On Thursday August 14, 2025, the San Francisco Giants signed veteran starting pitcher JT Brubaker to a minor league deal.
Brubaker, 31, appeared in 12 games for the New York Yankees out of the bullpen this season before he was released on August 7, 2025. He posted a 3.38 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 16 innings.
From 2020-22, Brubaker was the most reliable and durable starting pitcher on the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff. He made 61 starts in those three seasons, and put up similar numbers to All-Star Mitch Keller. The Giants were urged to pursue Keller at the Trade Deadline this season before they hit a major slump and were forced to sell instead of buy.
He will report to AAA Sacramento and try to earn a spot on the Giants’ pitching staff.
Could Brubaker Factor Into Giants 2026 Rotation Plans?
It’s no secret that the Giants have a massive depth problem in their starting pitching rotation.
Their top three pitchers, Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp are one of the best trios in baseball. They’ll all be under contract next season. But beyond those three, the Giants haven’t been able to rely on anyone to make a solid start every fifth day.
Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt and Kai-Wei Teng have all tried, and failed, to earn a spot in the Giants rotation this season. Hicks and Harrison were shipped to the Boston Red Sox in the Rafael Devers trade. Birdsong and Whisenhunt are in AAA. Teng’s recent shaky start against the San Diego Padres means he’ll probably soon join them.
Justin Verlander has been the only consistently used option, and he has a 1-9 record with a 4.53 ERA. There’s very little chance the Giants re-sign him for next season.
Mason Black and Trevor McDonald haven’t impressed at AAA. Trade acquisition Blade Tidwell is likely the only prospect who has intrigued Giants brass enough to deserve a shot at the rotation.
JT Brubaker hasn’t started an MLB game since 2022. Three different injuries including Tommy John surgery derailed his career. But he’s started games in the Yankees’ minor league system this season, and the Giants have a relatively deep bullpen.
It seems like Buster Posey is signing Brubaker to potentially have another option in the starting pitching rotation. They could call upon him as soon as this season.
Landen Roupp’s Return
Luckily, a struggling Giants pitching rotation returns one of its most valuable members on Friday August 15, 2025, No. 3 starter Landen Roupp.
Roupp has been a revelation for the Giants this season. While all of their other starting pitcher prospects have fallen off the map, Roupp has had a breakout rookie season with a 3.11 ERA in 20 starts. He’s essentially the best starting pitcher developed by the Giants in the 2020s.
Roupp appeared in 23 games for the Giants last season, but 19 of those were out of the bullpen. So, if fans are wondering who the next Landen Roupp may be, they should look to the bullpen.
There’s really only one player currently on the Giants roster that San Francisco could convert to a starter from the bullpen. That is RHP Carson Seymour.
Seymour has appeared in 7 games out of the bullpen this season for the Giants, with a 4.50 ERA. But he’s also started 15 games for AAA Sacramento with a solid 3.86 ERA in 77 innings.
Seymour likely won’t be tried as a starter this season, but they could give him a shot at the pitching rotation next offseason. Joey Lucchesi is also a solid former starter, but he has done well enough switching over to the bullpen that the Giants will likely keep him there.
Giants fans, do you think JT Brubaker is a future starting pitcher for San Francisco? If not, who?
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