Jeff Samardzija Designated for Assignment by Giants, Placed on Release Waivers

The San Francisco Giants designated pitcher Jeff Samardzija for assignment and placed the veteran on unconditional release waivers on Saturday.

The move comes one day after Samardzija gave up three runs in three innings of work during Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader against the San Diego Padres, a 6-5 extra-innings loss. The Giants (29-29) hold a one-game lead in the National League Wild Card race after dropping the nightcap of the doubleheader.

Prior to Friday's start, Samardzija had been on the injured list since Aug. 9 because of right shoulder impingement.

Samardzija, 35, signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the team ahead of the 2016 season, finishing that campaign with a 12-11 record, 3.81 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 203.1 innings.

However, he struggled in 2017, going 9-15 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, and took another step in the wrong direction in 2018. While injuries limited him, he finished just 1-5 with a 6.25 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 10 starts (44.2 innings). 

Samardzija was supposed to provide another solid arm to the rotation behind Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, who was also brought in during the winter of 2015. That starting trio was expected to be among the best in the National League and helped lead the Giants to the postseason in 2016.

However, the Giants rotation never quite lived up to its potential, as Bumgarner, Cueto and Samardzija each were bothered by injuries through. Ultimately, Bumgarner wound up moving on to the Arizona Diamondbacks last offseason.

To his credit, Samardzija bounced back some last year with a 3.52 ERA, but he has been limited to just four starts in 2020, posting a 9.72 ERA in limited action. And with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Giants opted to move on as they attempt to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016.