SF Giants swap out relievers ahead of Saturday's game against the New York Mets

The SF Giants made a roster move ahead of Saturday's game against the New York Mets. According to a team announcement, Joel Kuhnel was activated, and Ryan Walker was optioned back to Triple-A.

The Giants claimed Kuhnel off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. He is out of minor league options, so the Giants needed to make a corresponding move to bring him onto the roster. This is essentially a one-month audition for next year's bullpen.

The veteran reliever has appeared in parts of six major league seasons, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds. He has bounced around the league in recent years. Overall, Kuhnel has pitched to a 5.58 ERA, 4.72 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, and a 2.72 SO/W rate. This includes a healthy 51.4 percent ground ball rate.

SF Giants giving veteran reliever a one-month audition for 2027 bullpen

While Kuhnel's overall numbers have not been all that strong, he has had some success in Triple-A. He has a 3.59 career ERA in 166 appearances at the highest level in the minors.

On the mound, Kuhnel throws from a three-quarters armslot from the right side. He leans heavily on a mid 90's sinker that does not miss a lot of bats, but it is difficult for opposing hitters to get it into the air. Kuhnel throws a low 90's cutter, along with a low 90's changeup. That latter offering might be a classification error. He could be throwing a splitter instead that has registered as a changeup.

Nonetheless, the cutter has been hit hard, so Kuhnel likely needs to find a second pitch to use against major league hitters.

The Giants will have a very busy start to the offseason with the number of players they have on the 60-day injured list. They will need to make a decision on those players right after the conclusion of the World Series. This will lead to a wave of players either designated for assignment or non-tendered.

Ryan Walker could be among the roster cuts. He is eligible for arbitration in the offseason, meaning that he would be due for a raise. Instead, the Giants will likely non-tender Walker, thereby making him a free agent.

The Giants hoped that Walker could be a key cog in this year's bullpen, but that quickly did not play out as they had hoped. He has struggled for much of the past two seasons, including pitching to a 7.16 ERA in 33 outings this year.

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