Giants call up reliever Melvin Adon

The MLB trade deadline has passed, and the San Francisco Giants roster is looking a bit different. The deadline presents some challenges for teams, of course: With a game just three hours after the deadline, the Giants will be without the players they traded away, but not yet with the players they acquired.

In other words, they’re short-handed. And to make up for that, they’re calling up powerful right-handed pitcher Melvin Adon.

The Giants lost three members of their bullpen on Wednesday, by trading Drew Pomeranz to the Milwaukee Brewers, Sam Dyson to the Minnesota Twins, and Mark Melancon to the Atlanta Braves.

Adon will help fill that void, along with a few other players. The Giants, of course, prepared for this situation, and had a rather sizable taxi squad ready in Philadelphia, ahead of their afternoon game against the Phillies.

It was also earlier reported that Ray Black was part of the taxi squad. Black, however, was included in the package that got sent to Milwaukee, so he obviously won’t be called up.

For Adon, it’s an exciting jump to the big squad. A 25-year old who throws well into the 100s, Adon began the year in AA, the first time he’d reached that level. He now goes straight from AA to MLB.

As you would expect from a pitcher hitting triple digits, Adon strikes out a lot of batters but struggles with control. In 45 innings in Richmond, Adon has struck out 11.8 batters per nine innings, but walked 5.2. His ERA (2.60), FIP (2.94), and xFIP (2.94) are all very good.

In all likelihood, we won’t see Adon tonight unless the Giants are involved in a blowout, or a very long game. And since the Giants did acquire some pitchers, Adon may be back in Richmond before long.

Still, it’s an exciting moment for the team, and the young pitcher.