The Giants trimmed their 40-man roster and, for the moment, Ryan Walker made the cut.
San Francisco had one more move to make after clearing out its roster logjam, and it came in two parts: reliever Reiver Sanmartin was designated for assignment, and the club declined Rowan Wick’s option, though Wick will remain under team control per the team’s announcement. That left the Giants at 40 names, and Walker was the one who stayed put.
That’s a little surprising considering how rough 2026 was for him. Walker posted a 7.16 ERA across 33 appearances, and even after getting multiple chances to straighten things out, the results never really changed. He did show some promise in the minors, but when he came back up, the same problems followed him back to the big leagues.
Still, this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s out of the woods. Walker could be DFA’d later this offseason, especially if the Giants add several free-agent pitchers, which looks likely. He, Wick and Carson Seymour all appear to be in that group of possible roster casualties, so there’s a real chance Walker doesn’t make it to Opening Day on the 40-man roster.
For now, though, the Giants are leaving the door open. Maybe they still see something worth betting on, because 2024 is still hanging over this decision.
Walker was dominant that season, and the fall since then has been hard to watch. One year he looked nearly unhittable; a few seasons later, he can look like a pitcher who can’t find the strike zone.
That kind of volatility is part of life with relievers. They can swing fast, and the Giants have seen it before with Camilo Doval, who went from All-Star one season to being demoted the next.
Walker should draw interest if he hits waivers, too. Other clubs will believe they can fix him, and there’s a decent chance somebody takes that swing. If he lands with the Atlanta Braves or Milwaukee Brewers, two teams that helped revive former Giants pitchers in 2026, then maybe there’s still a path back.
So he’s safe for now. But if San Francisco signs three or four pitchers to the big league club this offseason, it’s tough to see how Walker stays on the roster.
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