The San Francisco Giants have spent the 2026 season looking nothing like a team built for a postseason run, and that reality has already pushed them into seller mode. Even with Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman still on the roster, the club moved on from Robbie Ray and Luis Arraez at the trade deadline because both were on expiring deals.
That left one decision hanging over the front office: what to do with JT Brubaker.
Brubaker, a former Yankees reliever, was another veteran on an expiring contract, and FanSided’s Zachary Rotman said it was a surprise the Giants kept him rather than shopping him as well. As Rotman wrote, "The Giants traded [Robbie] Ray and [Luis] Arraez because they were on expiring contracts, so it was a bit surprising that they held on to JT Brubaker, another veteran who is set to hit free agency after the season," FanSided's Zachary Rotman wrote. "They wouldn't have gotten much for Brubaker, but he's pitched well enough (3.59 ERA in 39 appearances, 57.2 IP) that they would've been able to get something, right?"
Brubaker hasn’t piled up eye-catching strikeout totals, but he has done enough to keep hitters from doing damage in the air. He has limited the ball in the yard and owns a 41.5% groundball rate.
That profile is the kind plenty of contenders can use in a bullpen stretch run, which is part of why his market should be there if the Giants choose to move on.
Rotman also noted that keeping Brubaker through the deadline doesn’t necessarily point to a future in San Francisco. "Holding on to Brubaker does not mean he'll be back next season, though - again, due to his contract status.
With the right-hander having the ability to sign with any of the other 29 teams, it's more likely than not that he'll be gone," Rotman added. "If he were to be open to staying put, though, it'd make sense for the Giants to consider, given the state of their bullpen."
The Giants could still bring Brubaker back for the 2027 season, but if he ends up elsewhere, it won’t be a major blow.
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This season has been tougher to square with that investment. Adames has been below league average offensively, batting .224 with a 96 OPS+, and the production simply has not matched the expectations that come with his salary. Bleacher Reports Joel Reuter recently pointed to that gap between cost and impact, and for the Giants the concern is no longer just whether Adames can heat up, but whether this is becoming a more lasting issue than anyone anticipated. [Read more 🡒]