The SF Giants bullpen may need to be completely redone in the offseason

The SF Giants knew that the bullpen would likely take a step back after trading away Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, along with the injury to Randy Rodríguez. However, the bullpen may need to be completely redone in the offseason after the remaining group has struggled to be effective.

The SF Giants bullpen may need to be completely redone in the offseason

Rodríguez was placed on the injured list on August 26. Since then, the Giants bullpen has struggled to a 4.76 ERA. The bullpen was already beginning to crumble before the 2025 Giants All-Star was placed on the injured list, but it has been a sharp contrast to the unit from earlier in the year.

In addition to the Rodríguez injury, Erik Miller has been on the injured list since early July with an elbow sprain. While his peripheral numbers were not all that strong, he remained effective against left-handed hitters. The Giants have been missing that lately, especially with all of the games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

How do the Giants rebuild the bullpen? That is one of the toughest parts of any roster to build, and I am not sure if any team is truly confident in how to do it. The Dodgers thought they would remake the bullpen after adding Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates last offseason. However, Scott and Yates have struggled to a 4.64 ERA and 5.23 ERA, respectively. That tends to be the volatile career arcs of bullpen arms.

Where do the Giants even start? Joey Lucchesi has put up a 3.22 ERA in 36 outings this season. He has emerged as one of Bob Melvin's few remaining leverage arms.

Ryan Walker had a good stretch going in July and August, but has struggled again in September. If the Giants do not go out and sign a closer in the offseason, Walker likely still has an inside track at that role. This is due partly to the lack of alternatives. Plus, there is no guarantee that signing a closer would improve that role next season. It's just a hard spot to predict.

Joel Peguero flashes premium velocity, and Matt Gage had a good stretch to start his Giants career. Spencer Bivens has pitched to a 4.09 ERA, but his 3.60 FIP is a bit more promising. He is likely better suited for low-leverage innings. José Buttó has thrown like a middle reliever lately.

Each of these players has shown something promising. Perhaps, with the exception of Lucchesi, no one else is making a strong case for a bullpen role next season.

The Giants may need to rebuild the bullpen, but they likely will not do it through expensive signings in free agency. There is just too much risk with that approach. Perhaps, handing out non-roster invites to fringe relievers might be the best way to go. A fringe reliever yesterday might turn into a leverage arm down the road. They may need to get creative in fixing this area of the roster for next season.

More from Around the Foghorn: