On Sunday, the San Francisco Giants made it official, and announced the signing of Hall of Fame-bound starting pitcher Justin Verlander. But seeing as how they had a full 40-man roster, they could only add Verlander if they subtracted someone else, and that someone else was Blake Sabol, who was designated for assignment.
The writing had been on the wall for Sabol for a while. After lasting on the active roster through the entirety of the 2023 season after being a Rule 5 selection, he entered 2024 in a tenuous position. The shift of managers, from Gabe Kapler to Bob Melvin, brought a 180 in organizational philosophy regarding defense.