SF Giants Player Review 2026: José Buttó went from WBC champion to a lost season

For a team to deploy 71 players over the course of a six-month, 162-game season, it must mean that some of those guys, a lot of them actually, were with the big-league club just for a few weeks. Or days even. It was the case for several of the players we've already covered as part of our SF Giants Players Review 2026. Will Brennan, Spencer Bivens, Philip Abner, and even Scott Bandura all fit in that "short stint" category.

Today's player, José Buttó, literally stayed days on the active roster before seeing his season end very prematurely. Just three outings and six days after the start of the season, Buttó had already made a trip to the injured list, one that he would ultimately never return from.

Buttó went from cloud nine to rock bottom

Buttó probably enjoyed the best spring of all Giants players. After allowing one earned run over three Cactus League appearances, Butto, along with teammate Luis Arraez, left the Giants' camp to join his country, Venezuela, to compete in the World Baseball Classic. Little did he know he would be part of his country's history, bringing home its first World Baseball Classic title ever.

Buttó wasn't a back-end bullpen option; he was one of the stars. He played a big role in that unprecedented achievement. Across five appearances and 5 2/3 innings, Buttó didn't allow a single run. He'll remember his last outing of the tournament forever: a scoreless sixth inning that preserved Venezuela's lead before the team eventually prevailed over Team USA, 3-2.

Still on cloud nine, Buttó returned to the Giants to prepare for the marathon lying ahead. Unfortunately, his race wouldn't last long. Buttó appeared in just three regular-season games: he gave up one earned run in 2/3 innings against the Yankees on Opening Day, threw one scoreless inning in San Diego on March 31, and allowed four runs in just 1/3 inning the next day.

It turned out that something was wrong with him. On April 2, Buttó underwent his first surgery to remove a blood clot and was initially expected to miss between two and four months of competition. Two weeks later, it was revealed that Buttó needed another surgery to repair an axillary artery in his upper right arm, a rare procedure for baseball players. The second intervention extended his recovery to five or six months, virtually ending his season. The Giants moved him to the 60-day injured list on April 21, and Buttó never threw a pitch again this season.

Buttó was part of the package the Giants got in return from the Mets in the Tyler Rogers trade. His injury opened the door for another player included in that deal, Blade Tidwell, to contribute earlier than expected. Sad ending: Tidwell would end up undergoing Tommy John surgery in October and is expected to miss the entire 2027 season. At least Drew Gilbert, who was the third player the Giants got in return, had a solid season and is healthy.

Such a depressing season for Buttó actually ended on a high note. On September 29, the Giants announced that Buttó should have a normal offseason and was expected to be ready for spring training. He also was scheduled to make an instructional-league outing on September 30.

The Giants didn't get to have a good look at Buttó this year, but they already know what they can expect out of him. In his first stint with the team last season, Buttó posted a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings over 21 appearances. In 2024 with the Mets, he posted a 2.55 ERA in 74 innings and made seven starts, pitching at least five innings in six of those outings.

As of today, the Giants still own his rights, and Buttó remains on the 60-day injured list. If the team wants to retain him, they must restore him to the 40-man roster once the World Series ends and tender him a contract. He'll undoubtedly be in the discussions regarding the revamping of that bullpen.

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