SF Giants' bullpen may not be as different as many would like in 2027

With how bad the SF Giants’ bullpen has been pretty much this entire season, there’s probably a temptation to just completely start over. President of baseball operations has said that the bullpen will be a point of emphasis in the offseason for the Giants. That sounds nice in theory, but the reality is that next year’s bullpen is going to have some overlap with the 2026 bullpen, for better or worse.

Let’s assume that the Giants go with eight relievers on the roster next year which is pretty standard. Jason Foley and Sam Hentges are under team control for next season and both have done okay, but not great, coming off major injury. There’s a high chance both will be back.

Two breakout bullpen arms this season have been Dylan Smith and Trent Harris. Both are young and have proven they can close games if necessary, so they definitely have a good chance to be in the bullpen to start next season.

How about guys currently on the IL? José Buttó missed practically all of this season but the Giants probably aren’t prepared to give up on him just yet. Keaton Winn flashed enough promise as a bullpen arm that the Giants likely want him in the mix next season. Plus, Randy Rodríguez should also be back after missing all of 2026.

Then what about a long reliever? Matt Wilkinson looks like he could be a perfect fit for a Yusmeiro Petit-like role in which he provides length out of the bullpen and can also serve as a spot starter. Cesar Perdomo, Yunior Marte, and Anthony Molina could also conceivably fill that role.

Giants may not have a ton of bullpen flexibility next season

So let’s say that Foley, Hentges, Smith, Harris, Winn, Buttó, Rodríguez, and Wilkinson all could reasonably have a spot in next year’s bullpen. That makes eight and wouldn't even allow for an addition. Some of those guys with options may start the year in the minors so the Giants can at least make some additions, but there will be many returning relievers from 2026.

Giants general manager Zack Minasian said that the team had a pretty good bullpen if you ignore the ninth inning and it would not be a shock if their offseason strategy reflects that. Expect a lot of familiar faces, some minor league contract signings, and then maybe one more substantive signing. They probably won’t be able to land Adrian Morejon or David Bednar unless they grossly overpay, but a one-year deal for Kenley Jansen, Pete Fairbanks, or someone in the low-to-mid tier of closers would make sense.

That wouldn’t satisfy fans who want a complete bullpen remodel, but the Giants aren’t just going to throw a bunch of money at it to fix it because that rarely ever works. Bullpens are tough to build and even though the Giants have had bullpen struggles all year long there is likely going to be a good amount of continuity in 2027.

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