Giants Received Critical Endorsement from Legend Before Signing Tyler Mahle

With the signing of Tyler Mahle, which became official on Monday, that’s probably a full lid on the San Francisco Giants’ search for rotation help.

Yes, there are rumors that the Giants could be interested in Marlins starter Edward Cabrera. But that would be a forward-thinking move for San Francisco as Cabrera has three years of team control. Mahle signed a one-year deal. Adrian Houser, signed last month, is tied to the Giants for two years. Cabrera would outlast both.

Giants personnel, including general manager Zach Minasian, were made available to the media to discuss Mahle’s deal. As it turns out, an important person to the Giants and to Mahle endorsed the pursuit, per NBC Sports Bay Area.

Who Endorsed Tyler Mahle’s Signing?

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (51) leaves the game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth inning at George M. S — Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Mahle was with the Texas Rangers the past two seasons. His boss? Bruce Bochy. So, naturally, the Giants went to Bochy, now a special advisor to the team after leaving the Rangers as manager for three seasons, for his thoughts on Mahle. San Francisco couldn’t have gotten a better response.

"It's one thing to see it in a text message or on a phone call. It's quite another to sit across from a Hall of Fame manager and hear them say, 'I really believe in this guy,'" Giants general manager Zach Minasian said earlier this week. "It was certainly encouraging and obviously we're happy we were able to get this done."

Per NBC Sports Bay Area, Bochy first talked with Giants assistant general manager Jeremy Shelley about Mahle. Then, at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Bochy discussed the possibility with president of baseball operations Buster Posey, Minasian and manager Tony Vitello.

It’s a good example of how Bochy’s baseball acumen, vast relationships in the game and recent work as a manager can help the Giants as they make decisions about new personnel.

Everyone knows Mahle is a risk. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and needed most of 2024 to recover. He was fully recovered in 2025 and went 6-3 with a 2.34 ERA, with 56 strikeouts and 27 walks in 77 innings in the first three months of the season. But, in June, the Rangers put him on the shelf with right shoulder fatigue, which was later diagnosed as a rotation cuff strain.

Mahle did return for a few starts at the end of the season and finished the year with a 6-4 record and a 2.18 ERA.

Minasian indicated that the Giants are “comfortable” with their starting pitching after Mahle’s signing. San Francisco’s rotation looks like Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Houser, Mahle and Landen Roupp entering spring training.