Offseason Outlook: San Francisco Giants

The Giants entered the season ostensibly trying to compete for a Wild Card spot. Injuries and poor performances from key veterans instead left them one of the worst teams in the league. Their infield has some talented but aging veterans, and the rest of the roster needs significant improvement, especially the bullpen. The front office is eager to upgrade the latter, but otherwise the Giants may try to stabilize things with mid-tier acquisitions rather than impact players. Guaranteed Contracts Rafael Devers, 1B/DH: $211MM through 2033 Willy Adames, SS: $140MM through 2031 Matt Chapman, 3B: $100MM through 2030 Jung Hoo Lee, OF: $63MM through 2029 (can opt out after 2027) Logan Webb, RHP: $47MM through 2028 Adrian Houser, RHP: $13.5MM through 2027 (includes $4MM buyout of 2028 club option) Harrison Bader, OF: $10MM through 2027 (Giants suspended payment to Bader during ’26 season after scooter accident) 2027 commitments: $152.6MM Total future commitments: $584.6MM Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) Sam Hentges, LHP (5.157): $2MM Andrew Knizner, C (5.139): $1MM Camilo Doval, RHP (5.071): $6.6MM Jason Foley, RHP (4.150): $2.3MM Rowan Wick, RHP (4.114): $800K (Giants hold an $800K club option for 2027 with a $100K buyout) Ryan Walker, RHP (3.050): $1.6MM Casey Schmitt, INF/OF (3.035): $2.5MM José Buttó, RHP (2.168): $800K Randy Rodríguez, RHP (2.148): $800K Non-tender candidates: Knizner, Doval, Foley, Wick, Walker, Buttó Free Agents JT Brubaker, Will Brennan (eligible for minor league free agency) The Giants finished at .500 in 2025, continuing a four-year stretch of mediocrity since winning 107 games in 2021. The hope for 2026 was that they could take a step forward and challenge the Padres and Diamondbacks for the title of second-best in the NL West. With a new voice atop the dugout in Tony Vitello and Luis Arraez joining a solid core of infielders, it wasn’t totally unreasonable for San Francisco to aim for a Wild Card spot. The season that followed was the worst-case scenario. The Giants lost on Opening Day, never made it above .500, and finished with a dreadful 65-97 record. A 12-13 July was their best month of play. They were the second-worst team in the National League and were only spared from last place by the ongoing ineptitude of the Rockies. It was definitely a rude awakening for Vitello. The former head coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers got a three-year deal last October to replace the outgoing Bob Melvin. Although the Giants’ collapse was a stark contrast to his success in the college ranks, it’s difficult to pin the blame for it solely on Vitello. The front office remains confident in him, as president of baseball operations Buster Posey has said that Vitello will return as manager in 2027. “I get to see his work ethic day in and day out all year, and I still believe in his ability to lead,” Posey told reporters, including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Posey struck a balance between acknowledging the team’s underperformance and expressing optimism that the Giants can still contend. “I guess if you’re asking, ‘Do you think that we can contend next year?’ I do. I do believe that we can,” he told the media. That’s an understandable position to take publicly. For his part, Posey was frank about needing to improve the bullpen and other areas of the roster. “We don’t have blinders on the wins and losses. We’re still not there with [the current] group,” he said in the presser. Of course, that was the stance he took last year before pivoting to a quieter offseason strategy, but perhaps there’s more urgency this time since Posey is entering the last year of his own contract. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker View Comments (0)