Ryan Walker's steady decline with SF Giants is a warning sign going forward

For the last two seasons, the SF Giants have given Ryan Walker a lot of chances. Instead of regaining the elite form he showed in 2024, he’s gone the complete opposite direction and it seems like his chances with San Francisco have likely run out. This serves as a warning to the rest of the relievers in the bullpen going forward.

It’s understandable why the Giants wanted to be patient with Walker. He truly looked dominant in 2024 and it wasn’t crazy to think that he could be an absolutely filthy closer going forward. That sinker can be un-hittable when he would locate it correctly and paired with that slider righties basically had no chance against him at his peak.

But 2025 saw him decline and lose the closer role to Camilo Doval. He gained it back by the end of the season not because of good performance but because Doval and Tyler Rogers got traded and Randy Rodríguez went down with an elbow injury that required surgery.

After an offseason filled with minor moves to address the bullpen, the Giants essentially went into 2026 with Walker penciled in as their closer even if he wasn’t officially named the closer. That went pretty terribly as it quickly became clear he could no longer be trusted as the guy in the ninth and now it’s become clear he’s not even worth having on the big league club.

He’s had a 7.16 ERA on the season in the big leagues. He struck out just 23 batters in 32 and 2/3 innings and walked 19 so his command has left him for the most part and his strikeout stuff has deteriorated. He just got sent down again in favor of Joel Kuhnel.

Walker got a lot of leash even though he had minor league options, but it now seems like he has run out. It wouldn’t be a shock at all if he is DFA’d this offseason especially since the Giants are going to have a lot of 40-man roster decisions to make with so many guys on the 60-day IL.

Giants should be more willing to have bullpen turnover going forward

Going forward, the Giants likely won’t be as patient with relievers. Even though Dylan Smith has looked pretty good this year and has likely done enough to earn a roster spot next year, if he’s getting lit up then the Giants shouldn’t just hang on to him indefinitely and hope he turns it around the way they did with Walker.

That doesn’t mean they should just be getting rid of guys immediately when they struggle, but they have to be more willing to turn things over in the bullpen. Relievers are a strange breed of pitcher. They can be great one year and bad the next so the Giants can’t be afraid to move on from guys especially if they find diamonds in the rough on the waiver wire.

Walker’s time with the Giants is probably going to be done after this year, but he should still serve as a cautionary tale for future Giants relievers that they won't get indefinite chances. 

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