The Giants’ latest roster shuffle may have started with Spencer Bivens, but it probably won’t end there.
On Wednesday, San Francisco claimed right-handed pitcher Duncan Davitt off waivers from the Atlanta Braves and opened a spot by designating Bivens for assignment. It’s a tough break for a reliever who gave the club real value over the last two seasons, even if this year never really came together.
Bivens’ path to the majors was a story worth rooting for, and his five-inning start against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 was one of those emergency outings that sticks. The Giants just needed innings that day, and he delivered them. He struck out Shohei Ohtani to close out the start and lock in the win, then celebrated like a player who knew exactly how much the moment meant.
There’s still a chance he lands somewhere good, and there’s also the possibility he clears waivers and stays with San Francisco. But with a roster squeeze building around the 60-man group, Bivens looks more like the first move than the last.
Ryan Walker feels like the next name to watch. The Giants have already given him plenty of runway, and the results have turned sharply.
He was electric in 2024 and looked like a possible closer for San Francisco, but 2025 went sideways and 2026 has been rough in a big way. Walker is sitting on a 7.16 ERA this season and was just bumped in favor of recently claimed reliever Joel Kuhnel.
At this point, the Giants seem ready to move on.
Tristan Beck also looks vulnerable. San Francisco acquired him years ago in the Mark Melancon deal, and the Stanford product has flashed enough to stick around, even if his role has been more about soaking up innings than handling the late-game pressure.
He was once viewed as a starter, but he never showed the kind of stuff that would push him into a true high-leverage bullpen role. With a 7.07 ERA this season, his 40-man spot could be better used on someone with a better chance to help the bullpen.
Then there’s Seth Lonsway, who got a brief look this year when the Giants needed innings. He doesn’t seem like someone the club is planning to build around next season, which makes him another likely candidate to get caught in the churn.
That churn is coming. The Bivens move is probably just the first of several as the Giants try to remake a bullpen that didn’t get enough help last offseason. Expect them to stay busy on the waiver wire as they look for arms that can actually stick.
In Other News...
Dodgers Just Lost Their Biggest Threat At The Worst Time
Shohei Ohtanis latest health setback changes the shape of the National League race, and it matters plenty to the Giants as they try to keep pressure on the Dodgers down the stretch. Los Angeles placed Ohtani on the 15-day injured list with issues in his left knee, right biceps and neck, and manager Dave Roberts said the club waited as long as possible before making the move.
For a division rival, the timing is the obvious part of the story. Ohtani will be ineligible to return until at least Sept. 23, and he will not pitch again this season, leaving the Dodgers to navigate a critical stretch without the two-way star who usually forces teams to account for him every night. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Sent Loyal Fans A Telling Late-Season Offer
With the season winding down, the Giants are trying to give their most committed fans a little extra reason to show up. Season ticket holders are being offered a credit worth 15% of a tickets value for attending certain games in the final month, a small but notable incentive as the club tries to keep the ballpark energized through September.
There is a little more on the table, too, if the Giants take care of business in those games. The credit rises by another 5% when San Francisco wins, and the reward is applied to the fans ticketing account for future purchases. The catch is in the details: the offer only counts for tickets used by the season ticket holder or forwarded directly to another account, not ones moved through secondary marketplaces. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Recent Surge Sparked A Bigger Veteran Leadership Debate
The Giants recent uptick has done more than brighten the standings for a few days. After taking their first sweep of the season from the St. Louis Cardinals, theyve started to look like a club with a little more rhythm, even as the roster has been missing two of its bigger veteran names in Matt Chapman and Willy Adames. What makes the run notable is the timing, since the improvement has come while both players have been on the injured list and the team has actually posted a better winning percentage in their absence.
That has opened a conversation inside the broader picture of the clubhouse, where leadership is never just about experience on paper. The Giants have leaned more on younger players during this stretch, and the mix has at least raised questions about chemistry, voice and who sets the tone when the lineup changes. It is the kind of development that does not settle neatly into one explanation, and it leaves the bigger debate about veteran influence very much alive. [Read more 🡒]