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Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey told reporters at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas on Tuesday that Rodriguez will not pitch again for the Scottsdale Scorpions after experiencing some soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow.
“Just be careful,” Posey said. “He’s had some elbow soreness and we’re being cautious with him.”
Rodriguez missed the entire 2026 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but Posey said the All-Star reliever is on track to be ready for Spring Training. Rodriguez looked to begin his return to competition by pitching in the AFL this year, but he made just three appearances for Scottsdale, giving up three runs while walking three and striking out three over two innings (13.50 ERA).
Rodriguez was the most dominant reliever for the Giants in 2025 when he pitched to a 1.78 ERA with 67 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings before suffering a season-ending elbow sprain. The 27-year-old gained closing experience after the Giants traded Camilo Doval to the Yankees, but Posey said he would prefer to play it safe with Rodriguez and not immediately return him to the ninth inning next year.
“My preference was not for him to close the door and be able to track his workload as best as possible as he continues to get back to where he was before the injury,” Posey said. “But things can change.”
The bullpen was a glaring weakness for the Giants in 2026, so the club is expected to look for more reliable relief options this winter. Two All-Star relievers — Adrian Morejon and David Bednar — are available on the free agent market this offseason, although both received matching offers, so the Giants would have to give up draft picks to sign them.
“I think it’s going to be tougher for us,” Posey said. “I think our system is in a better place, but ideally we can continue to add talent through the draft, through international signings. Those high picks are important.”
Doval, who made a surprise return to the Giants after being claimed off waivers from the Pirates in late September, could be a candidate to close next year, though he’s not guaranteed to stay in the bullpen mix. The hard-throwing right-hander is eligible for arbitration and will require a raise from the $6.1 million he’s making this year, so the Giants have until Nov. 20 to decide whether to offer him a contract.
Doval, 29, posted a 4.15 ERA in 66 relief appearances in 2026, but he ended the season by pitching two scoreless innings over four in two appearances for the Giants.
In addition to strengthening the bullpen, the Giants will need to find ways to increase their starting rotation, which has no established arms outside of Logan Webb and Landen Roupp.
Two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will headline this year’s free-agent rookie class, though Posey seemed to diminish the Giants’ chances of taking another big swing on the open market. The Giants thought they were set up to win after making big commitments to veterans like Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Jung Hoo Lee and Adames in recent years, but the club underperformed in 2026, posting a 65-97 record under first-year manager Tony Vitello.
The Giants believe they have several impact players through their farm system, including rookie shortstops Josuar Gonzalez (San Francisco’s No. 1 prospect on MLB Pipeline) and Luis Hernández (No. 2) and 2026 first-round draft pick Jackson Flora (No. 3) — but most of them are far from the prospect. 2027 is more of a transition year for the organization.
“I think we can contend,” Posey said. “I’m also realistic knowing that we lost 97 games last year and we’ve got to be willing to do some things differently. You’re trying to thread the needle, right? You’re trying to thread the needle to keep a big league team where they can win, but you also realize that some of our best players in our system are probably two or three years away.
MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos reported from Las Vegas.