The Giants have talked all spring about how much uncertainty there is around rotations in 2021 since most pitchers got to about a third of their usual innings count last season. They continue to load up on options, and on Tuesday they reportedly added a player who is pretty familiar to baseball fans and very familiar to president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Giants are in agreement on a minor league deal with 37-year-old lefty Scott Kazmir, who last pitched in the big leagues in 2016. Kazmir will be the 20th pitcher to come to Giants camp as a non-roster invitee and about half of that group has recent starting experience.
Kazmir has spent 12 previous seasons in the big leagues, including two with the A's, where he overlapped with Zaidi.
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He's a three-time All-Star who once led the American League in strikeouts, although that was 14 years ago. Kazmir made his debut with the Rays in 2004 and was one of the AL's most consistent starters for a few years, but he had trouble staying healthy over the second half of his career.
Kazmir last pitched five years ago for Zaidi's Dodgers, posting a 4.56 ERA and 4.48 FIP in 26 starts. He missed the entire 2017 season with injuries and then was dealt to the Braves that December in the trade that brought Matt Kemp back to Los Angeles.
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The Braves released Kazmir in the spring of 2018, although he has popped up a few places since. He recently threw a showcase that went well.
The Giants have a full rotation and might even have their Triple-A rotation set at this point, but they have continued to stockpile starters, knowing they might hit the double-digits at the big league level this season. Kazmir joins Aaron Sanchez, Nick Tropeano and Shun Yamaguchi as recent additions.
