Giants Notes: Bivens added to bullpen after breakthrough season

Giants Notes: Bivens added to bullpen after breakthrough season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Melvin has been revealing his Opening Day roster one piece at a time. After Monday night’s exhibition at Oracle Park, he was particularly happy to be able to give the latest name. 

Spencer Bivens will be in the bullpen, Melvin announced, adding another chapter to one of the best stories on the roster. The right-hander made his big-league debut last season at the age of 29 after years of pitching in independent leagues and the minors.

“The story is great, but the performance is what got him to the big leagues and kept him here,” Melvin said. “And the versatility is something that you don’t often get. We saw him go five innings in a start last year, he came in with guys on base at times, he’s basically done everything for us and has had a good spring on top of it. It’s always rewarding to be able to tell guys that are just great guys and great stories. From the point last year when we gave him a spring training roster, which he was appreciative of, finally (being) in a big league clubhouse, to where he is now, it’s pretty cool.”

Bivens is the seventh known member of what will be an eight-man bullpen. Earlier Monday, Melvin announced that Hayden Birdsong will be part of that group, as well as Randy Rodriguez. They join closer Ryan Walker, Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval and Erik Miller. It appears the final spot will go to veteran right-hander Lou Trivino.

In Birdsong, Bivens and Rodriguez, Melvin should have three length options early in the year. Bivens threw 40-plus pitches multiple times last season, including a spectacular outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he stunned even Melvin by lasting five innings. 

The plan is to keep Birdsong stretched out early on and then reevaluate. The 23-year-old said he had hoped to be a starter, but he’s excited that he’ll take part in his first Opening Day on Thursday. The Giants are confident there will be plenty of opportunities to slide Birdsong back into the rotation.

“I’m still going to probably try to get that at some point,” he said.

Ready For The Astros

The fifth starter competition actually was not as heated as everyone thought. Roupp revealed that Melvin gave him the news last week, a few days after he struck out 13 in a minor league start. He kept his poker face but it was hard, especially with Birdsong, his locker mate and friend. 

Roupp always has wanted to return to starting and he began to think the Giants felt the same way when they gave him four starts at the end of last season. That cameo showed the staff what Roupp was capable of, and this spring he further elevated his case by adding a new changeup and cutter and using the four-pitch mix to dominate the Cactus League. 

“Coming into camp, I knew I had to compete and pitch well to make the team, let alone make it as a starter,” Roupp said. “That’s kind of what I did, and here we are.”

This is the second straight year that Roupp has won a job in camp. When Melvin delivered the news, he asked him to keep it quiet, but also to start preparing for the Houston Astros. Roupp will take the fifth spot in the rotation next Tuesday. 

The 26-year-old threw just 76 2/3 combined innings last season, so if he pitches well enough to stay in the rotation, the Giants could run up against a cap at some point. That never was part of the spring competition, though, and Roupp isn’t concerned. He threw 100 innings in his final college season and 107 1/3 in the minors in 2022. 

“I’ve done it before,” he said. “It won’t be an issue.”

Where Does He Fit?

It was a bit of a surprise when Sean Hjelle was optioned over the weekend. The tall right-hander quietly had become one of the longest-tenured members of the pitching staff and he had a 3.90 ERA and 3.62 FIP in 58 appearances last year, but the Giants felt they ran out of spots after Birdsong became part of the bullpen mix and Bivens — who has a similar profile — won a job.

Melvin said he understood that the news would sting a bit for Hjelle, but he told him that part of the decision was about keeping as many guys in the organization as the Giants could. Trivino, in particular, stands out. Assuming he gets the final spot, the Giants will have to add him to the 40-man roster this week. 

“And sometimes it comes down to results in spring,” Melvin said. “Some other guys that are here right now had better springs, but you know what, you go through so many pitchers over the course of the season. The message (to Hjelle) was to make sure you stay ready because it can happen quickly.”

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