SAN FRANCISCO -- One of the first people Tyler Beede met after being selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2014 Draft was six-time All-Star Will Clark, who, along with Dave Dravecky, helped welcome the promising young right-hander into the organization. Eight years later, Beede crossed paths with Clark again, though under much more somber circumstances.

The Giants designated Beede for assignment on Thursday, likely marking the end of the 28-year-old’s tenure with the only organization he’s ever known. Clark, who happened to be in the Giants’ clubhouse as Beede was packing up his locker, was among the many players and coaches who took a second to wish Beede well as he prepared for the next step of his career.

“I love the organization,” Beede said. “I love the direction that they’re heading in. I want to be a part of a winning organization and a ballclub. The tough part is kind of the uncertainty of where I’ll be. I know the history of the organization and the trajectory that they’re on. I know they’re going to be successful and wish them the best of luck. It’s tough.”

With rosters contracting from 28 to 26 players earlier this week, the Giants no longer had as much flexibility to carry Beede, who is out of options and logged a 4.66 ERA over 9 2/3 innings in six relief appearances this season. Manager Gabe Kapler called Beede into his office Thursday to tell him that he would be cut to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Zack Littell, who was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list ahead of Thursday’s series opener against the Cardinals.

“It was a quick conversation, but we shared mutual appreciation for the time that we’ve had together,” Beede said. “It was difficult, but it’s the business side of things. Honestly, it’s been a great month. I thanked them for that. This decision could have been made a month ago. I’ve been so appreciative.”

A two-time first-round Draft pick, Beede struggled to develop into the frontline starter the Giants envisioned when they selected him out of Vanderbilt. He recorded a 5.39 ERA in 33 appearances (24 starts) over parts of four Major League seasons, battling control issues and injuries along the way.

“It’s tough that we haven’t been able to kind of access Tyler’s best performance as a San Francisco Giant thus far,” Kapler said. “He’s enormously talented. I don’t think that catches anybody off guard. He’s been 96 to 98 [mph] since he’s been back with us, and he’s thrown more strikes. He has taken some steps forward in that regard. His delivery looks good. Every coach on our staff, all of his teammates in the entire organization, want to see him have success. It just hasn’t worked out thus far. There hasn’t been a level of dependability as a Major League starter or reliever for him to really stick as a member of the San Francisco Giants to date.”

Beede showed flashes of his tantalizing potential after receiving an extended look in the starting rotation in 2019 and appeared on the verge of a breakout in 2020, but his momentum stalled when he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery that spring.

With no available spots in the Giants’ rotation this year, Beede opened the season in the bullpen, where he received limited pitching opportunities due to his inability to consistently stay in the strike zone. Still, Beede said he feels healthy and is in a good place mechanically. He’s topped out at 98 mph on his fastball and still wields a plus changeup, which could make it difficult for the Giants to sneak him through waivers and keep him in the organization.

Given his pedigree, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another team claim Beede on waivers and try to unlock his potential.

“My optimistic personality would say that it’s going to be a great opportunity, regardless of where I end up,” Beede said. “There’s no point for me to be pessimistic. I think it’s going to be how I handle the opportunity. The perspective that I have is going to be everything, wherever I end up. I think right now there’s a little bit more sadness around saying bye to guys. I’ll be home and then we’ll just kind of start to shift my mind and my thought process to a different place potentially. Right now, it’s hard to do that, but yeah, I’m optimistic.”