Giants rumors: Mark Melancon visiting San Francisco

The Giants want to add to the back-end of their bullpen and are interested in veteran reliever Mark Melancon, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan. Melancon made the trip to San Francisco on Friday.

Though it’s unclear how serious San Francisco’s interest in Melancon is, the Giants could also consider pursuing Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen.

Melancon, 31, had a solid 2016 season with both the Pirates and Nationals. He served as Pittsburgh’s closer and pitched to a 1.51 ERA and 2.67 FIP over 41.2 innings. The Pirates traded Melancon to the Nationals in advance of the non-waiver trade deadline, and he responded by posting a 1.82 ERA and 2.07 FIP to complement 17 saves.

Melancon ended the year with 47 saves and a 1.64 ERA.

While San Francisco’s bullpen pitched to a 3.65 ERA, which ranked ninth in the National League last season, the unit might benefit from additional depth. Santiago Casilla pitched well and saved 31 contests and Sergio Romo was effective, but Melancon could be a less expensive closing option for the Giants to consider.