Grading San Francisco Giants' Major Offseason Moves After First Quarter Of Season

The San Francisco Giants have had a great start to the 2025 MLB season, but how much does that have to do with they did this past offseason?

May 13, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. | John Hefti-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have had a fantastic start to the 2025 season, even if they are sitting in third-place in the AL West. How much of that has had to do with their offseason moves, though?

It was the first go-around for new Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey, and he didn't do a ton to shift the roster. The moves he did make, though, were pretty major.

With a quarter of the season gone through, here are some grades for the moves with the added context:

Signing SS Willy Adames

The Adames contract was immediately met with skepticism, given how high-strikeout shortstops usually tend to pan out (not well). Seven years, $182 million is a lot to pay a shortstop that is not known for his defense with a 27.1% career strikeout rate.

His season has had it's ups-and downs, but is currently on a nice trend. In the month of May, he's posted a .264/.339/.528 slash line with three home runs. If he could keep that level of play up, this would be a fine deal.

Overall on the year, though, he's slashed .225/.306/.370 with five home runs.

Grade: C

Signing RHP Justin Verlander

Verlander has had a similar season trajectory to Adames. His deal was just way less of a risk with it being just one-year, $15 million.

Over his first four starts, he was getting shelled. He had a 6.75 ERA with 14 earned runs and nine walks in 18.2 innings of work.

In his last five starts, though, he's looked much closer to what San Francisco had to be hoping for with a 2.76 ERA and seven walks in 29.1 innings.

His experience and ceiling could be crucial come the postseason if he can stay healthy.

Grade: B

Trading LHP Taylor Rogers

Shipping Rogers to the Cincinnati Reds was one of the confusing moves of the offseason, especially for a team that wanted to contend. It saved them some money, but they are missing out on an elite reliever.

The 34-year-old has a 1.23 ERA , allowing just two earned runs in 14.2 innings of work.

The good news is that the Giants bullpen is still elite, but it's never bad to have more arms.

San Francisco got pitching prospect Braxton Roxby back in return, who has been solid in Double-A with a 2.08 ERA with a 1.077 WHIP and 14.5 K/9.

Grade: C+

Overall

The biggest change of this offseason may have been the loss of Blake Snell in the rotation. They struck out in truly replacing him with an ace and the staff has been just ok in response.

This wasn't a busy offseason for the Giants and it appears that it didn't need to be for the team to turn a page.

Grade: C+