SF Giants still have glaring weakness to address following latest addition

After upgrading the outfield defense with the reported addition of Harrison Bader, the SF Giants still have some work to do this offseason. Where do they turn to next? The bullpen still needs a lot of work.

SF Giants still have glaring weakness to address following latest addition

When the offseason began, the Giants had three major priorities to check off, including the bullpen, starting rotation, and outfield. They have addressed the rotation, with the additions of Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle.

There is a case to be made for them to add one more starting pitcher. If they do, it will likely be a minor signing or a pitching who can throw in a couple of different roles. Houser and Mahle will be joined by Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Landen Roupp.

The Giants have also added to the outfield. Harrison Bader gives the outfield defense a boost that struggled so badly last year. He will likely take over in center field, sliding Jung Hoo Lee over to right field.

The attention now needs to turn to the bullpen. That unit was a liability by the end of last season. While Bob Melvin's bullpen management was often a point of criticism among Giants fans, he also did not have the personnel to leverage late in the year. The moves he made did not matter because that unit was just not effective.

Part of a manager's job in using the bullpen is pulling the right strings with relievers, especially late in games. He needs to put his relievers in a position to succeed, but he also needs to have reliable relievers to lean on.

That unit looks suspiciously similar to the one that finished last season. There is no real blueprint for how the Giants plan to preserve leads and close out games. That is a problem, and one that could become a critical flaw for the 2026 season.

The look of the bullpen is always fluid. There are moving parts, and changes happen quickly. If the season started today, Ryan Walker and Joel Peguero would be competing for the closer role. Walker struggled last season, and Peguero did not miss many bats despite flashing premium velocity.

The Giants have added Sam Hentges and Jason Foley on major league contracts this offseason. Both are returning from shoulder surgery, with Foley expected to be out until the middle of the season.

Matt Gage, José Buttó, JT Brubaker, Spencer Bivens, and Erik Miller could round out the rest of the bullpen. Miller will fill a leverage role against left-handed hitters, but that is far too many middle relievers in a bullpen that is light on leverage arms.

Spring training begins in a couple of weeks. The Giants still have some work to do this offseason, and it does not have to be the flashy moves. That said, they need to bring in some competition to try and raise that floor of that unit.