Could recent SF Giants acquisition transition into a full-time starting pitcher?

José Buttó has done nicely since joining the SF Giants. However, they want to explore stretching him out as a starter, and there are few reasons why.

Could recent SF Giants acquisition transition into a full-time starting pitcher?

Buttó came over alongside prospects Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell in the deal that sent Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets.

It looked like a good get for Buster Posey and the Giants as they ended up trading two of their better relievers at the deadline. Buttó and his ability to go multiple innings seemed like a perfect bandage to the cut that the bullpen endured.

While his presence is a welcome addition to the Giants' bullpen for the rest of 2025, could his future with the organization look a little different? Just Baseball's and Locked On's Ryan Finkelstein sure thinks so. On a recent episode of Bleav in SF Giants, Finkelstein mentioned that he thinks Buttó could transition nicely into a full-time starter for the Giants.

"I believe that José Buttó, if you wanted to, you could stretch him out to be a starting pitcher again. I honestly think that this guy is a big league starter. I think he could pitch to a sub-four (ERA), especially in that ballpark."

Ryan Finkelstein, via Bleav in SF Giants

While it seems unlikely, history supports that argument. Buttó started seven games in both 2023 and 2024. While the strikeout and walk numbers don't look great, the ability to prevent runs as a starter was definitely there.

Butto's Numbers as a SP:

Buttó has the talent and ability to make the transition. It's not like this story is unheard of, either. While it didn't work out for the Giants and former pitcher Jordan Hicks, there have been plenty of success stories of once-relievers becoming above-average starters. Names like Seth Lugo, Reynaldo Lopez, and even Clay Holmes come to mind.

The real question is, do the Giants need him to? Obviously, the top two spots of next year's rotation are set with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Although he just went down with a knee injury, one would also assume that Landen Roupp slides into one of the final three spots after the year he's had.

However, the last two are where things could get interesting. Carson Whisenhunt, the organization's top-ranked arm, should have every chance of making the big league squad out of Spring Training. Hayden Birdsong is another name who has seen some success at the big league level, but struggled once entering the rotation in 2025.

If the Giants truly want to compete for something, fans should hope that they sign a starting pitching this winter, as the starters are the most talented group in this year's class. Names like Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez, Shane Bieber, and Merrill Kelly highlight the position group. However, there are also some solid backend rotation options in the upcoming free agent class, as well.

While it looks like José Buttó could seamlessly make the transition to the back of the San Francisco Giants' rotation, is it all that necessary? With the young arms you have in-house and the options you could sign via free agency, it doesn't seem all that likely. However, at the end of the day, it'll be up to Buster Posey and Zack Minasian to make that call.

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