Four SF Giants players are entering 2026 without any minor league options remaining

Roster flexibility, or lack thereof, tends to impact roster decisions to start the year, as teams do not want to burn through their depth too quickly. For the SF Giants, four players will enter the 2026 season with any minor league options remaining, including Luis Matos, Jerar Encarnación, José Buttó, and Matt Gage.

Four SF Giants players are entering 2026 without any minor league options remaining

1. Luis Matos

Matos will be among the players competing for the fourth outfielder role this spring. Encarnación is in the mix, along with Drew Gilbert and Grant McCray. Tyler Fitzgerald will likely gets some reps in the outfield as well.

Gilbert and McCray have the edge defensively, but Matos might be one of the best hitters from that group. The right-handed bat has slashed .231/.281/.369 (80 wRC+) across three seasons with the Giants. This comes with a solid 14.2 percent strikeout rate.

Matos had his best season yet in 2025, as he put up a .691 OPS in 184 plate appearances. However, this was carried by a hot streak near the end of the year. Despite this, Matos returned to the bench and saw sporadic playing time before being optioned to the minors to finish out the year.

2. Jerar Encarnación

The Giants had high hopes for Encarnación in 2025, but he missed most of the season after dealing with a handful of injuries. The most notable one was a hand fracture that occurred right before the season began.

The 28-year-old hitter only tallied 56 plate appearances, and still displayed some power upside. That said, he does not offer much else. That can work in a DH role, but carrying a full-time DH limits flexibility around the rest of the roster.

Encarnación and Matos will be competing for at-bats this spring. It would not be surprising to see both of them put together strong Cactus League performances. The tough part will be finding a roster spot for both, if that happens.

3. José Buttó

The Giants acquired Buttó in the four-player deal that sent Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets. He is not necessarily competing for a role, but if he struggles during the year, they may need to consider a change.

The right-handed pitcher has put up a respectable 3.56 ERA across four major league seasons. This includes a 4.50 ERA in 21 outings following the trade. Buttó has a starter's pitch mix, and the slider and changeup generate healthy whiff rates. However, the stuff plays down due to below-average command.

Buttó is a serviceable reliever, but it is hard to envision him in a leverage role. He may end up being one of the better relievers in a bullpen that does not look all that strong on paper. However, that is not a ringing endorsement either.

4. Matt Gage

Every year, teams find bullpen value on moves around the margins. You never know when a reliever might put up a 3.50 ERA in 50 appearances out of nowhere.

The Giants added Gage on a minor league deal midway through the 2025 season. It was a return to familiar territory, as he had been drafted by the organization in the 10th round of the 2014 draft. They cut ties with Gage in 2018, and he went on to play for a number of organizations.

Following the signing, the lefty pitcher put up a 3.90 ERA, 2.66 FIP, 1.50 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, and a 2.40 O/W rate in 25.1 frames. This includes holding left-handed hitters to a .591 OPS in 72 plate appearances. While the rest of the bullpen is up for grabs, the Giants have coverage from the left side with Gage, Erik Miller, and Sam Hentges. Miller and Hentges will likely serve in leverage roles, but Gage could also see some leverage matchups.