Buster Posey Reveals Giants' First Offseason Priority

Upgrading the bullpen is the first of many tasks for the San Francisco Giants this offseason.

by Andrew Jamieson

Oct 6, 2026

San Francisco Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Calling the San Francisco Giants‘ 2026 season a disaster might be an understatement.

Under first-year manager Tony Vitello, the Giants went 65-97 and struggled in every facet of the game. On the hitting side, San Francisco scored the fifth-fewest runs (669), posted the second-lowest on-base percentage (.306), and drew the fewest walks (449).

The Giants’ pitching didn’t fare much better, finishing 23rd in team ERA (4.33) and giving up the eighth-most runs (760).

Even more worrisome was the fact that injuries to several key players, including Rafael Devers and Logan Webb, made San Francisco’s major league roster on the final day of the regular season hardly recognizable.

It’s safe to say the Giants need to improve in every area to compete next season. But it appears the organization has its first priority set.

Buster Posey Identifies Improving Bullpen As Starting Point of Offseason

In an October 1 interview, president of baseball operations Buster Posey revealed that improving the bullpen will be the team’s offseason starting point.

“I think the bullpen is where we’ll start. That’s where we’ll start our process,” Posey said. “Then the rotation will be right behind it.”

The Giants’ relief corps posted a 4.14 ERA, ranking 19th in MLB this season. While that number could be worse, San Francisco’s bullpen was largely defined by turnover and instability throughout the year.

The Giants lacked a true closer for most of the season, and 11 different pitchers recorded a save. Only one of them recorded more than five saves. Caleb Kilian, who recorded eight saves and was the only player Vitello named the team’s closer all season, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Luis Arraez at this summer’s MLB trade deadline.

San Francisco’s bullpen woes also show up in the team’s 16-29 record in one-run games this season. Too many times, Giants relievers faltered in high-leverage situations. The team’s 30 saves in 57 opportunities reflect that.

The most notable moment came on Aug. 26, when the bullpen allowed seven unanswered runs in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds and ultimately lost 10-9.

During San Francisco’s end-of-season press conference last Tuesday, Posey took responsibility for the group’s struggles this season.

“The bullpen struggled this year, and I’ll take the blame for that,” Posey said. “That was something that (we) probably overestimated some of the guys that we had in the pen, and that’s something that we’re going to do our best to try to address this offseason.”

The Giants should receive a key internal reinforcement next season, as All-Star Randy Rodríguez will pitch in the Arizona Fall League this month after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late September 2025 and missing all of 2026.

The right-hander emerged as San Francisco’s primary closer last season, dazzling with a 1.78 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over 50.2 innings before being sidelined.

The Giants could also bring longtime reliever Camilo Doval back to fill a high-leverage role. The 2023 All-Star was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates after they designated him for assignment following his trade from the New York Yankees at the MLB trade deadline.

Doval, 29, posted a 4.15 ERA across the three teams this season, but recorded back-to-back scoreless appearances in San Francisco’s final regular-season series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Either way, the Giants have a lot to do to improve their bullpen, along with several other areas, to put themselves in a better position in 2027.