Giants Re-Sign Ethan Small and Kai-Wei Teng to Minor League Deals

The San Francisco Giants have re-signed right-handed pitchers Ethan Small and Kai-Wei Teng to minor league contracts. This move comes after both players were dropped from the 40-man roster at the non-tender deadline last month, allowing the Giants to retain them without a 40-man roster spot.

Ethan Small, a former first-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers, joined the Giants in a DFA trade in February. The 27-year-old left-hander spent most of the season on the injured list and did not make any appearances in the major leagues with San Francisco. He was limited to 13 innings in the minors across three levels. Small has a brief major league résumé, with four MLB appearances for the Brewers between 2022 and 2023. His last healthy minor league season saw him pitch to a 3.18 ERA over 51 innings at the Triple-A level two years ago.

Kai-Wei Teng, 26, made his major league debut this year, appearing in four games and allowing 12 runs over 11 innings. The Taiwanese right-hander also had a challenging season in Triple-A, where he allowed nearly a run per inning over 75 1/3 frames. Despite strong strikeout and ground-ball numbers in the lower minors, Teng has struggled with his command throughout his career, which has impacted his performance at higher levels.


By re-signing Small and Teng to minor league deals, the Giants aim to keep their potential and depth within the organization while not committing valuable 40-man roster spots. This strategy allows the team to monitor their progress and provide opportunities for them to contribute without the pressure of immediate major league expectations.