The SF Giants are heading into the offseason with a roster squeeze, but free agency is not going to do much to clear it up. As things stand, JT Brubaker is the only player on the roster set to become an unrestricted free agent.
That number is still fluid. The Giants will have to restore 17 players from the 60-day injured list, and they also have several arbitration-eligible players plus a club option on veteran reliever Rowan Wick. Even so, Brubaker is the lone Giant currently scheduled to hit the open market.
That’s a little surprising given how the trade deadline unfolded. The Giants moved nearly all of their expiring contracts, including Luis Arráez, Tyler Mahle, and Robbie Ray. Brubaker was the one exception among that group, and if there had been meaningful trade interest, he likely would have been dealt as well.
Brubaker came to San Francisco on a minor league deal late in the 2025 season and made five appearances in the stretch run. He was also one of the few Giants players eligible for arbitration last offseason, and he stood out there too: he was the only member of that group to receive a contract for this season.
The Giants agreed to pay him $1.8 million at the non-tender deadline. For a middle reliever, that’s not a huge number, though the club certainly could have used that money elsewhere. Instead, Brubaker returned for the 2026 season and became part of a bullpen that had a rough year, especially when games were on the line late.
He wasn’t asked to handle many high-leverage situations, so he can at least say he wasn’t directly tied to the bullpen’s biggest meltdowns in that role. On the year, Brubaker posted a 3.58 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 5.8 K/9, and a 1.50 SO/W rate over 60.1 innings. The numbers show a pitcher who did enough to keep runs off the board, even if he didn’t miss many bats or limit walks the way a shutdown reliever usually does.
There’s also some caution built into the surface stats. His 5.03 xERA and 5.00 xFIP point toward a little good fortune along the way.
The 32-year-old finished the season on the injured list after suffering a rib injury. Based on the role he filled, it would not be a shock if he’s gone next year. For now, though, he carries a notable offseason distinction: he’s the Giants’ only unrestricted free agent.
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