A.J. Pollock.

Published Aug 18, 2023

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).