How Pablo Sandoval helped the Giants sign rookie Dereck Rodríguez

DENVER–When minor league pitcher Dereck Rodríguez became a free agent this offseason, he said he entertained interest from several different franchises.

Despite never having pitched an inning above the Double-A level, Rodríguez possessed a power arm with fresh, largely untapped potential.

The right-hander received a call from the San Francisco Giants, a club that lacked pitching depth and a franchise with a history that appealed to a player who grew up around the sport. Though he had an idea an opportunity with the Giants might work out, he checked in with a friend who knew a little more about the way the franchise treats its players.

“I got the call from here and I talked to (Pablo Sandoval) and asked them how they were and stuff,” Rodríguez said. “I knew how the Giants were but I wanted it from the inside. He’s been here most of his career so I asked him.”

Sandoval and Rodríguez trained together in Miami during the offseason and Sandoval was one of just two players Rodríguez knew in the Giants clubhouse when he arrived at spring training. He played against Monday’s starting pitcher, Andrew Suárez, in high school but that was before Rodríguez became a pitcher.

Rodríguez was drafted in 2011 by the Minnesota Twins as an outfielder and didn’t convert to pitching until 2014. He spent his first year as a short-season closer before becoming a starter, but after six seasons in the Twins’ system, Rodríguez became a free agent.

With a hard fastball and power curveball, Rodríguez impressed the Giants in spring training and earned a spot in the Triple-A Sacramento rotation. After posting a 3.40 ERA through nine starts, he received his first call to the big leagues and could follow Suárez out of the bullpen on Monday at Coors Field.

Rodríguez said he spent five minutes on the phone with Triple-A manager Dave Brundage on Sunday evening before phoning his mother, Maribel, in Florida. By the time they finished talking, it was 3:00 a.m. and she was ready to book the next flight out to Denver.

Nearly every member of Rodríguez’s immediate family will attend Monday’s game at Coors Field, but his famous father likely won’t see him until the Giants return home to AT&T Park later this week.

Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodríguez is in Colombia, but his son Dereck remembers sitting in the dugout in Colorado when “Pudge” played against the Rockies during his time with the Detroit Tigers. Dereck said he phoned his father after receiving the call to join the Giants and Ivan was more emotional than his mother.

“I talked to him, he was crying,” Dereck said. “It was emotional and all of that stuff. He was probably the most emotional more than anybody. My mom was just more in shock. It probably won’t hit her until she gets here.”

Rodríguez has only issued 11 walks over 50 1/3 innings of work with the Sacramento River Cats and credits his command with his ability to transition successfully from a spot in the outfield to the mound.

He also said a March 21 start he made at Salt River Field during spring training with the Giants contributed to helping him belief he could pitch at the major league level. Rodríguez faced a Diamondbacks lineup featuring most of its regular starters and Rodríguez threw three innings of scoreless ball while striking out two Arizona hitters.

“I was finally able to see where I was at,” Rodríguez said. “I was excited for that start. It was the first time I faced big league hitters more than once in a lineup.”

To create a 40-man roster spot for Rodríguez, the Giants designated left-handed relief pitcher D.J. Snelten for assignment. The Giants can outright Snelten to Triple-A Sacramento if he clears waivers after seven days.

To clear a 25-man roster spot for the team’s newest pitcher, San Francisco optioned second baseman Miguel Gomez to Double-A Richmond. Manager Bruce Bochy said Sandoval will serve as the team’s backup middle infielder after he earned his first career start at second base on Sunday.

Though Rodríguez’s first major league assignment will likely come as a reliever, Bochy indicated it’s possible the Giants will reshuffle their rotation and reward him with his first major league start in the near future.

“You stay open-minded with these guys,” Bochy said. “You have some young starters and you can move them around and they can give you a chance to get somebody a break or a rest and he could be the guy.”

Giants plan to announce Bumgarner news

Bochy said before Monday’s contest in Colorado that he’ll announce when ace Madison Bumgarner will make his next start after the game concludes.

After striking out eight hitters over 3 2/3 innings in his first rehab start, Bumgarner could return to the rotation as soon as Friday when the Giants host the Phillies at AT&T Park. Though the Giants’ initial plans for Bumgarner’s rehab assignment called for the left-hander to make three rehab starts, his performance in his first outing made a return for Friday possible.

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