Giants sign Tommy Hanson to minor league deal

Former Braves and Angels right-hander has signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Hanson has had an up and down career, but is still only 28 years old. He last pitched in the majors with the Angels in 2013, when he traded there by the Braves in return for Jordan Walden. That year, Hanson made 13 starts, going 4-3 with a 4.65 FIP.

The previous four seasons saw Hanson win double digit games, winning as many as 13 in 2012. In his first season in 2009, Hanson won 11 games and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.

A number of injuries have plagued Hanson over the years, from shoulder injuries to concussions, dating all the way back to the 2011 season.

Since 2013, Hanson has been signed to minors deals with the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox, but he wasn't able to crack the major league roster with those teams.

Hanson has his best shot to crack a major league roster with the Giants, who have had injuries and under-performances plaguing their rotation.

Matt Cain has been out all season. Jake Peavy has missed significant time with a back injury. The bulk of the workload has been carried by Madsion Bumgarner. The rest of the Giants rotation has been made up of Tim Hudson, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Chris Heston.

Volgelsong has struggled, sporting a 5.67 ERA. The advanced numbers don't help Volgelsong much, as his 5.96 FIP reflects the team behind him is actually bailing him out of trouble.

The Hanson move gives the Giants another option in terms of starting depth, but doesn't lock them into anything specific. At 17-17, the Giants are still looking at the playoffs. If the trade deadline comes around and the team is still in it and the Hanson move doesn't pan out, the team could look to a trade.

Scott Kazmir and Aaron Harang are two names that have been talked about constantly, with both guys being available. They are low-risk guys that the Giants could look to if they need to adjust their rotation again come July.