JT Brubaker’s pending departure leaves the Giants with a pretty specific pitching problem: how do they replace those innings without creating a mess somewhere else?
Brubaker is the only player on San Francisco’s current roster set to hit free agency automatically, while Camilo Doval is only in that category if the Giants decide not to tender him a contract. That matters because Brubaker’s 2026 line - a 3.58 ERA over 60.1 innings in 41 appearances - gives the club a clear benchmark for the type of work it needs to cover.
The issue is bigger than simply finding another arm. The Giants have to sort out who can absorb those innings, whether that pitcher should also be part of the rotation picture, and how all of that affects the back end of the staff.
Carson Seymour looks like the most obvious internal place to start.
In 2026, he posted a 4.55 ERA over 31.2 major league innings. His minor league track record added a 3.79 ERA across 76 innings, including nine starts in 22 appearances. That mix makes him a candidate for longer relief work and the occasional start.
That résumé earns him a chance to compete, but it does not answer the bigger question: can he give San Francisco the same kind of value over a larger major league workload that Brubaker provided?
The Giants should have enough depth to protect themselves if Seymour doesn’t handle the job. That makes the best version of this plan one where Seymour gets a shot, but not the entire burden.
Tristan Beck fits into that picture as well. He logged a 5.21 ERA over 19 major league innings in 2026, and his experience gives San Francisco another possible answer. At the same time, the small sample size does not make the vacancy feel settled.
Both pitchers still have minor league options, which gives the Giants some room to move them around during the season. A veteran addition could join that mix while the club figures out which arm belongs in the bigger role.
The rotation has to be part of the conversation too. If Seymour is needed for starts, then the Giants can’t also count those same innings as the solution to Brubaker’s bullpen work. Before they can really measure the staff, each pitcher needs a job description.
One free-agent fit stands out: Texas Rangers left-hander Tyler Alexander.
Alexander put up a 3.70 ERA over 73 innings in 75 appearances in 2026, with five starts. Since his contract is expiring, he profiles as a useful candidate for frequent relief work with some spot-start value mixed in.
That kind of flexibility would let the Giants keep their options open around Seymour. Alexander could handle innings without forcing the club to lock every multi-inning arm into either the rotation or the bullpen.
His 60 strikeouts in 73 innings underline the appeal of the role he already filled. The bigger late-inning decisions remain separate, especially if San Francisco decides to non-tender Doval.
Of course, Alexander’s price is still unknown, and a strong season like that usually brings competition. The Giants would need to make sure any offer matches the job they expect him to do.
There is also a trade path. St. Louis Cardinals starter Andre Pallante is under arbitration control through 2028, and if the Cardinals are open to talking, he could give the Giants another rotation piece while allowing someone like Seymour to stay in relief.
That kind of move would address more than one need, but it would likely cost more than a reliever signing. The trade price would have to make sense, and Pallante would need to be worth the investment as a starter for San Francisco.
Brubaker is set to make $1.82 million in 2026, so a reunion is still worth at least considering before the Giants commit more money and resources elsewhere.
If he does leave, the cleanest outside match is Alexander, with Seymour competing for a bigger role and Beck still in the mix as depth. That gives the Giants a workable way to cover Brubaker’s innings while keeping their bigger pitching decisions focused on the rotation and the late innings.
In Other News...
Casey Schmitt Just Became A Real Giants Offseason Flashpoint
Casey Schmitts 2026 season gave the Giants one of their more interesting young success stories before a knee injury shut him down, but it also left the club with a real offseason decision on its hands. Buster Posey has said the team has not settled on where Schmitt will play next season, and the options on the table are wide-ranging enough to tell you how much the Giants still value his bat and athleticism.
Third base, left field and second base are all under consideration, which is why Schmitt has suddenly become more than just a lineup question. If San Francisco decides the best way to use that versatility is as a trade chip, the conversation shifts from position fit to roster-building, with pitching needing help and the Mariners among the teams that could come up as a possible partner. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Have A Big Camilo Doval Decision To Make
Camilo Doval is back in the Giants orbit after being designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving San Francisco another look at a reliever who once looked like a foundational piece at the back of the bullpen. Buster Posey has already acknowledged the club will sort through where Doval fits as the team gets ready for the upcoming season, and that matters because the Giants are still trying to settle a relief group that can hold up over a full year.
Doval, for his part, has made it clear he wants to stay in San Francisco and get back to the All-Star level that made him such a difference-maker in the first place. The reunion creates an interesting decision point for the Giants, who now have to weigh past production, current bullpen needs, and how much runway to give a pitcher looking to reestablish himself in familiar colors. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rotation Need Makes A Kevin Gausman Reunion Hard To Ignore
Kevin Gausmans path back onto the market is starting to look like one the Giants will at least have to consider. After being traded to the Chicago Cubs during the season, the veteran right-hander finished with a 4-2 record and a 4.83 ERA in nine starts, and he is set to hit free agency after the season. For San Francisco, the appeal is obvious: the rotation has room, and Gausman already has a history there that makes the fit feel less theoretical than most winter speculation.
The bigger complication is the calendar. Contract talks and timing are always tricky enough, but the possibility of an MLB lockout adds another layer of uncertainty to what kind of market Gausman will find and when it will fully materialize. For the Giants, that means a reunion is easy to imagine and harder to map out, especially if they want to fill a rotation need without getting caught in a winter that could slow everything down. [Read more 🡒]