Giants claim lefty starter Anderson from Rockies

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants announced their first transactions of the offseason on Wednesday, claiming left-hander Tyler Anderson off waivers from the Rockies. Right-hander Kyle Barraclough was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Anderson on the 40-man roster.

Anderson, 29, missed most of the 2019 season after undergoing surgery on his left knee on June 11. As of September, the Rockies did not expect Anderson to be at full strength for Spring Training, so it’s unclear when he will be ready to pitch again in the Majors.

A first-round Draft pick of the Rockies in 2011, Anderson started the 2019 season on Colorado’s Opening Day roster but went 0-3 with an 11.76 ERA in five starts before landing on the injured list. He posted a 4.69 ERA in 73 games (71 starts) in parts of four seasons with the Rockies. Anderson is arbitration-eligible this winter and is projected to earn $2.625 million next season, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said earlier this month that starting pitching will be a priority for the Giants this offseason, so taking a flier on Anderson is likely only the first of many moves the club will make to try to bolster its rotation. Giants starters ranked 13th in the National League with a 4.77 ERA this season, and they could lose team innings leader Madison Bumgarner to free agency this winter.

When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster, and 25-man roster if he was on that. Within seven days of the transaction, the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.

Manager search update

Royals quality control coach Pedro Grifol will receive a second interview with the Giants, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Grifol joins former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler and Astros bench coach Joe Espada as the only managerial candidates reported to have advanced to the next round of interviews.

Kapler’s second interview is believed to have taken place on Monday. Espada said he will return to San Francisco after the World Series for his next meeting with the Giants.

Grifol also has interviewed for the Royals’ opening, though Mike Matheny has been viewed as the frontrunner to succeed the retired Ned Yost. An All-American at Florida State, the 49-year-old Grifol played in the Minors for nine seasons as a catcher and spent 13 years working in the Mariners’ organization before joining the Royals in 2013. He has served as a special assignment coach, hitting coach, quality control coach and catching coach in Kansas City.

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported that the Giants interviewed Dodgers bench coach and former A’s manager Bob Geren, bringing their known pool of initial candidates to nine. It’s unclear whether anyone besides Kapler, Espada and Grifol remains in the running for the job.