Giants place 3 key players on waiver list due to problems in 2024

The 2024 season hasn’t gone according to plan for the San Francisco Giants either. While they have a 67-67 record and are technically still in the running for a wild-card spot in the National League, they are 6.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the third and final spot. However, given their recent roster changes, they don’t seem interested in making one last playoff push.

An interesting tactic that non-competitive teams began using last season was to release some of their major league players to save on salary. And that’s exactly what the Giants did Wednesday night when they placed Tyler Matzek, Taylor Rogers and Thairo Estrada on the waivers list in the hopes that some team would take their salaries.

“The San Francisco Giants placed left-handed relievers Tyler Matzek and Taylor Rogers and infielder Thairo Estrada on waivers on Wednesday, a league source told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The move makes them available to any team that wants to claim them and pay the prorated remainder of their respective 2024 salaries. Rogers also has a guaranteed salary for 2025 that becomes the responsibility of any team that claims him.” – Grant Brisbee & Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic

Giants cut salary in wake of difficult 2024 season

While these guys aren’t exactly stars, they could potentially help a playoff contender that’s up for grabs now. Matzek (0-0, 9.90 ERA, 10 K, 1.90 WHIP) and Rogers (1-4, 2.45 ERA, 59 K, 1.21 WHIP) are both valuable left-handed relievers, while Estrada has the versatility to play several different positions in the field while also being able to hold his own at the plate (.219 BA, 9 HR, 47 RBI, .595 OPS).

The Giants are trying to free up money for themselves in the future, so parting ways with all of these guys makes sense. And for playoff contenders looking to add to their squad in the months following the trade deadline, this could be the perfect opportunity to do so. Teams will certainly stake claims on these guys, and it will be interesting to see where each of them ends up.

Owen Crisafulli is the senior editor and NFL director at ClutchPoints and also covers the NBA and MLB. He recently graduated from Nichols College with a Masters in Business Administration. Prior to that, he earned his Bachelors in Sports Management, ran his own website, and wrote for FanSided and the Basketball Network.