The SF Giants reduced their organizational pitching depth in the minors earlier this week. Veteran pitchers Kyle Cody and Cody Stashak were released from the Sacramento roster, while Ben Madison was released from the Richmond roster, according to the team’s transaction log.
SF Giants release a trio of pitchers from the upper minors
Minor league rosters are typically full around this time of year, so adding a new player usually necessitates a corresponding move. For the Giants, this occurred when they recently added Ryan Watson to Sacramento’s roster following a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
Additionally, Spencer Howard reunited with the club on a minor league deal, and veteran hurler Tyler Matzek could be nearing a return.
To create roster space, the Giants had to make a few moves, resulting in the releases of Stashak and Cody. Stashak, who was signed at the end of last season and re-signed in the winter with a camp invite, has struggled with back and shoulder injuries but has been a quality reliever when healthy, posting a 4.13 ERA over four major league seasons. In 2024, he worked out of the bullpen with the Sacramento River Cats, tallying a 5.45 ERA with more strikeouts (44) than innings pitched (36.1).
Cody, brought in at the beginning of the year on a minor league deal, climbed the minor league ladder, making stops with four different Giants affiliates, including a brief stint with the River Cats, where he allowed four earned runs across four innings. The veteran pitcher has a 3.71 ERA in parts of two seasons in the majors with the Texas Rangers.
The Giants also released Ben Madison from Richmond’s roster. Madison, a ninth-round pick by the club in the 2018 draft out of Central Baptist College, posted a 3.73 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 12.7 K/9, and 2.24 SO/W rate over parts of five minor league seasons. This season, he struggled with a 6.62 ERA in 23 outings with the Flying Squirrels. The right-handed pitcher features a mid-90s fastball that rides through the zone and an above-average slider with vertical movement. However, he struggled with control. Madison is now a free agent for the first time in his career.
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