ValleyCats pitcher Nate Nabholz will sign a contract with the San Francisco Giants, if he passes his physical, and be assigned to their Single-A affiliate in San Jose, Calif.
Tri-City ValleyCats
TROY — The day after giving up a walk-off hit, Tri-City ValleyCats relief pitcher Nate Nabholz found out Friday he’s headed to affiliated baseball.
The ValleyCats of the independent Frontier League transferred Nabholz’s contract to the San Francisco Giants. He’ll fly to the Giants’ spring training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. for a physical on Monday.
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If he passes it, Nabholz will sign a contract and be assigned to the San Jose Giants, the Giants’ Single A affiliate in the California League.
Before getting the good news, Nabholz had just returned from an overnight bus trip with the team from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. The ValleyCats lost 11-10 to the Trois-Rivieres Aigles on Thursday night when Nabholz allowed a two-run double to Edgardo Villegas with one out in the ninth inning.
“Waking up after that and getting the call,” Nabholz said after the ValleyCats beat the New York Boulders 6-1 on Friday night. “That’s the beauty of the game, though. I mean, it’s a roller coaster sometimes, so you’ve just got to be able to stay even-keeled and keep going.”
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That one bad outing didn’t overshadow the amount of good work Nabholz did over his two seasons with the ValleyCats. He had a 3.08 earned-run average and 52 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings over 32 appearances with Tri-City. He averaged 1.19 walks and hits per innings pitched.
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ValleyCats manager Greg Tagert worked in the Giants’ system in 2022 as manager of their Arizona Complex League team. He knows Kyle Haines, San Francisco’s senior director for player development.
Haines played for Tagert with the Gary Southshore RailCats of the American Association.
“When I evaluate players, the talent, everybody’s got,” Tagert said. “But it’s the human being first, and this guy (Nabholz) is the whole package.”
Nabholz, 25, suspected something was up on Monday when Tagert texted him about his medical history. Nabholz had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow two years ago when he was at Towson University.
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“Didn’t ask him why, but (the Giants) were probably asking about it,” Nabholz said.
He said he’s fully recovered and his top velocity ranges from 92 to 95 miles per hour.
Tagert called Nabholz at his Troy apartment on Thursday afternoon to let him know of the Giants’ interest. Nabholz came to Bruno Stadium and signed the release from his Frontier League contract. The ValleyCats receive the standard fee of $12,500.
He got congratulations from his teammates.
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“It feels great,” Nabholz said. “Obviously, you play independent baseball; it’s what you work for. I’m super excited. Going to be a lot of new things. Never been to California or anything. I’ve never been to that side of the country, so I’m excited.”
He becomes the second ValleyCats pitcher to join an MLB organization this season. Left-hander Stephen Still is with the Delmarva Shorebirds, the Baltimore Orioles’ Single-A affiliate. He has a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings, including three starts.
Nabholz, a native of Cressona, Pa., has MLB pedigree in his family. His uncle Chris was a lefthanded pitcher for Montreal, Cleveland, Boston and the Chicago Cubs in the 1990s.
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“At the end of the day, it’s just a game and the guy with the ball has to beat the guy with the bat,” Nate Nabholz said. “I’m not going to try to overlook it or try to just do too much. Just try and do what I do best and pound the zone. Make them try to earn it and try to get on base.”
His departure creates an opportunity for pitcher Noah Estrella, signed by the ValleyCats on Friday. Estrella, Adam Maher and Skidmore graduate Quinn Hocom combined on a five-hitter in the win over New York.