Who Replaces the Giants Departing Free Agents?

San Francisco’s short free-agent list presents a meaningful pitching assignment: replacing JT Brubaker’s innings while preserving depth elsewhere.

San Francisco Giants pitcher JT Brubaker. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

JT Brubaker’s possible departure leaves the San Francisco Giants with a practical pitching question: Who keeps an early exit by a starter from becoming a bullpen emergency?

The pending free-agent list is unusually small. Brubaker is the only player on the current roster set to reach free agency automatically. Camilo Doval remains arbitration-eligible and becomes a free agent only if the Giants decline to tender him a contract.

That distinction defines the replacement assignment. Brubaker’s 2026 record includes a 3.58 ERA over 60.1 innings in 41 appearances, giving San Francisco a useful benchmark as his contract expires.

Replacing that work requires more than identifying another available pitcher. The Giants need to determine who can cover those innings, whether that pitcher also belongs in the rotation and how the arrangement affects their late-inning depth.

Seymour Can Compete for the Work, but Has to Earn It

San Francisco Giants pitcher Carson Seymour. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Carson Seymour offers the most useful internal starting point.

His Major League record for 2026 includes a 4.55 ERA over 31.2 innings. His minor league numbers include a 3.79 ERA across 76 innings, with nine starts in 22 appearances. That varied workload makes him a candidate for longer relief assignments and occasional starting coverage.

Those results support an opportunity to compete. They also leave uncertainty about whether Seymour can match Brubaker’s effectiveness over an expanded Major League assignment.

San Francisco should enter spring training with enough depth to respond if Seymour struggles. Giving him a chance works best when the club also has another pitcher capable of handling the same responsibilities.

Tristan Beck belongs in that competition. His 2026 Major League line includes a 5.21 ERA across 19 innings. His experience gives the Giants another option, although the limited workload provides little basis for treating the vacancy as resolved.

Both pitchers retain minor league options, allowing San Francisco to adjust their assignments during the season. A veteran addition can work alongside them while the club evaluates which pitcher is best suited for a larger role.

The rotation remains part of that calculation. If Seymour needs to cover starts, the Giants cannot also count those same innings as Brubaker’s bullpen replacement. Each internal candidate needs a defined assignment before San Francisco can accurately assess its pitching depth.

Alexander Fits the Vacancy More Directly Than a Larger Trade

Texas Rangers pitcher Tyler Alexander. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas Rangers left-hander Tyler Alexander offers a free-agent profile that matches the available workload.

His 2026 numbers include a 3.70 ERA over 73 innings in 75 appearances, with five starts. His contract is expiring, making him an outside candidate for frequent relief work and occasional starting coverage.

That flexibility helps the Giants preserve options around Seymour. Alexander can cover innings without requiring San Francisco to assign every available multi-inning pitcher to a permanent rotation or bullpen role.

His 60 strikeouts in 73 innings suggest that workload coverage is the clearest part of his appeal. The Giants still need to evaluate their most demanding late-game assignments separately, particularly if they non-tender Doval.

Alexander’s asking price remains unknown. His productive season can attract competition, so San Francisco needs to keep any offer aligned with the role it expects him to fill.

A trade can address Brubaker’s departure indirectly. St. Louis Cardinals starter Andre Pallante remains under arbitration control through 2028. If the Cardinals are willing to negotiate, acquiring him gives the Giants a potential rotation addition and allows a pitcher such as Seymour to remain available for relief.

That proposal addresses a broader roster need and likely requires more acquisition resources than signing a reliever. The actual trade price determines its appeal. San Francisco should pursue that path only if Pallante also represents a worthwhile addition to its starting staff.

Brubaker’s 2026 salary is $1.82 million, making a reasonable reunion offer worth exploring before the Giants commit more resources to replacing him.

If Brubaker leaves, Alexander looks like the most direct outside fit, with Seymour competing for a larger assignment and Beck providing another depth option. That combination gives San Francisco a way to cover Brubaker’s workload while concentrating its larger pitching investments on the rotation and late innings.