Imagine a once-promising baseball career derailed by a string of devastating injuries, only to find itself at a crossroads with a new team willing to take a chance. That’s the story of Brent Honeywell Jr., the right-handed pitcher who’s now set to join the Giants on a minor league deal, as reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive. But here’s where it gets intriguing: Honeywell, who turns 31 next month, didn’t throw a single pitch in 2025 after being non-tendered by the Dodgers. What can he bring to the table after a year-long hiatus? The Giants seem willing to find out, offering him a non-roster invitation to spring training—a low-risk move that could yield surprising rewards.
Honeywell’s journey has been nothing short of heartbreaking. Once a top-100 prospect a decade ago, his career took a sharp turn with a string of injuries that would test even the most resilient athlete. Tommy John surgery in 2018, an elbow fracture in 2019, nerve decompression surgery in 2020, and an olecranon stress reaction in 2022—each setback pushed his dreams further out of reach. By the end of 2022, he’d made just three major league appearances. A healthier 2023 saw him pitch 52 1/3 innings for the Padres and White Sox, but his 4.82 ERA was underwhelming, leading to his waiver journey.
And this is the part most people miss: Honeywell’s 2024 season with the Pirates and Dodgers wasn’t all bad. He finished with a 2.63 ERA, but the numbers tell a more nuanced story. His 7.4% walk rate and 42.2% grounder rate were solid, yet his 12.1% strikeout rate was well below league average. Luck played a role, too, with a .252 batting average on balls in play and an 80% strand rate. Metrics like his 4.28 FIP and 5.00 SIERA suggest he might have been overperforming. Still, he earned a World Series ring with the Dodgers, though it wasn’t enough to secure a contract for 2025.
Now, the Giants are taking a flyer on Honeywell as part of their bullpen rebuild. After trading Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers, and losing Randy Rodríguez to Tommy John surgery, their relief corps looks thinner than ever. Their strategy? Signing low-cost, high-upside players like Jason Foley, Rowan Wick, and Sam Hentges—all currently on the injured list. Honeywell joins Gregory Santos and Michael Fulmer as another reclamation project, adding depth to a bullpen in desperate need of it.
But here’s the controversial question: Can Honeywell, after years of injury and a full season off, truly bounce back? His track record is undeniably shaky, but the Giants’ approach is clear—they’re betting on potential over proven performance. If he secures a roster spot, Honeywell is out of options but has less than three years of club control, making him a possible long-term piece if he impresses. Yet, he’ll need to prove himself quickly in spring training to even get that chance.
What do you think? Is Honeywell’s signing a smart gamble by the Giants, or is this just another long shot in a series of bullpen experiments? Let us know in the comments!
