The San Francisco Giants are making moves this offseason, and their latest addition is aimed squarely at stabilizing a rotation that needs reinforcements behind Logan Webb, Landen Roupp, and Robbie Ray. With Justin Verlander reportedly heading elsewhere, the Giants are plugging one of their potential rotation gaps by bringing in veteran right-hander Adrian Houser on a two-year, $22 million deal, which includes a club option for a third year.
Houser, 32, is no stranger to the big leagues. He’s been around since his debut in 2015, but it wasn’t until 2019 that he carved out a regular role.
Since then, he’s been a serviceable arm-never flashy, but often reliable. And in 2025, he turned in what might be the most intriguing season of his career.
Let’s break it down: Houser started the year with the Chicago White Sox and looked like a completely different pitcher. In 11 starts, he posted a 2.10 ERA and racked up 3.0 bWAR-numbers that jump off the page for a mid-rotation starter.
But the second half of his season told a different story. After being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, his ERA ballooned to 4.79 over 10 starts, and his bWAR dipped to just 0.3.
That kind of split raises eyebrows, but it also highlights the upside the Giants are betting on.
In total, Houser’s 2025 campaign ended with a 3.31 ERA over 21 starts and an 8-5 record, good for 3.3 bWAR. That’s a solid body of work, especially when you consider the volatility that comes with midseason trades and adjusting to new environments. The Giants clearly believe that the version of Houser they saw in Chicago is closer to who he can be in San Francisco.
This isn’t a splashy signing-Houser wasn’t the biggest name on the market, and the Giants aren’t chasing top-dollar arms like Tatsuya Imai, Framber Valdez, or Ranger Suárez. But this move fits a pattern: calculated, cost-conscious additions that can raise the floor of the roster without blowing up the payroll. Houser’s deal isn’t cheap, but it’s a manageable investment for a club looking to round out its rotation with dependable innings.
And San Francisco didn’t stop there. On the same day, they also added reliever Jason Foley, signaling a clear intent to shore up their pitching depth across the board. With Webb locked in as the ace and Ray working his way back into form, Houser gives the Giants a veteran presence who can slot in anywhere from the middle to the back end of the rotation-and potentially eat up some valuable innings over the long haul of the season.
At this stage of his career, Houser isn’t going to light up radar guns or rack up strikeouts at an elite clip, but he knows how to pitch. He’s been through the grind, adapted to different roles, and shown he can handle the workload. If he can replicate even a portion of what he did with the White Sox, the Giants will have themselves a steady, experienced arm who can help anchor a rotation that’s still taking shape.
Bottom line: This is a smart, strategic pickup. It may not make headlines, but it could end up being one of those under-the-radar moves that pays dividends down the stretch.