Former San Francisco Giants Reliever Designated for Assignment Again

A San Francisco Giants that made just one appearance with the team this season is heading for the waiver wire once again.

Jul 26, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Mike Baumann (54) pitches during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. / Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Baumann’s time with the San Francisco Giants was brief. And, now, he’s heading back to the open market.

The Los Angeles Angels designated him the right-handed reliever for assignment on Friday night, per the MLB transactions wire. The Angels made the move to call up reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Baumann landed with the Giants on July 22 in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. He pitched just one game for the Giants on July 26 against Colorado, as he gave up three hits and two earned runs in less than an inning.

The Giants DFA’ed him the next day and it was the third time this season he was designated for assignment.

Since leaving the Giants he’s pitched in 10 games for the Angels and had a 6.75 ERA with seven strikeouts and four walks in 9.1 innings.

Now that he’s heading for waivers, other MLB teams will have an opportunity to claim him. But because he is over the two-year service time threshold he will have to be placed on a 40-man roster.

The advantage for a team that picks him up is that he is still a pre-arbitration player, so that team would control his rights for 2025.

Baumann started the season with the Baltimore Orioles and turned in a solid performance, as he went 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 appearances. He struck out 16 and walked nine in 18.1 innings.

But, in spite of an exceptional start to the season and an incredible 2023, he was caught in a roster crunch when starter Grayson Rodriguez returned from the 15-day injured list.

To make room for Rodriguez, the O’s DFA’ed Baumann on May 18, hoping he might clear waivers and give Baltimore a chance to re-sign him and assignment him to the minors.

It didn’t work. Seattle claimed him and worked out a trade, sending Baumann catcher Michael Perez to the Mariners for catcher Blake Ford.

That trigger Baumann’s itinerant summer, as the Mariners DFA’ed him on July 19. Again, he didn’t clear waivers and the Mariners traded him to the Giants.

The Giants did the same, dealing him to the Angels.

In his four MLB seasons he is 15-5 with a 4.80 ERA with 129 strikeouts and 69 walks in 153.2 innings. His best season was in 2023 when the Orioles won the American League East. He went 10-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 60 appearances. He struck out 61 and walked 33 in 64.2 innings.

After three years with Jacksonville University, the Orioles made the Mahtomedi, Minn., native their third-round pick in 2017. He made his MLB debut in 2021.