Giants Getting Intriguing Back of Rotation Starter in Adrian Houser

The San Francisco Giants may have made an astute move in bringing in Adrian Houser to be one of their starting pitchers for 2026.

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The San Francisco Giants have given their starting rotation a bit of a boost with the reported agreement to sign Adrian Houser.

The deal, first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and not yet made official by the Giants, is for two years and $22 million. Assuming no bonuses, escalators or options, San Francisco is getting Houser for $4 million per year less than it signed Justin Verlander to last offseason.

This is four what amounts to a third starter behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. If the assumption is that Landen Roupp will be the rotation’s fourth starter, then the Giants nearly have a rotation figured out, at least on paper.

If this were the Houser of 2021 — 10-6 with a 3.22 ERA with Milwaukee — this would look like a great signing. If this were the Houser of 2024 — 1-5 with a5.84 ERA — it would likely be derided. But, if the Giants end up with the Houser of 2025, then this could turn out to be a bargain.

Adrian Houser in 2025

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Houser joined the Texas Rangers on a minor-league deal last offseason but didn’t make the opening-day roster. By May, he opted for free agency, signed with the Chicago White Sox, who were desperate for anything, and he revitalized his career in his age 32 season.

With the White Sox, he figured something out. In 11 starts — one of those coming against the Rangers — he went 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA, including 47 strikeouts and 22 walks in 68.2 innings. For the White Sox, he suddenly became an ace — and trade bait.

The White Sox flipped him to the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, as Chicago was looking for younger talent and the Rays were trying to chase down an AL Wild Card berth in a highly competitive AL East, which saw three teams make the playoffs and one — the Toronto Blue Jays — reach the World Series.

His number did take a turn in Tampa. He went 2-3 with a 4.79 ERA. But for the bulk of the season, he proved he could be a reliable fourth or fifth starter in any rotation for 2026. He finished the campaign 8-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 21 starts, with 92 strikeouts and 38 walks in 125 innings. It was his best season since that 2021 season with the Brewers.

His pitch make-up looks tailor made for Oracle Park. He’s a sinkerball pitcher and used that pitch 46% of the time last year per Baseball Savant. He adds a slider, a change-up, a four-seam fastball and a curveball that gives him a five-pitch arsenal that makes his sinker harder to pick out.

Locking in Houser also gives the Giants’ young stable of pitchers, led by Carson Whisenhunt, more time to develop. He can eat up the innings that might eat them up.