Tommy WildThu, November 27, 2025 at 10:05 PM UTC·2 min readSam Hentges spent over a decade in the Cleveland Guardians farm system, but the left-handed pitcher is moving on to the next chapter of his career.
On Thursday, FanSided’s Robert Murray reported that the San Francisco Giants were signing Hentges to a one-year, $1.4 million deal for the 2026 MLB season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 29-year-old has had an interesting career to date. Hentges was drafted by Cleveland during the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He finally made his big-league debut in 2021, but was primarily a starter for the then Indians.
The 2022 season was when Hentges made his transition to the bullpen full-time, and he shone in that role for the next three seasons.
From 2022 to 2024, the left-hander registered a 137 ERA+ and a 2.66 FIP. The 2022 season was especially a standout year for Hentges, recording a 2.32 ERA and a 0.968 WHIP out of Cleveland’s bullpen.
Jun 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Sam Hentges (31) pitches in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn ImagesUnfortunately for Hentges, injuries have been a theme throughout his career. The left-hander hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since July of 2024 due to a shoulder injury. Surgery on the injured arm caused Hentges to miss the entire 2025 season, and then the 29-year-old underwent knee surgery in September.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHentges' struggles to stay on the mound were one of the reasons the Guardians opted not to tender him a contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.
From Cleveland’s perspective, it would have been smart to try to re-sign Hentges, only on a minor league deal, to see if the veteran was healthy and still had anything left in the tank. However, the Giants were willing to give him a guaranteed spot on the contract.
Hentges not returning to Cleveland for the 2026 season doesn’t impact the Guardians’ offseason plans too much. Cleveland still needs to add to their bullpen, but a reliable arm that they’re confident can be there for the majority of the season.
Even though Hentges has some solid stats for his career, it was clear he wasn’t going to fill that need for the Guardians, and now looks to carve out a role with the Giants.
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