SF Giants roster purge magnifies extreme soft spot in the bullpen

The SF Giants roster purge is complete. In the process, the need for left-handed bullpen depth became magnified, as they sent Matt Gage and Seth Lonsway outright to Sacramento, while Reiver Sanmartín was designated for assignment.

The terminology differs slightly for Gage and Lonsway compared to Sanmartín, but the result is the same. All three players have been removed from the 40-man roster.

Gage will have the option to elect free agency, given that he has cleared waivers previously. Sanmartín should have that flexibility as well. That said, his status sits in the gray area of baseball rules. Technically, this is the first time that he has cleared waivers, but he was non-tendered in 2023. That is often done to pre-arbitration players at the non-tender deadline to avoid potentially losing a player on waivers.

On the other hand, Lonsway will not have the option to elect free agency. This was his first time clearing waivers. He allowed two earned runs in 2.1 frames with San Francisco at the end of the year.

SF Giants need help up and down the depth chart for left-handed relievers

These moves did not create a void on the roster. However, it magnified how light the depth chart is for left-handed relievers. Sam Hentges is the only left-handed reliever with any type of meaningful experience.

César Perdomo, Matt Wilkinson, and Carson Whisenhunt are the only other left-handed pitchers on the 40-man roster. Whisenhunt is expected to miss most of the 2027 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Perdomo and Wilkinson could slot in as situational lefties, but they came up as starters.

Given the number of young starters who underwent major elbow surgery in 2026, the Giants need all the depth that they can get. This means that Wilkinson and Perdomo will likely continue to be stretched out as starters, unless one of them shows a knack for excelling out of the bullpen.

Outside of the depth issue, the Giants have another problem. Currently, Sam Hentges is the No.1 lefty reliever on the depth chart. This was his first full season back from shoulder surgery, but he was not particularly effective.

Usage was an issue, as Tony Vitello relied on Hentges to come in with runners on base. That often proved to be problematic. The veteran reliever struggled badly with his control, leading to a lot of traffic on the bases. He rarely pitched long enough to take on any unusual damage, but he also allowed 34 percent of inherited runners to score.

Plus, Hentges struggled in matchups. Left-handed hitters posted a .792 OPS against him in 83 plate appearances this past season. He was signed to fill that role, but struggled. Throughout his career, he has been more effective in same-sided matchups, so this is likely an outlier.

That said, the Giants cannot go into next year with Hentges as their top left-handed reliever. If he is the second or third option, that is fine, but they need help both in terms of depth and a primary option out of the bullpen.

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