Hayden Birdsong

Birdsong began the season in the Giants' bullpen despite a strong showing in Cactus League play. He delivered a 2.31 ERA over 11 relief appearances before moving into the rotation, though the results were less stable than the ERA suggested. Over 23.1 innings, he issued 10 walks and surrendered four home runs. Those problems became more pronounced as a starter, where he posted a 6.17 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across 10 starts and 42.1 innings, accompanied by 27 walks. After being sent to Triple-A Sacramento, Birdsong continued to battle control, walking 30 in 39 innings with similarly poor run prevention. The Giants again have rotation depth questions, giving him another spring opportunity, but last season's command and control issues place him on the fringe. Even so, his age leaves room for improvement if he can regain consistency. Read Past Outlooks