Monday BP: Giants sign Stephen Piscotty to Minor League deal

Feb 6, 2023 - 5:54 PM

Say what you will about the San Francisco Giants, but there is one thing they are unquestionably the best in the league at: signing local players. No one does it better than the Giants, who have once again dipped into the local market. According to a report from Robert Murray, the Giants have signed outfielder Stephen Piscotty, who is the holy quaternity of local: born in Pleasanton, played high school ball at Amador Valley High School, played college ball at Stanford, and played professionally for the Oakland A’s.

It’s a Minor League deal for Piscotty, and if you’ve followed his career closely, you’ll know why: because he hasn’t been good in a while. He’s a bat-first corner outfielder who hasn’t had a good offensive season since 2018. The last three years have been particularly rough, as the right-handed hitter has slashed just .214/.270/.352 (75 OPS+) with 149 strikeouts in 498 plate appearances.

But Piscotty, who is 32 and has played almost exclusively in right field in his career, does have a few strong seasons in his past, so it’s easy to see the Giants interest in him as a reclamation project and AAA depth piece.

According to Murray’s report, the Minor League deal will pay Piscotty $1 million if he makes the team. It’s unclear if the deal includes opt outs if he doesn’t.

Either way, it’s another local to root for, and we know how much the Giants love those.