Giants Make Room on Roster as Offseason Decisions Loom
The San Francisco Giants reshaped their 40-man roster on November 2, restoring 15 players from the 60-day injured list and losing five players to waiver claims.
The Giants made a series of roster moves to meet the deadline for bringing players back from the 60-day injured list. The club, which ended the season with 17 players on that list, returned 15 to its 40-man roster and was left with 40 players overall. José Butto was claimed by Texas, while Matt Gage cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Sacramento.
Other players claimed by rival clubs were Brett Harris and Shay Whitcomb, both picked up by Philadelphia; catcher Zach Morgan, claimed by Baltimore; and pitcher Duncan Davitt, claimed by Cincinnati. The Giants outrighted pitchers Joel Kuhnel and Seth Lonsway to Sacramento, released pitcher Tristan Beck and designated pitcher Reiver Sanmartín for assignment.
The restored roster group includes Adrian Houser, a starter; Hayden Birdsong, a starter; Trevor McDonald, a starter; Carson Whisenhunt, a starter; and Blade Tidwell, along with relievers, catchers, infielders and outfielders. Among them are Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Harrison Bader. The team is exploring legal options related to Bader after a July scooter collision with a fire truck; it stopped his pay and opened an investigation.
The roster remains subject to change before the November 17 deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft and the November 20 arbitration tender deadline. Six Giants are arbitration-eligible. A potential labor lockout after the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1 could halt roster activity, giving clubs about four weeks to make trades and sign free agents before then.