Will SF Giants be too cheap to bring back obvious reliever to stabilize bullpen?

The SF Giants need to remake their bullpen going into 2026 and an obvious way to help do that would be to bring back reliever Tyler Rogers. However, the Giants may be too cheap to do that if he gets a sizable deal.

After closer Ryan Helsley just got a two-year, $28 million contract from the Baltimore Orioles, we are getting a clearer picture of what the market is going to look for relievers this offseason.

SF Giants may be too cheap to bring back Tyler Rogers

There are a number of premium relief arms still on the market like Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, and Robert Suarez. They seem likely to command more than someone like Helsley who is coming off a disastrous tenure with the New York Mets after being traded midseason.

It will be interesting to see where Rogers ends up falling amidst all these relief arms given the fact that he is more of an eighth inning guy and is not a typical high-velocity reliever as he is instead a low-velocity sinker-baller who gets outs more with deception rather than velocity.

ESPN had predicted that Rogers will land a three-year, $27 million contract in free agency. We will see if he ends up getting that much, but if he commands a contract in the $9-10 million per year range then the Giants may not be major players.

Keep in mind they just non-tendered reliever Joey Lucchesi who was projected to earn $2 million next season and then signed left-handed reliever Sam Hentges to a $1.4 million deal.

Chairman Greg Johnson has been open about his reluctance to offer a premier starting pitcher a nine-figure contract, but that caution likely extends to relief pitchers as well. President of baseball operations Buster Posey has also suggested that the team may opt for more of a closer competition rather than signing a big name to a multi-year deal which suggests they may opt for a number of low-cost options on one-year deals.

Rogers seems like a more than worthwhile investment even if he costs somewhere in the $10 million per year range. He has been one of the most consistent and reliable relievers in baseball for some time and was great for the Mets after the Giants traded him at the deadline in 2025.

Even at the time it seemed like a no-brainer idea to try to bring Rogers back once he became a free agent in the offseason. However, it does not always work out so cleanly.

Plus, it seems the secret is out on Rogers. While he was San Francisco's hidden gem for so long, his exposure in New York and the fact that he is now a free agent is only going to make him more attractive for teams seeking a reliever.

The Giants know they have to make additions this offseason but it also seems like they do not want to spend big. That could end up being a big impediment to bringing Rogers back even if it makes a lot of sense from a baseball perspective.