SF Giants pitcher's sour grapes comments make move to the bullpen feel even more justified

The SF Giants recently moved pitcher Adrian Houser to the bullpen which was not a surprise given his struggles as a starter this year. His sour grapes comments on the move make it seem even more justifiable, though.

In a recent article from Evan Webeck of the California Post, he details how a lot of starters on the pitching staff have started calling their own games using pitch-com. This is so pitchers are more comfortable when pitching to young catchers like Daniel Susac who is still learning the ropes of being a big league catcher.

Ever since Patrick Bailey’s departure there has been a noticeable dip in the pitching staff’s numbers. Some of that may have to do with the comfort pitchers on the staff had with Bailey but other factors may be at play as well.

Yet, Houser apparently did not call his own pitches as a starter and has not been a fan of either his catchers or the team’s pitching strategy or maybe both, saying, “I don't think we're doing a very good job of pitch sequencing right now or setting up good pitches. We're kind of falling into holes, falling into traps that hitters are setting up versus pitching how I should be pitching and attacking guys how I should be attacking guys."

Houser's problems run deeper than the catchers or coaches

It’s a very deflective answer from a guy who should probably take ownership of the 5.73 ERA he had in 14 starts on the season before getting moved to the bullpen. He’s the one throwing the pitches at the end of the day and I can remember more than a few missed locations where he left balls right out over the middle of the plate that were just asking to be hit hard.

One can understand Houser’s frustration but maybe the move to the bullpen will be good for him. He had his first relief appearance of the year on Friday night and pitched well, allowing no runs or baserunners in 2 and 1/3 innings of work.

If Houser continues to pitch well as a reliever for the next month or so, the Giants would be wise to try to trade him to a team in need of some bullpen help. That’s what the Giants did back in 2019 when they traded Drew Pomeranz to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Mauricio Dubón so that may be a smart move.

The front office’s decision to give Houser a two-year deal in the offseason was not a widely beloved move at the time and it’s proven to be a very clear mistake. He can be a good pitcher but the Giants are seemingly just not able to develop pitchers the way other organizations around MLB can.

Houser’s comments are not a great look but maybe his demotion to the bullpen will be good for him and if he pitches well enough the Giants can deal him in exchange for a prospect.

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