Giants sign Todd Linden to minor league contract

According to Fresno Grizzlies play-by-play man Doug Greenwald, the San Francisco Giants have signed Todd Linden to a minor league contract. He’s in the team’s minor league spring training camp. Linden, 31, was a first-round draft pick by the Giants in 2001.

Once considered a “can’t miss” prospect, Linden spent five years with the Giants before they finally gave up on him in 2007.

Following in the footsteps of Ryan Vogelsong, Clay Hensley and Brian Burres, Linden now returns to the team that first took a chance on him.

The 31-year-old outfielder last appeared in the majors with the Florida Marlins in 2007. He batted .245/.319/.315 (0.634 OPS) with a homer and 11 RBI in a combined 115 games (204 plate appearances) between the Giants and Marlins, who signed him off the waiver wire after San Francisco cut him loose on May 18th of that year.

Linden has also spent time in the minors with the Oakland A’s, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.