Following a season that exhausted a record-tying 71 players, the San Francisco Giants trimmed nine players from their 40-man roster on Monday. The wave of departures cleared the necessary space to reinstate 15 players from the 60-day injured list ahead of upcoming offseason roster deadlines.
The Giants entered the final stretch of the offseason’s initial administrative hurdle carrying 56 players on their 40-man roster. To reach compliance, front office leadership watched multiple players depart through waiver claims, outrighted others, and issued an unconditional release to right-hander Tristan Beck.
Waiver Claims and Outrights Trim the 40-Man Roster in San Francisco
Monday’s moves hit several members of the organization’s recent depth mix. The Texas Rangers claimed right-hander José Buttó, while the Cincinnati Reds added fellow righty Duncan Davitt. The Philadelphia Phillies picked up infielders Brett Harris and Shay Whitcomb, and the Baltimore Orioles claimed catcher Zach Morgan.
The 28-year-old Buttó was acquired from the New York Mets as part of the Tyler Rogers deal at the 2025 Trade Deadline, but he appeared in only three games this year before undergoing season-ending surgery to remove a blood clot from his right arm in April. The right-hander recorded a 6.14 ERA over 22 innings in San Francisco after posting a 3.45 ERA with New York. Tristan Beck, a Stanford alum who made his Major League debut with San Francisco in 2023, logged a 4.08 ERA over 85 appearances across the last four seasons after arriving from the Atlanta Braves in 2019 in exchange for Mark Melancon.
Reliever Joel Kuhnel and left-hander Seth Lonsway cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, allowing the organization to retain their minor-league rights. Reiver Sanmartín was designated for assignment, and Tristan Beck received his unconditional release.
The departures followed a sequence of transactions that began immediately after the World Series concluded. Outfielder Grant McCray was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners, while infielder Nate Furman was traded to the Washington Nationals. Other players, including Andrew Knizner, Matt Gage, Osleivis Basabe, and Jason Foley, were either outrighted or elected free agency after clearing waivers in earlier days.
Fifteen Players Return From the 60-Day Injured List
The roster purging directly accommodated a massive influx of returning personnel. San Francisco reinstated 15 players from the 60-day injured list on Monday, restoring them to the 40-man roster and locking the active count back to an even 40 players.
The returning group features key major leaguers who missed significant time during the 65–97 campaign. Infielders Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers returned alongside outfielders Casey Schmitt and Harrison Bader. Pitching reinforcements included Adrian Houser, Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald, Carson Whisenhunt, Blade Tidwell, Randy Rodríguez, Keaton Winn, Joel Peguero, and Rowan Wick, joined by catchers Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodríguez.
Bader remained on the roster as the Giants explore legal avenues following an off-field incident in July when he collided with a fire truck in the Marina district—an event that prompted the organization to suspend his salary and launch an internal investigation.
Rowan Wick Option Declined Amid Offseason Arbitration Decisions
Among the pitching decisions finalized on Monday, the Giants officially declined their $800,000 club option for 2027 on right-hander Rowan Wick. Wick signed a one-year deal with the club in February but missed the entirety of the season while rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery. Despite the option being declined, Wick remains under club control and enters the winter eligible for salary arbitration.
The front office faces additional roster hurdles before the calendar turns. President of baseball operations Buster Posey and his staff must decide by November 17 whether to protect top young prospects—such as pitching prospects Henry Lalane (the Giants’ No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline), Joe Whitman (No. 23), Luis De La Torre (No. 25), and Marty Gair—from the Rule 5 Draft.