While the Giants were getting shut down by Dylan Cease, a handful of roster updates and league notes slipped by in the background. The biggest one for San Francisco fans came with a familiar bullpen name, a catcher returning to the active mix, and another tough turn for Ryan Walker.
Justin Verlander also made news away from the Giants. He announced that the 2026 season will be his last, which means his career will end where it began: with the Detroit Tigers.
Verlander has made only one start for Detroit this year, and injuries have slowed him badly as he’s tried to keep going. He’ll be invited to the All-Star Game, and the expectation is that he’ll wind up in the Hall of Fame after a remarkable run.
Back in the Giants’ roster shuffle, the club placed outfielder Jonah Cox on the IL because of an oblique issue and brought up catcher/utility man Jesus Rodriguez. Rodriguez had already gotten a look earlier this season, flashed a few good moments, then cooled off at the plate while his defense drew questions.
At Triple-A Sacramento, he’s hit .274/.353/.405 with five home runs and 28 runs batted in. If he gets work behind the plate, his defense will be worth watching closely.
The bullpen also lost Gregory Santos. San Francisco brought him back in the offseason as part of its budget bullpen overhaul, and he appeared in three games with a 3.60 ERA across five innings. The Giants recently outrighted him to clear a 40-man spot for Eric Cerantola, and Santos has now elected free agency.
Then there’s Walker, who was sent back to Triple-A for the second time this season. He entered Wednesday’s game in mop-up duty and got hit hard, allowing three earned runs. His ERA sits at 7.52, and his grip on a Giants uniform looks awfully shaky.
For everyone still locked in on this team, the season keeps rolling, and so do the little moves that keep reshaping the roster.
In Other News...
Giants May Already Be Facing A Rafael Devers Reality Check
Rafael Devers has started to show some offensive improvement, but the Giants are still weighing a much bigger question about whether the fit ever really works in San Francisco. The club is reportedly exploring trade possibilities, a sign that the conversation around Devers has moved beyond production alone and into the harder issues of contract, clubhouse reputation and how he fits into the roster the Giants are trying to build.
For a team that expected more when it brought him in, the tension is obvious: Devers has not matched franchise expectations, and the longer this drags on, the more it shapes the rest of the lineup picture. There is even speculation about a possible trade partner if San Francisco is willing to take on a hefty share of the remaining salary, but nothing has been finalized yet, leaving the Giants with a decision that could say plenty about where they think this relationship is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Trade Idea Would Test How Far They Will Go For Help
A speculative trade pitch has put the Phillies in a familiar spot: weighing whether a midseason fix is worth the price of doing business. The idea, floated by Bleacher Reports Kerry Miller, would give Philadelphia help in a few areas at once, including a right-handed bat for the outfield and more stability on the mound, while also keeping the club from having to dip into the very top of its prospect stack.
The catch is the money, which is always part of the conversation when a deal starts to look this ambitious. Jung Hoo Lee is attached to a long-term contract, Robbie Ray is still carrying a hefty salary, and any team trying to make the math work has to decide how much flexibility it is willing to sacrifice for immediate help. For the Phillies, the appeal is obvious, but so is the question that lingers over any proposal like this: how far are they really prepared to go? [Read more 🡒]
Giants Face A Draft Defining Problem They Still Havent Fixed
The Giants are heading into this draft with a chance to do something their farm system has struggled to do for years: stock the organization with real outfield power. San Francisco has generally done a better job developing pitchers and infielders, while corner outfield help has too often come from outside the system through free agency, trades or international signings. With two first-round picks and five total day-one selections, this is the kind of draft that can change the conversation if the club identifies the right talent.
The need is especially clear because the pipeline is still thin, even with a few recent bright spots. Heliot Ramos has become a rare homegrown outfielder to stick as an everyday big leaguer for the Giants, while former top pick Hunter Bishop never got the momentum the club hoped for. There are names in the system who give San Francisco something to build on, but the larger question remains whether this draft finally gives the Giants the kind of outfield depth they have been chasing for so long. [Read more 🡒]