The Baltimore Orioles have completed a trade sending right-handed pitcher Ryan Watson to the San Francisco Giants in return for cash considerations. According to MLB rules, trades like this are permissible post-deadline as long as the players involved are not on a 40-man roster within the season, which is applicable in this instance.
Ryan Watson, who is 26 years old, came into professional baseball under unusual circumstances. He was not picked during the scaled-down five-round 2020 draft, an adjustment made due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subsequently, he joined the Orioles as an undrafted free agent, serving primarily in a swingman role over the past few years. From 2021 to 2023, Watson pitched a collective 259 2/3 innings at various minor league levels, recording a 4.30 ERA.
The 2024 season saw Watson shift to a relief role, where he exhibited promising improvements. In his outings across Double-A and Triple-A, he maintained a 2.38 ERA over 22 2/3 innings, striking out 26.1% of the batters he faced and walking 8%. Despite these improvements, Watson did not receive a call-up to the Orioles, particularly after they strengthened their bullpen by adding Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto from the Phillies at the trade deadline.
The Giants, looking to rebuild their bullpen after trading away Luke Jackson and demoting previous closer Camilo Doval to the minors, saw potential in Watson. His performance this year suggests a possible upside that the Giants are willing to explore.
While Watson may not have been a standout in prospect rankings, his recent progress makes him a viable candidate to provide depth and perhaps more to the Giants’ bullpen roster as the season progresses.
