A struggling right hand Adrian Houser is being moved from the Giants’ trade to the bullpen, manager Tony Vitello told Evan Webeck of the California Post (multiple links) and other reporters. With Tyler Mahle nearing a return from the 15-day injured list, Houser looks to be the odd man out of the rotation, as the Giants will end up Trevor McDonald in the first paragraph.
Houser is no stranger to pitching in relief, having worked as a swingman with the Brewers early in his career and was moved to the Mets’ bullpen after another rough start in the 2024 season. That said, it’s clearly not a good outcome for Houser or the Giants just six months after the right-hander inked a two-year, $22MM free agent contract.
Houser expressed his disappointment at the role change, telling Webbeck that “I won’t be happy about it, but I understand. I signed up here to become an initiator. I didn’t sign here to be a bully. So I’m going to do everything I can to get back into circulation.”
In his 10 Major League seasons, Houser has generally put up decent numbers as a back-up starter, with a career 4.20 ERA and a 50.3% slugging percentage over 799 2/3 innings in the Show. Houser’s ability to keep the ball on the ground has mitigated his lack of strikeouts, although this year, his rate has dropped to 40.5%. The increase in fly balls has been one of the many issues on Houser’s Statcast blue card, and his 5.73 ERA over 66 innings underscores his lack of results.
Mahle also posted a 6.04 ERA over 56 2/3 innings before a hamstring sent him to the IL on May 27. Between Mahle and Houser, the Giants didn’t get much of a return on the $32MM they spent in free agency this past winter. A lack of production from the rotation has been part of the problem throughout a difficult season for a Giants team that entered today’s game with a 31-44 record.
With the front office considering a trade at the deadline, Mahle is an obvious trade chip as a rental player, assuming he can recapture any form of his past before August 3. That means Mahle will likely get ample opportunity to get on track before the deadline, closing one possible door to Houser’s trade return. As for McDonald, the rookie has a 4.64 ERA over eight starts and 42 2/3 innings pitched, and the Giants would like to see what McDonald can do as the team begins to look ahead to 2027.
If Mahle or Robbie Ray are being worked on at the deadline, Houser could be moved back to one of the open spots in San Francisco’s rotation. Houser’s trade value is close to a deficit at this point given both his underachievement this year, and his remaining salary – about $3MM remaining this year, $9.5MM in 2027, and a $4MM buyout of the $12.5MM club option for 2028.
