The Giants spent 2026 shuffling bullpen arms in and out of the mix, and Joel Kuhnel was one of the waiver-wire bets they took along the way.
San Francisco claimed the right-hander from the Milwaukee Brewers, hoping there might be something to unlock. Kuhnel certainly had the kind of frame that stands out - 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds - and he brought a sinker that featured heavy movement and sat around 95 miles per hour most of the time. The pitch got a lot of contact, which was part of the story with him.
In 10 appearances for the Giants, Kuhnel posted a 2.79 ERA across 9 and 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked six, and his 5.07 FIP pointed to some good fortune in that stretch.
That’s why it wasn’t exactly a surprise when he became a 40-man roster casualty. Kuhnel showed flashes, but not enough for San Francisco to keep him on the roster through the offseason. He cleared waivers and is now a free agent.
A return on a minor league deal wouldn’t be the craziest move in the world if the Giants want more bullpen depth, especially with the way injuries and poor performance forced them to keep cycling through arms in 2026. But Kuhnel could also decide to look elsewhere.
The Giants’ decision to claim him in the first place made sense. Milwaukee has a reputation for getting more out of pitchers, so San Francisco may have hoped it was getting a reliever with untapped upside. Instead, Kuhnel had a 6.52 ERA in 10 appearances with the Brewers, which suggested he was already in a tough spot before the Giants got him.
Even with that miss, the bigger takeaway is that San Francisco needs to keep working the waiver wire. Kuhnel and Philip Abner didn’t pan out, but that doesn’t mean the process is wrong.
The Giants still need to add real bullpen help this offseason, and they should keep checking for pitchers who might be available out of nowhere. After how bad the 2026 bullpen was, they don’t have much choice but to use every avenue available to avoid a repeat in 2027.
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