Giants finalize roster; Birdsong leads for rotation spot

The San Francisco Giants are finalizing their roster for Opening Day 2025. A big decision remains on who will claim the fifth spot in the starting rotation. Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, and Landen Roupp are all contenders. Harrison has experience from last season, Roupp has pitched seamlessly in the spring, and Birdsong has been the standout so far. As the regular season approaches, the Giants have five exhibition games left to finalize their lineup. The predicted roster includes Patrick Bailey as catcher, LaMonte Wade Jr. at first base, and Tyler Fitzgerald at second base. Willy Adames will play shortstop, and Matt Chapman will be at third base despite some shaky defense this spring. In the outfield, Heliot Ramos is expected to start in left field. Jung Hoo Lee is recovering from a back injury but is anticipated to play in center field if healthy. Mike Yastrzemski will hold down right field, while Wilmer Flores will be the designated hitter after improving his performance this spring. The bench will include Sam Huff, Jerar Encarnacion, Luis Matos, and Brett Wisely. With Tom Murphy on the injured list, Huff will back up Bailey. The starting rotation likely features Logan Webb, Justin Verlander, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, and Hayden Birdsong, who has impressed during spring training. The bullpen will consist of Ryan Walker as closer, along with Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, Randy Rodríguez, Erik Miller, Sean Hjelle, Lou Trivino, and Landen Roupp, the latter of whom is likely moving to a reliever role. The Giants are aiming for a strong start to the season with their final roster set to be confirmed soon.