The San Francisco Giants made a pair of pitching transactions on Monday, claiming right-handed pitcher Eric Cerantola off waivers from the Kansas City Royals while outrighting veteran reliever Gregory Santos to Triple-A Sacramento after he cleared waivers.

Cerantola immediately joins Sacramento, giving the Giants another intriguing bullpen arm to evaluate without requiring a spot on the active major-league roster. Because San Francisco already had room on its 40-man roster, the claim did not require an additional corresponding move.

Although Cerantola's major-league resume is limited, the Giants are betting on his upside rather than his brief results. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut earlier this season, appearing in only a handful of innings during which he struggled to limit runs.

However, his minor-league track record paints a much more encouraging picture.

Across multiple Triple-A seasons, Cerantola has established himself as a high-strikeout reliever capable of missing bats at an impressive rate.

His ability to generate swings and misses has consistently stood out, thanks largely to a fastball that sits around 95 mph and a sharp slider that has drawn praise from evaluators throughout his professional career.

He also mixes in a cutter, giving him multiple weapons against hitters.

The biggest hurdle in Cerantola's development has been command. While his strikeout numbers have been well above average, elevated walk totals have prevented him from fully capitalizing on his electric arsenal.

If San Francisco's pitching development staff can help improve his control, Cerantola could emerge as another bullpen option before the end of the season.

The timing of the move also makes sense for the Giants. With the club expected to evaluate younger talent during the second half, opportunities could become available if additional roster changes occur over the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Santos remains in the organization after clearing waivers and being outrighted to Sacramento. The right-hander returned to the Giants on a minor-league contract before the season and made a brief appearance in the majors this year, though injuries once again interrupted his campaign.

Santos has flashed effectiveness during previous stretches of his career, most notably in 2023, but has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons.

Because he has accumulated enough major-league service time, he has the option to decline the outright assignment and elect free agency, though the Giants have not indicated whether he intends to do so.

For now, San Francisco retains both pitchers in the organization, adding another high-upside arm in Cerantola while keeping experienced depth with Santos at Triple-A.

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