The SF Giants bullpen already has the most important question answered for 2025

As the SF Giants prepare for an offseason that is sure to be different with Buster Posey now at the helm, the bullpen might look similar to the one that finished the season. There is one thing for certain and that is that Ryan Walker is the closer going forward.

The SF Giants bullpen already has the most important question answered for 2025

Finding the right closer is often the hardest part of putting together a bullpen. However, the Giants can check that box off with Walker entrenched as the team's closer.

The 28-year-old reliever is coming off of an excellent 2024 campaign in which he posted a 1.91 ERA, 2.52 FIP, 0.85 WHIP, 11.1 K/9, and a 5.50 SO/W rate in 76 outings. This included a stretch in which he went nearly two months without giving up a run. He yielded a run against the Colorado Rockies on July 27 and did not allow another run until a game against the Baltimore Orioles on September 19.

Camilo Doval served as the team's closer for much of the season, but Walker was clearly the best arm in the bullpen. Plus, he was able to handle a pretty heavy workload in doing so. While throwing 80 or more innings is not an ideal workload for any reliever, moving to a closer role would limit Walker's usage to some degree.

When Doval was optioned to Triple-A, Walker slid right into the closer role in early August and he never looked back. He converted 10 saves in 10 opportunities to finish the year.

When the 2025 season begins, the Giants could look to Doval to return to that role or even Jordan Hicks if they no longer view him as a starter. Similar to Walker, both Doval and Hicks have the premium velocity to handle that role.

Perhaps, Walker does not throw quite as hard as Doval or Hicks, but his slidestep delivery does create some deception for opposing hitters. Plus, Walker is a much better strike-thrower than the other two options. Closers need to have good command and Walker has it.

Really, there should not be any question about the closer heading into the 2025 season. The question will be how the Giants get the ball to Walker.

While the 2024 season was a disappointment in a lot of respects, one area that quietly made some strides as the season progressed was the bullpen. The Giants knew that both Walker and Tyler Rogers would be leverage options when the season began. Of course, they hoped that Doval would be one as well.

However, they did not have much length beyond that. As the year progressed, Erik Miller, Sean Hjelle, Spencer Bivens, and Randy Rodríguez all had stretches of reliability. This is not to say that they will become leverage options as soon as next year but you could count on them to get the job done more often than not.

Relievers can be pretty volatile so it is hard to know what to expect with each arm. However, the Giants do have enough variability to offset potential underperformances from the current core. Some will pitch well next year, others will not. That is the life of a bullpen arm. However, many of the Giants' current options have the potential to either be reliable or leverage options.

The club should still look to make a few additions around the margins with the bullpen but they do not need to make any sizable investments. They definitely do not need to target a closer in free agency. Walker seemingly has that role all to himself.