How does the potential for a lockout affect the Giants' moves for 2026 and beyond?

With a labor stoppage looming, will the San Francisco Giants look to unload their premium players and simply look ahead to 2028?

Apr 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; (L to R) San Francisco Giants chairman Greg Johnson and president Larry Baer and president of baseball operations Buster Posey and general manager Zack Minasian sit on the field before the game against the Miami Marlins at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It's been a bizarre beginning of 2026 by the Bay, as the Giants looked like a boat without a paddle thus far. Languishing near the bottom of the NL West Division standings at 14-22, the club has begun to inject some of its youth into the big league roster in the midst of what's shaping up to to be a downtrodden season.

That leaves the franchise in a quandary after they invested a little over $200 million on a team that has looked downright mediocre. To make matters worse, the high-salary, top-heavy contracts that the team gave to former All-Stars like Rafael Devers and Willy Adames aren't paying off in the win column.

Therefore, it's believed the Giants might try to turn the corner and go with a youth movement. That was evidenced by the team's willingness to reverse course and promote top prospect Bryce Eldridge to The Show this week. But an entire overhaul could be on the agenda if it appears there will be an impasse in labor negotiations.

MLB owners, MLBPA reportedly set to begin labor negotiations soon, with salary cap at center of talks https://t.co/qR5lW8t0QA pic.twitter.com/4pR88kUV2T

— Institute For The American Worker (@Inst4AW) May 4, 2026

The players and owners are in desperate search for a mutually beneficial deal that likely emplys both a salary cap and a salary basement. Despite those parameters, the deal could take months to come to fruition, and could potentially force most, or all, of the 2027 to be under padlock.

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1, 2026.

What's San Francisco's strategy?

May 4, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) reacts after striking out against the San Diego Padres during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

If a lockout is forecasted on the horizon, then look for the Giants to start their disaster plan early. They could eat some salary this year and dump Devers and Adames at the deadline and acquire prospects who will be more mature when the labor stoppage is over. A full year of sitting out only decreases the two fading stars' value even more. So, if team president Buster Posey and GM Zack Minasian decide to enact a rebuilding strategy, they could start now.

No matter what happens in the end, the mere threat of a lockout is another dark cloud hanging over a franchise that definetily needs to be rebuilt, retooled , and reshaped. A shaky situation between the owners and players will only make very move even riskier than it would in a normal environment. In this case? The Giants have a chance to be victims of a work stoppage or gain and advantage by getting the jump on 2028 and beyond.