SF Giants closer, The San Francisco Giants entered the offseason without making many notable upgrades to their bullpen, and the moves they did complete largely flew under the radar. Rather than pursuing high-profile relievers or making a definitive statement about the back end of their pitching staff, the front office opted for modest adjustments.
As a result, one of the biggest questions surrounding the team remains unresolved: who will handle closing duties. With spring training rapidly approaching, the Giants still do not have a firmly established answer for the ninth inning.
At this stage, Ryan Walker appears to be the leading candidate to assume the closer role for San Francisco in 2026. Walker’s case is built largely on familiarity and experience within the organization. He opened the 2025 season as the Giants’ primary closer and, despite some turbulence along the way, also finished the year in that role. That bookended usage suggests the team retains a level of confidence in his ability to handle high-leverage situations, even if his path was not entirely smooth.
The middle portion of the 2025 campaign, however, revealed just how fluid the closer situation has been for the Giants. After Walker encountered difficulties and struggled to consistently lock down games, the coaching staff turned to Camilo Doval. Doval, who had previous experience closing for the club, was given another opportunity to stabilize the ninth inning. For a stretch, he took over those responsibilities, offering the Giants a familiar option when Walker faltered.
That arrangement did not last the entire season. Doval’s time back in the closer role came to an abrupt end when he was traded to the New York Yankees, a move that once again forced the Giants to reshuffle their bullpen hierarchy. In Doval’s absence, Randy Rodríguez emerged as the next man up. Rodríguez stepped into the closer role and handled the job down the stretch, adding yet another name to a growing list of relievers who have finished games for San Francisco in recent years.
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This revolving door at closer underscores the uncertainty that still surrounds the Giants’ bullpen. While Walker may currently sit atop the depth chart, his grip on the role is far from guaranteed. The events of last season demonstrated that the team is willing to make changes when performance dips, and there is little reason to believe that philosophy will change moving forward. Spring training will likely play a significant role in determining whether Walker can hold onto the job or if another reliever forces his way into the conversation.
Ultimately, the Giants’ limited offseason activity has left more questions than answers at the back end of the bullpen. Rather than entering camp with a clear-cut to SF Giants closer, San Francisco appears poised for an open competition, shaped by past experience, recent performance, and what unfolds in Arizona. Until someone firmly claims the role, the ninth inning will remain one of the most closely watched storylines heading into the 2026 season.
3 dark horses for SF Giants closer role with spring training approaching
The 2025 season served as yet another reminder of a long-standing truth in modern baseball: the closer role is rarely as stable as teams would like it to be. What looks settled in March often looks very different by September.
Injuries, performance swings, matchup considerations, and evolving philosophies can all reshape a bullpen hierarchy in a matter of weeks. The pitcher who breaks camp as the ninth-inning option is not always the one trusted to slam the door when the season reaches its most critical moments.
For the San Francisco Giants, that reality has been especially apparent. Over the past several seasons, the club has leaned into flexibility rather than rigid bullpen roles, and that approach does not appear to be changing anytime soon. President of baseball operations Buster Posey has been open about the organization’s mindset, acknowledging that the bullpen picture is far from locked in. Rather than entering a season with a single, unquestioned closer, the Giants seem content to let performance dictate responsibility.
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That philosophy opens the door for a number of pitchers to seize high-leverage opportunities, even those who may not be widely discussed as potential closers right now. While fans and analysts often focus on the most recognizable names, bullpen success frequently comes from unexpected places. With an eye toward the 2026 season, there are several arms currently flying under the radar who could realistically find themselves finishing games at Oracle Park.
Below are three such pitchers—each with a unique path, distinct strengths, and clear questions—who could emerge as legitimate closing options for the Giants in 2026.
Joel Peguero
Joel Peguero’s journey to the major leagues has been anything but conventional, and that alone makes his emergence intriguing. He did not arrive with the fanfare typically associated with late-inning relievers, nor was he fast-tracked through the system. Instead, Peguero quietly worked his way through the minors, finally earning his first big-league opportunity late in the 2025 season.
When that chance came, he made the most of it. Across 17 appearances, Peguero posted an impressive 2.42 ERA, immediately drawing attention with his lively arm and premium velocity. His fastball jumped out of his hand, and hitters often looked uncomfortable against him, particularly when he was ahead in the count. For a bullpen that thrives on power arms, Peguero checked a lot of boxes right away.
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Still, his story is not without caveats. Control has always been the defining question surrounding Peguero’s career. It is the reason he did not debut in the majors until the age of 28, an unusually late arrival for a reliever with his kind of raw stuff.
Longtime Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow once famously described pitchers like this as having a “wild hair up his nose,” and that phrase fits Peguero perfectly. When his mechanics are in sync, he can dominate. When they are not, things can unravel quickly.
That volatility is both the risk and the appeal. The Giants have shown they are willing to live with some inconsistency if the upside is real, and Peguero’s upside is undeniable. If he can consistently throw strikes and limit free passes, his power arsenal could translate extremely well to the ninth inning. Closers do not need to be perfect; they need to be fearless and difficult to square up, and Peguero certainly fits that description.
While it may be premature to pencil him in as the closer of the future, it would not be surprising to see him receive save opportunities at some point in 2026, especially if he builds on his late-2025 success.
Gregory Santos
There was a time when Gregory Santos seemed destined to close games in San Francisco. Early in his career, he looked like a natural fit for the role: a flamethrower with late movement, an intimidating presence on the mound, and the kind of raw stuff teams covet in high-leverage situations. That vision never fully materialized during his first stint with the Giants, and his career took a winding path as a result.
Santos eventually found himself moving on to other organizations, spending time with both the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners. While he never fully established himself as an elite closer, he did show that he could be an effective major-league reliever. His 2023 season with Chicago, in particular, offered a glimpse of what he is capable of when things click. Appearing in 60 games, Santos recorded a solid 3.39 ERA, proving he could handle consistent big-league work.
Now, in a twist that feels fitting for baseball, Santos is back with the Giants. He enters the picture without guarantees, having received only a non-roster invitation to spring training. That status reflects both the uncertainty surrounding his recent performance and the opportunity in front of him. For a pitcher trying to revive his career, few environments are better than a bullpen with no fixed hierarchy.
The concern, of course, is command. While Santos still throws extremely hard, recent results have raised eyebrows. A stretch in which he issued eight walks without recording a single strikeout over seven innings is impossible to ignore. That kind of line does not inspire confidence, especially for a pitcher being considered for late-inning work.
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However, bullpen roles are often earned in short bursts. If Santos can rediscover the form he showed earlier in his career—pounding the strike zone, generating swings and misses, and letting his velocity play—he could quickly climb the depth chart. The Giants have seen firsthand what he looks like at his best, and familiarity can work in his favor.
In a bullpen that values upside and flexibility, Santos remains a wild card. The risk is obvious, but so is the potential reward. Should he put together a strong run and demonstrate improved control, it would not be shocking to see him entrusted with closing duties once again.
Hayden Birdsong
At first glance, Hayden Birdsong might seem like an unlikely candidate to close games. His path through the 2025 season was anything but smooth, and by year’s end, he found himself back in Triple-A rather than cemented in a major-league role. Still, there is a compelling case to be made for a bullpen-centric future—and possibly even a closer’s role—if the Giants choose to pivot.
Birdsong began the 2025 campaign working out of the bullpen, and during that stretch, he looked impressive. His stuff played up in shorter outings, with a high-octane fastball and a devastating kick-change that kept hitters guessing. In relief, he attacked the zone with confidence and seemed comfortable letting his best pitches eat.
Everything changed when he was moved into the rotation. As a starter, Birdsong struggled to maintain consistency, and his command wavered as outings grew longer. What initially appeared to be a promising opportunity ultimately derailed his season, and he never quite regained his footing at the major-league level.
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That experience, however, does not have to define him. Many pitchers have found second lives—and even stardom—after transitioning permanently to the bullpen. Birdsong’s arsenal is tailor-made for high-leverage relief, where maximum effort and limited pitch usage can mask flaws that become problematic in longer outings.
If starting is no longer a realistic path, embracing a bullpen role could allow Birdsong to maximize his impact. His velocity, combined with a swing-and-miss secondary pitch, fits the modern closer profile. With proper usage and a clear role, he could thrive in late-inning situations where intensity and raw stuff matter most.
The idea may sound unconventional now, but baseball history is full of pitchers who reinvented themselves this way. If Birdsong returns to relief and finds the same success he showed early in 2025, he could quickly work his way into ninth-inning conversations.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Of course, all of this speculation may prove unnecessary. Ryan Walker could return to his dominant 2024 form and lock down the closer role from Opening Day through the final out of the season. Baseball often humbles predictions, and bullpen plans can change in an instant.
Still, given the Giants’ organizational philosophy and the inherent volatility of relief pitching, it would be unwise to assume anything is settled. The 2026 closer may not be the most obvious name on the roster today. Instead, it could be someone who seizes an opportunity, refines their command, or finds new life in a different role.
Whether it is Peguero harnessing his control, Santos rediscovering his old form, or Birdsong reinventing himself as a bullpen weapon, the Giants have options. And in a game where flexibility often trumps certainty, that may be exactly where they want to be.
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