Following Saturday’s 7-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants made a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. They acquired pitcher Mitch White for monetary considerations. Alex Cobb was placed on the 60-day injured list in a similar move, according to the team’s transaction record.
In a trade with the Blue Jays, the San Francisco Giants get a pitcher with Bay Area links.
White was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays last week, so his time on the waiver wire is up. The addition checks off a lot of boxes that the Giants normally look for when making waiver wire moves, including prior links to the front office and growing up in the Bay Area.
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected White in the second round of the 2016 draft from Santa Clara University. Farhan Zaidi was the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the time, so the two had a history together.
Of course, White grew up in San Jose and went to Bellarmine College Preparatory before entering Santa Clara University.
The right-handed pitcher has a 3.91 ERA during seven minor league seasons, but his ERA has risen to 5.04 in four seasons at Triple-A. He has also appeared in the majors for parts of four seasons, posting a 4.99 ERA with a respectable 3.96 FIP.
On the mound, White possesses a starter’s arsenal, despite spending more time in the bullpen in recent seasons. He throws a mid-90s four-seam fastball plus a slider, sweeper, curveball, and the odd sinker.
Alex Cobb, on the other end of the exchange, is placed on the 60-day injured reserve list. This move is retroactive to the beginning of the season, so he can still return at the end of May if he is ready.
Cobb was on the verge of returning to the field early after undergoing hip surgery in the offseason. However, he has recently incurred a moderate elbow strain as well as shoulder irritation. Both injuries are not considered significant, but they have hindered his recovery to the point where he should be placed on the 60-day disabled list.
The Giants are counting on him to help in 2024. He was a reliable rotation arm for San Francisco last season, compiling a 3.87 ERA in 28 starts and earning his first All-Star selection.
