Ryan Borucki, approaching his 32nd birthday on March 31, has found a new home with the San Francisco Giants after a brief stint with the Chicago White Sox. Despite an impressive spring where he tossed six scoreless innings and notched eight strikeouts in Cactus League play, Borucki was released when it became clear he wouldn't be part of Chicago’s Opening Day roster. The Giants, dealing with a shortage of left-handed relief due to injuries, quickly snapped him up.
San Francisco's bullpen was in need of reinforcements with Sam Hentges and Reiver Sanmartin sidelined. Hentges is still recovering from a shoulder surgery back in September 2024, and Sanmartin is out with a right hip flexor strain from his time with Team Colombia in the World Baseball Classic. Erik Miller, another lefty, had some back tightness but seems ready for Opening Night after a solid Cactus League performance.
Borucki, who boasts a career 4.28 ERA over eight seasons with the Blue Jays, Pirates, and Mariners, is now expected to slot in as the second lefty option behind Miller in the Giants’ bullpen. This move could impact Matt Gage, who despite a strong 2.84 ERA in seven spring outings, is out of options.
The Giants have also brought back Joey Lucchesi on a Minor League deal. Although Lucchesi, also 32, has only seen limited action with three innings pitched this spring, he remains part of the depth chart.
As the Giants shape their bullpen for the season, Ryan Walker, José Buttó, JT Brubaker, Miller, and Borucki are likely to be key pieces. However, there are plenty of contenders vying for spots, including Spencer Bivens, Keaton Winn, Tristan Beck, Carson Seymour, Trevor McDonald, and non-roster invitee Caleb Kilian.
Trevor McDonald, ranked as the Giants’ No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was making waves earlier in the spring but has hit a rough patch. His latest outing saw him give up five runs in just two-thirds of an inning, pushing his spring ERA to 6.94 over six appearances.
Giants manager Tony Vitello remains optimistic, emphasizing the importance of resilience and learning from tough outings. "The outing wasn’t so good today, but that’s going to be a part of things," Vitello noted, underscoring the need to weather the storm and regain control.