Assessing Giants Pitching Moves on Joey Lucchesi, JT Brubaker at Tender Deadline

The San Francisco Giants made two moves on pitching that fine-tuned their roster going into the meat of free agency.

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Joey Lucchesi (middle) is greeted in the dugout after being relieved from the game during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants didn’t do much at the non-tender deadline. But they did make a couple of moves on pitching.

The Giants non-tendered Joey Lucchesi, removing him from their arbitration rolls and making him a free agent. San Francisco also agreed to a one-year deal with JT Brubaker, avoiding arbitration with him.

San Francisco also acquired Miami outfielder Joey Weimer for cash considerations and designated catcher Andrew Knizner for assignment to make room for him. That put San Francisco’s 40-man roster at 39 players.

Why Giants Made Pitching Moves

San Francisco Giants hat and glove on the bench against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

On the surface, San Francisco could have kept both pitchers. While both were arbitration-eligible, neither were going to cost the Giants much money. Per MLB Trade Rumors’ arbitration projections, Brubaker would have cost $2.1 million and Lucchesi $2 million.

Lucchesi’s projected cost seems a small price to pay for a solid reliever, based on last year’s production. He was 0-1 with a 3.67 ERA in 38 games. He struck out 31 and walked 21 in 38.1 innings. The converted starter is 23-27 with a 4.07 ERA for his career. But 2025 represented his most productive year since he was a starter with the San Diego Padres in 2019, when he went 10-10 with 4.18 ERA in 30 games.

There is an injury history to consider with Lucchesi, though he is three years removed from Tommy John surgery, which kept him out of the entire 2022 season. He is also entering his age 33 season. The Giants could bring him back on a minor league deal, but he can probably find a place to land on a Major League deal.

Brubaker’s injury history is worth noting. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was traded while he was recovering to the New York Yankees. During his comeback with the Yankees in 2025 he suffered fractured ribs on a comebacker and missed most of the season. New York eventually DFA’ed him in August. The Giants snapped him up.

He pitched in five games for the Giants, including a start, and didn’t factor in a decision. He also had a 4.26 ERA. He struck out 12 and walked three. Like Lucchesi, he was a starter at one time. With the Pirates he was part of their rotation from 2020-22 and went 9-28 with a 4.99 ERA in 63 games, with 61 of them starts. He struck out 324 and walked 109. He’s entering his age 32 season.

So why Brubaker and not Lucchesi when the money and the history is basically the same? Perhaps the Giants felt they only needed one and chose the one with a bit more promise at this stage of his career. Time will tell if the Giants bet right.