Giants remove nine players, including one surprise, in necessary roster purge

The San Francisco Giants removed nine players from their 40-man roster on the first Monday of the MLB offseason. Five players were lost on waivers, including surprise departure Jose Butto to the Texas Rangers, Duncan Davitt to the Cincinnati Reds, Brett Harris and Shay Whitcomb to the Philadelphia Phillies, and Zach Morgan to the Baltimore Orioles. Tristan Beck was released to pursue pitching opportunities in Asia, Reiver Sanmartin was designated for assignment, and Joel Kuhnel and Seth Lonsway were outrighted.

The extensive roster purge followed a season in which the Giants used 71 players and finished with 24 individuals on the injured list, including 17 on the 60-day IL. Team officials managed the roster reset following earlier moves that included losing Grant McCray to the Seattle Mariners, trading Nate Furman to the Washington Nationals, and outrighting four other players off the 40-man roster.