The SF Giants’ rotation picture for next season is a lot murkier than it once looked, and Landen Roupp’s latest outing did little to clear it up.
For a while, Logan Webb and Roupp felt like the safest bets to anchor the group again. Adrian Houser, who is under contract for next year, could also be in the conversation, though his brief move to the bullpen raises a few questions. After Friday night, though, Roupp no longer looks like a lock.
He lasted 5 and 2/3 innings and gave up four earned runs while walking three and striking out five. That pushed his season ERA to 4.31 across 24 starts. He’s logged 129 innings, a career high, and has piled up 60 walks against 128 strikeouts.
The stuff still plays. When Roupp is right, he looks like someone who can absolutely fit as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter. The problem is the consistency just hasn’t been there, and that makes it hard to hand him a rotation job without a fight.
That’s why the Giants should head into 2027 acting like they have four spots to fill. That doesn’t necessarily mean four free-agent signings, especially with Greg Johnson’s well-known reluctance to spend heavily on pitching. Chasing four outside arms feels unrealistic unless the club is talking about pitchers in the Taijuan Walker or David Peterson tier.
A more likely path is a mix of outside additions and internal competition. The Giants could sign one or two free agents and then open the rest of the spots to a battle among younger arms, including Houser and Roupp. Blade Tidwell or Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson could push their way into the mix too.
After a season like this, nobody should feel protected except Webb. The staff has not been managed well enough, and the cleanest fix may be to make every job feel earned. Roupp may be one of the guys who benefits most from that kind of pressure, especially after the way he showed up his manager in his second-to-last start.
If nothing else, the Giants need to treat next year’s pitching staff like an open competition. That might be the best way to squeeze better results out of a group that has given them far too little this season. And if ownership decides to spend a little more on pitching, that would help too - though no one should be counting on that.
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Giants Quietly Added A Pitching Prospect Fans Need To Notice
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The climb matters because this was not a prospect who simply appeared out of nowhere. His path to the Giants came in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies that also brought Luis Arrez, Caleb Kilian and Marty Gair into the same deal, and the organization has clearly liked what it has seen since. For a farm system that already has some headline pieces, the latest update suggests there may be another arm worth keeping close tabs on as the rest of the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
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The part that gave Giants fans something to hold onto came after the procedure, when manager Tony Vitello sounded upbeat about Chapmans recovery and eventual return. There is still a long runway before anyone starts talking about game action again, but the early sense around the club is that Chapmans outlook is far better than the season-ending label might first suggest, with the Giants already looking ahead to getting him back in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Roster Debate Grows As Buddy Kennedy Keeps Getting Chances
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The latest moves only sharpened that conversation. The Giants recently brought up outfielders Jonah Cox and Turner Hill while optioning Grant McCray and Nate Furman, a sequence that underscored how fluid the bench spots remain. Kennedy staying in the mix over Furman has become part of the larger debate, especially with his limited offensive production still hanging over every decision. [Read more 🡒]