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The San Francisco Giants have signed reliever Brent Honeywell.
The San Francisco Giants have added a reliever with a championship pedigree who could compete for a bullpen role heading into the 2026 season.
Brent Honeywell Jr. has inked a minor league deal with the Giants, first reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The right-hander earned a World Series ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024.
Honeywell is a former top prospect who has endured a lengthy list of injuries. He was out of baseball last season, but will get a chance to return to the big leagues with the Giants. Honeywell joined the Dodgers midway through the 2024 campaign and delivered 34.1 innings of a 2.62 ERA. He became an important part of the bullpen down the stretch and made three appearances in the playoffs.
San Francisco Giants Sign Reliever Brett Honeywell Jr.
Honeywell’s most recent MLB action didn’t go as planned, and he ultimately didn’t earn a contract in 2025. The righty allowed nine earned runs over 8.2 innings during the 2024 postseason. That included an ugly five-run debacle in Game 4 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. That game was more well-known for the Dodgers fan plucking a ball from outfielder Mookie Betts, but it was a tough performance for Honeywell heading into free agency.
Honeywell was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014. Due to persistent injury problems, he wouldn’t reach the big leagues until the next decade. Honeywell had major surgeries in 2018 and 2020. He dealt with two significant elbow issues in 2019 and 2022. He made his professional debut a dozen years ago, but he’s only appeared in 235 games.
Tampa Bay gave Honeywell his first look in 2021, but he was knocked around for four earned runs in 4.1 innings. He didn’t get back to the majors until 2023, when he emerged as a consistent member of the San Diego Padres bullpen. Honeywell posted a 4.05 ERA across 36 appearances with the Friars.
The 2024 campaign was easily Honeywell’s most successful stint as a big leaguer. He compiled a 2.63 ERA in 20 appearances between the Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Honeywell’s xFIP and SIERA were more than two runs higher than his ERA, and he managed just a 12.7% strikeout rate. Honeywell did manage to get ground balls at a solid clip.
Could Honeywell Factor Into the Giants’ Bullpen?
San Francisco had a tremendous bullpen last year, but a series of moves has left the team with few established relievers. The club dealt Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers at the trade deadline. The Giants also lost Randy Rodriguez to elbow surgery. The roster overhaul leaves Ryan Walker as the only proven option in the bullpen heading into 2026.
The Giants received Jose Butto from the New York Mets in the Rogers deal. He’ll likely have a spot in the bullpen. Joel Peguero was solid in his brief stint with the team in 2025, while Spencer Bivens provided decent contributions in long relief. The main right-handed competition for Honeywell might be Gregory Santos. Injuries have limited the former Seattle Mariners reliever to just 14.1 innings over the past two seasons. He’s in MLB Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
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