The SF Giants have added another arm to the upper-minors mix, signing former New York Mets reliever Alex Carrillo to a minor league deal and sending him to Triple-A, according to the team’s transaction log.
It’s a move aimed squarely at one of the biggest issues on the roster this season: the bullpen’s lack of swing-and-miss. The Giants already took a similar shot when they claimed Eric Cerantola off waivers from the Kansas City Royals. Cerantola’s time on the 40-man roster didn’t last long, though, as he cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment during the All-Star break.
The need is obvious. The bullpen has been a constant talking point all year, and the concerns that surrounded the group before the season have played out.
The unit has a 7.8 K/9 in 2026, which ranks fifth-lowest in baseball, and it has also posted one of the highest walk rates in the sport at 4.3 BB/9. That combination has made life difficult: too many free passes, not enough strikeouts.
Carrillo brings the kind of trait the Giants are trying to stockpile, even if the rest of the profile comes with some baggage. The 29-year-old right-hander started his pro career as an undrafted free agent with the Texas Rangers in 2019, but that run ended the following year when he was released. He spent several seasons in independent ball before catching on with the Mets in 2024.
From there, he moved quickly through the upper minors and eventually pitched his way onto New York’s roster last season. He only logged a handful of big league appearances, but his minor league track record shows why teams keep taking a look: over three minor league seasons, he has a 4.30 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 13.6 K/9, and a 1.87 SO/W rate.
The strikeouts are the selling point. Carrillo works from a low, three-quarters arm slot and attacks hitters with an upper 90's four-seam fastball, a mid 80's slider and a low 90's splitter.
The secondary pitches produce healthy whiff rates, and that’s the hook here. He’ll miss bats.
He’ll also hand out walks.
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