A few days ago, Bob Melvin announced that the San Francisco Giants would be moving Hayden Birdsong into the rotation, and shifting Jordan Hicks into a bullpen role.
It was a move a long time in the making. In 2022, the Giants drafted Birdsong, an unheralded pitcher, with the 196th overall pick. In 2023, he started to appear on prospect radars. In early 2024, he broke out in earnest, and made his MLB debut. In the spring, he pitched so well that the Giants stuck him in the bullpen just so they wouldn’t have to face the turmoil of not having him pitch for them.