The SF Giants made a surprise move on Wednesday, sending veteran reliever Taylor Rogers to the Cincinnati Reds. The trade leaves Erik Miller as the only southpaw reliever on the 40-man roster but this also opens up the likeliness of either another addition or competition in spring training.
Latest SF Giants trade opens up competition or external addition for key bullpen role
For much of the 2024 season, Miller was Bob Melvin's go-to lefty out of the bullpen. On the other hand, Rogers did not give the Giants a platoon advantage and was rarely reliable in leverage spots. Melvin was partly to blame for that last detail as there were some spots where using Rogers was just a poor choice.
The trade does clear some payroll space for the Giants. However, Buster Posey did not give off the impression to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic that the club planned to reinvest that money.
For now, the Giants are short on left-handed relievers. Miller has a clear inside track to a bullpen role after posting a 3.88 ERA in 73 appearances last season. He did wear down as the season progressed, likely due to fatigue.
The Giants could still bring in another lefty through free agency. Tim Hill and Andrew Chafin are some lower-cost options that make a good bit of sense. Hill's funky delivery and groundball-heavy style would seemingly do well at Oracle Park.
The Giants have brought in some competition on the minor league front as well. Perhaps, Joey Lucchesi has a pretty good chance at making the Opening Day roster after reportedly signing a minor league deal last week. He very could end up being the only experienced non-roster lefty in camp.
The Giants have also brought in some other left-handed options with minimal experience in the majors such as Ethan Small, Raymond Burgos, Antonio Jimenez, and Enny Romero. More likely than not, these pitchers will serve as depth in the upper minors.
However, Small was a first-round pick not that long ago and has a funky delivery to go with a four-seamer and a changeup. He likely has the best odds behind Lucchesi. After that, the field is open.
Of course, Carson Whisenhunt could be a candidate for the Opening Day roster with a good spring. However, the Giants still view him as a starting pitcher, so this role is likely not a fit.
Every bullpen needs at least two solid left-handed relievers. The Giants already have one in Miller, but the competition might be open for the next spot.