The San Francisco Giants ushered in the new year by signing free agent right-hander Tyler Mahle to a one-year, $10 million contract on Monday, formally uniting two parties that showed interest in one another. 

According to MLB.com’s Maria Guardado, Mahle had San Francisco pegged as a desirable destination upon hitting free agency. 

“He wanted to stay on the West Coast to be close to his family and liked that San Francisco was only a one-hour flight away from his home in Huntington Beach, Calif,” Guardado wrote. “He was a fan of the Giants’ orange and black, as well as Oracle Park, which has long been known as a pitcher-friendly ballpark.” 

On the Giants’ side, Mahle had the endorsement of a familiar face: Bruce Bochy.  

Bochy returned to the Giants as a special advisor to baseball operations after being fired from his managerial position with the Texas Rangers in June. Bochy’s time in Texas coincided with Mahle’s, as the latter spent the 2024 and 2025 season with the Rangers. 

Mahle did not see much of the mound during his tenure in Texas, as Tommy John Surgery and right shoulder issues limited his time on the mound to just 18 starts over two years. Yet, when he was healthy, he displayed very good production by logging a career-best 2.18 ERA over 16 starts in 2025.  

Mahle’s stretch of excellence was enough to earn Bochy’s admiration and his endorsement. Now, he has another chance with the team that was high on his list this offseason. 

“When you look at the results that Tyler got last year, I think Boch liked just about everything,” general manager Zack Minasian told Guardado after the Giants finalized the deal with Mahle on Monday. “He just talked about how good [Mahle] was.”  

“Big fan of the person. Just a really strong recommendation that really came out from Boch at the Winter Meetings when we sat together. He obviously saw him pitch at a high level.” 

Bochy’s reputation and pedigree played a part in the organization buying into his judgement. 

“It's one thing to see it in a text message or on a phone call,” Minasian added. “It's quite another to sit across from a Hall of Fame manager and hear them say, 'I really believe in this guy.’ It was certainly encouraging, and we’re obviously happy we were able to get this done.” 

Mahle will round out the rotation, and his short-term deal aligns with the San Francisco’s propensity to not spend big on a marquee arm; making this a low-risk, high-reward situation. 

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