The San Francisco Giants have a lot to consider after a 65-97 finish to the 2026 campaign, their worst season since 2017. 

This is going to be a big offseason for president of baseball operations Buster Posey as he tries to get himself off a seat that may be warming up at a dramatic pace. 

Posey will have to take a hard look at the roster and decide who stays and who goes on a team mixing veterans with young players still trying to prove themselves. One such player who falls into the latter category is 25-year-old right-hander Blade Tidwell, who demonstrated that while he has potential, he is still very much a work in progress. 

Tidwell was originally selected by the New York Mets with the 52nd pick in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut on May 4, 2025. 

However, his first four games on a big-league mound were rough, and those four appearances (two of which were starts) would be the only ones he would make with the Mets.

Tidwell's brief stint on New York's active roster was a reflection of growing pains for a young player as he went 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA. He logged as many walks (10) as he did strikeouts, and he gave up 23 hits and 15 earned runs. 

The Mets had apparently seen enough, and they traded him to San Francisco during the 2025 trade deadline.

Upon being traded, Tidwell was immediately assigned to the Giants' minor-league system, and he did not appear on the mound for the Giants until April 2. After appearing in eight games in April, Tidwell was sent back to Triple-A Sacramento, where he remained until August. 

Overall, Tidwell received a lot more playing time in the majors in 2026. Across 17 appearances, nine of which were starts, he went 1-2 with a 4.45 ERA and 56.2 innings pitched. 

Hitters still got after Tidwell, as he allowed as many hits (46) as the number of batters he struck out, but he demonstrated that he has warmed up to the game at this level.

The good news for Tidwell is that he is still very young, and he has already seen an increase in opportunities. 

If the Giants retain him, he could eventually become a consistent member of the bullpen or even the starting rotation. He is still average or below average in a lot of metrics, but further development and more time within the organization can prove to be valuable for both San Francisco and Tidwell.