Giants Reach Out to Former World Series Champion for Bullpen Help

The San Francisco Giants have reportedly been in touch with a reliever with a World Series ring who happens to be a former first-round pick.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are seeking bullpen help in the form of a reliever that has worked for their arch-rivals for the past two seasons.

The Giants have been in touch with former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser (subscription required). At this point in the offseason, “in touch” usually means kicking the tires to see if there is interest on the player’s part.

Kopech has had a circuitous path to this point in his career. He’s a former first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox who ended up with the Chicago White Sox and was traded to the Dodgers to help their playoff push in 2024. Injuries limited his impact on the Dodgers’ title defense last season.

Michael Kopech’s Potential with the Giants

David Frerker-Imagn Images

Kopech was stuck in purgatory with the White Sox after he missed the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and the 2020 season after he opted out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned to the field in 2021 and until the trade to the Dodgers he went 16-32 with a 4.38 ERA in 142 games, with 60 starts. He spent the first four months with the White Sox, which ended up with the worst record in baseball history, winning just 41 games.

With the Dodgers, things turned around. With a better team, his numbers dropped. In 24 games in relief, he went 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 2024, including 29 strikeouts and 10 walks in 24 innings. Los Angeles rostered him for the playoffs and he went 1-0 in 10 games with one start. He struck out 10 and walked seven in nine innings and claimed a World Series ring.

Last season he had a 2.45 ERA and didn’t factor in a decision. He also pitched in just 14 games as he dealt with three different injuries that kept him on the injured list for most of the season. He had a right shoulder impingement and right knee inflammation, the latter of which led to two different stints on the IL.

Kopech built a body of work with the Dodgers as a middle reliever and set-up man and that makes him a good fit for the Giants as they’ll be without Randy Rodriguez next season after elbow surgery. Ryan Walker returns as the closer, unless the Giants make a move this offseason. The market for top closers is drying up after the Dodgers signed Edwin Diaz away from the New York Mets earlier this week.

The Giants have already added a relief option this offseason, signing Sam Hentges to a one-year deal earlier this month. The Giants probably aren’t done collecting relievers, and Kopech would be a good match.