The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, announced that six-time MLB All-Star reliever Joe Nathan has been added to the active roster.
Nathan was signed by the Giants on Monday afternoon and has joined the team in Reading, PA. Nathan began his career with San Francisco as a 6th round selection out of Stony Brook University in 1995 and has appeared in 780 MLB contests. Nathan most recently appeared in the Major Leagues with the Chicago Cubs earlier this year.
Nathan is a 16-year MLB veteran and six-time All-Star who ranks fifth among active pitchers with 780 career appearances. His 377 career saves among active pitchers are second only to Detroit’s Francisco Rodriguez, who has 419.
He appeared in three games with the Cubs this season, winning his debut in Milwaukee on July 24th for the 63rd win of his career. A sixth-round pick of San Francisco in the 1995 June draft, he debuted in 1999 and spent his first four seasons with the Giants. In 121 games with the Giants, including his only 29 major league starts, Nathan went 24-10 with a 4.12 ERA. During his final season in San Francisco in 2003, Nathan led all relievers in baseball with 12 wins and tied for seventh with Flying Squirrels pitching coach Steve Kline with 78 appearances.