San Francisco Giants likely won’t re-sign Ryan Vogelsong

For the San Francisco Giants, the immediate focus for the organization is centered on the World Series. The franchise that has won it all twice in the past five seasons behind exceptional starting pitching has yet to shift their attention to the upcoming offseason, but it is starting to look more and more likely that the team will not to look re-sign pending free agent Ryan Vogelsong. The Giants will presumably look for an alternative to round out the back end of their 2015 rotation.

A 1998 5th Round draft pick by the Giants, Vogelsong worked his way onto the team’s active roster by the end of the 2000 season. Primarily a starter in the minor leagues, the team used him more as a relief pitcher over the next season and a half before trading him to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2001 July trade deadline. That deal brought Jason Schmidt to the Bay Area, where he’d win 78 games over the next six seasons and twice finished in the Top 5 in NL Cy Young Award voting. Schmidt was a key figure behind the Giants’ run to the 2003 World Series, where the team would lose to the Los Angeles Angels.

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Vogelsong was a below league average pitcher for the Pirates over the next four seasons, totaling -2.1 bWAR. He appeared in 103 games with Pittsburgh, including making 33 starts, in which he’d post a 6.00 ERA and 1.612 WHIP over 280.1 IP.

Upon entering the free agent market following the 2006 season, Vogelsong made his way to Japan where he’d pitch the next three seasons. He’d return stateside for the 2010 season, spending the year at Triple-A with the Philadelphia Phillies and then the Angels.

In 2011 he’d return to the Giants, signing a free agent deal in January before going on to have the best season of his career. Vogelsong threw 179.1 innings for the team that year, going 13-7 with a 2.71 ERA. He’d make the All Star Game roster and finished 11th in Cy Young voting. At 33 he seemed to have finally developed into a solid piece of the rotation.

This past season Vogelsong struggled. He won just 8 games and lost 13, posting a 4.00 ERA in 184.2 IP. His peripheral numbers were solid – 2.8 BB/9, 7.4 K/9, a 1.278 WHIP – but he simply didn’t seem as effective on the mound as he had in years prior. He pitched well in the Division Series, holding the Washington Nationals to just a lone run in 5.2 innings of work. The wheels fell off in the League Championship Series, however, as Vogelsong lasted just 3.0 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. He’ll likely take the hill for the Giants in the World Series, potentially as their starter in Game 3 or 4.

San Francisco will head into next season with a rotation fronted by Madison Bumgarner, Tim Hudson, and Tim Lincecum. Matt Cain underwent surgery in June and is expected to resume a throwing program by December, leaving him as a likely candidate for the rotation once he is able to return fully healthy. Yusmeiro Petit could also be an option for the rotation after pitching well in the role late in the season. That mix – plus the potential return of Jake Peavy – could leave Vogelsong on the outside looking in.