Jharel Cotton, Starting Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

Date of Birth: 1/19/1992
Birthplace: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
College: Miami Dade College / East Carolina University

Jharel Cotton, starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, was first drafted by the New York Mets in 2011 but he opted instead for college. A year later, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in the Dodgers' minor league system from 2012 through 2015, both as a starter and as a relief pitcher.

Cotton was traded to the Oakland Athletics on August 1, 2016. He played in 5 games as a starter with the Athletics, finishing with 2 wins and no losses, 23 strikeouts to 4 walks, and a 2.15 ERA in 29.1 innings. He spent most of the season in the minors, pitching 135.2 innings in 28 games.

In 2017, Cotton pitched in 24 games as a starter for the Athletics. He finished the season with 9 wins and 10 losses, 105 strikeouts to 53 walks, and a 5.58 ERA in 129.0 innings.

Cotton had Tommy John surgery on March 21, 2018. He missed the entire 2018 season. He spent the 2019 season in the minors.

Cotton was traded to the Chicago Cubs on November 23, 2019. The Cubs released him on September 5, 2020. He didn't play professional baseball in 2020.

Cotton signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on December 14, 2020. He played in just 23 games with the Rangers in 2021, and he had a 3.52 ERA in 30.2 innings. He also pitched 42.0 innings in 24 games in the minors.

The Minnesota Twins claimed Cotton off waivers on November 5, 2021. He elected free agency on November 30th, and then signed with the Twins the next day. The Giants claimed him off waivers on September 18, 2022.

Personal Life

Cotton's brother, Jamaine, played in the Houston Astros' minor league system from 2010 through 2014.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jharel Cotton
MiLB - Jharel Cotton