Former San Francisco Giants reliever Tyler Rogers has joined Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, reuniting with Giants ace Logan Webb.
Rogers, who spent several years with the Giants, was traded to the New York Mets mid-season before inking a three-year, $37 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays during the offseason.
Rogers and Webb: From Teammates to Team USA
Rogers was with the Giants from 2019 until the middle of last season. The two teammates will reunite after spending so many years together with the Giants.
It seems that national baseball types are finally giving both pitchers the respect they deserve, after some dismissed them as sinker-ballers who put up good numbers thanks to luck or the defence behind them.
Rogers’ Impact and Giants’ Offseason Strategy
In 2024 with San Francisco he had a 2.42 ERA in a league-leading 77 appearances. He followed that up by posting a 1.98 ERA in a league-leading 81 appearances.
A lot of Giants fans were hoping that San Francisco would bring Rogers back in free agency during the offseason. Instead, they opted to go the affordable route by signing a lot of guys coming off injuries who don’t cost that much.
He’s reliable, he’s effective, and he gets out. Who cares that he does it with an 82 mile-per-hour sinker while not getting a ton of strikeouts?
Potential On-Field Reunion
Webb is going to get the start for Team USA. Rogers has joined Team USA as a replacement.
Maybe Webb can pitch five strong innings in quarterfinal play on Friday night against Team Canada and hand the ball off to Rogers in relief.
Team USA is brimming with talent every way you look.