5 non-closer relievers SF Giants should definitely be in on this offseason

While much of the focus on the SF Giants’ quest to upgrade the bullpen has understandably been focused on closers given the team’s lack of a consistent ninth-inning arm last year, they shouldn’t stop at just adding a closer.

They will also need some setup men to hopefully create a fairly stable bridge between the starter and whoever their closer ends up being. Maybe they could bring back Camilo Doval and hope that Randy Rodríguez is as good as he was before he had surgery but pretending it’s the first half of 2025 all over again probably isn’t the best strategy.

They should probably set at least one or two other solid relievers in the mix so they have more options when it comes to setup men who can pitch in the seventh and eight inning. Let’s dive into five pitchers who have never really been a closer but have a solid track record as relievers.

5 relievers Giants should target to boost bullpen as a whole

Bryan Abreu

The Houston Astros have had a set closer in recent years with the lefty Josh Hader, but Bryan Abreu has quietly been a really elite bullpen arm. He had a 3.73 ERA last season with Houston in 66 appearances as he rebounded nicely following a rough start, but from 2022 to 2025 he had a collective 2.30 ERA.

When he’s right he strikes a ton of batters out. From 2023 to 2025 each season he pitched over 70 innings and had over 100 strikeouts so he has the stuff on a closer and has 25 career saves including nine last season although he’s only converted 25 of 47 save opportunities.

The Giants could sign him as their closer, but if they really want to create a shut-down bullpen then maybe signing him as the eighth inning guy and getting a more experienced closer would be a better idea.

JoJo Romero

I have written about lefty reliever JoJo Romero before, but he could be a really solid setup guy. He had 23 holds in 2026 between his time with the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers so he can be a high-leverage lefty the Giants lean upon. 

Sean Newcomb

Another left-handed reliever to keep an eye on is Sean Newcomb who was actually briefly with San Francisco in 2023 but got traded to the A’s for Forever Giant Trenton Brooks. He had a 3.09 ERA in 60 appearances and 90 innings pitched last season. He had a 2.73 ERA in 48 appearances and 92 innings in 2025 so he’s a unique reliever in that you can get multiple innings out of him per outing.

After seeing Aaron Ashby pitch so well for the Milwaukee Brewers in the playoffs, often going multiple innings per outing, it’s hard not to think about Newcomb potentially being able to fill a similar role so the Giants should definitely be in on him.

Steven Okert

Another lefty the Giants could reunite with is Steven Okert. His first three big league seasons were with the Giants and with the Astros he’s turned into a solid reliever. He had a 2.13 ERA in 2026 and would be a great high-leverage lefty.  

Evan Phillips

If the Giants want to poach a longtime Dodger then Evan Phillips could make sense. He had a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings last season and could probably be had for relatively cheap so keep an eye on him as well.

Editor's note: After the publication of this article, Evan Phillips agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal with the Atlanta Braves so apparently he was not all that cheap!

The whole bullpen needs a makeover so while the closer role gets the most attention, these guys could still help rebuild the rest of the bullpen. 

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