How the Giants are already reshaping their bullpen

The Giants entered the offseason knowing they’d have to rebuild a bullpen that underwent significant turnover this year. They took a step toward achieving that aim by agreeing to a one-year contract with left-hander Sam Hentges, the team announced on Wednesday.

FanSided's Robert Murray reported the deal is worth $1.4 million.

Hentges, 29, logged a 4.18 ERA over four seasons with the Guardians, but he sat out the entire 2025 season while recovering from left shoulder surgery. He also underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery in September, which has an expected rehab timeline of three to four months.

Hentges became a free agent when he was non-tendered by the Guardians on Nov. 21, but he was on the open market for less than a week before he was scooped up by the Giants. His best season came in 2022, when he posted a 2.32 ERA with 72 strikeouts over 62 innings in 57 relief outings for Cleveland.

San Francisco had an open spot on its 40-man roster after non-tendering another lefty reliever, Joey Lucchesi, so the club didn't need to make a corresponding move to bring Hentges into the mix.

The Giants’ decision to move on from the 32-year-old Lucchesi -- who recorded a 3.76 ERA over 38 relief appearances this year -- came as a mild surprise, though they ended up finding a quick replacement in Hentges, who will be under team control through 2027.

Assuming he’s healthy, Hentges should join Erik Miller, Matt Gage and recently claimed Reiver Sanmartin as lefty options in the Giants’ bullpen next year.

Hentges and Sanmartin should help give the Giants more experience from the left side, but the team will still need to shore up the back end of the bullpen, which was thinned by the departures of Tyler Rogers (traded to the Mets) and Camilo Doval (traded to the Yankees) and loss of All-Star right-hander Randy Rodríguez, who is expected to miss the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September.

Ryan Walker is currently projected to serve as San Francisco’s closer next year, but the 30-year-old right-hander is coming off a down year, so the Giants could look to bring in other ninth-inning options this offseason.

The top of the free agent market has already begun to see some movement, with veteran relievers Raisel Iglesias (one year, $16 million with Atlanta), Ryan Helsley (two years, $28 million with Baltimore) and Devin Williams (three years, $51 million with the Mets) coming off the board.

Two elite closers -- Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez -- remain available, though the Giants could also consider reuniting with Rogers.