Which Pitchers Qualify as ‘Modestly Priced’ Targets for Giants Front Office?

The San Francisco Giants may not be looking to spend to the top of the market for starting pitching at the back end of the rotation.

General view of San Francisco Giants caps and gloves during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

One of the most critical pieces of the offseason puzzle for the San Francisco Giants is the back of its starting rotation.

Logan Webb and Robbie Ray give the franchise a great 1-2 punch. Webb finished in the Top 10 of Cy Young voting for the fourth straight season last month. Ray is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and is a former Cy Young winner when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The rest of the rotation is a different matter. Landen Roupp is a solid starter, but likely not a No. 3 starter. The rest of the potential starters are Carson Whisenhunt, Trevor McDonald and Carson Seymour. San Francisco will likely seek more pitching. But it’s unlikely to come from the top of the market, per ESPN’s Buster Olney. He reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the Giants’ inquiries on starting pitching have been for players that are “modestly priced.”

So, what does that mean? Olney didn’t say, but one could do the homework and figure it out.

Giants ‘Modestly Priced’ Pitching Options

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Tatsuya Imai, the Japanese pitcher that many have linked the Giants to in free agency, is not modestly priced. MLB Trade Rumors estimates that Imai will get a six-year deal worth $150 million — and that doesn’t include the posting fee.

Zac Gallen might be out of reach, too. The former Arizona Diamondbacks star is projected by MLBTR for a four-year, $80 million deal with a $20 million average annual value. San Francisco may not see that as modest, even though the franchise has been linked to him as well.

San Francisco is likely chasing pitching that will be somewhere in the $10-15 million average annual value range, something along the line of what it paid Justin Verlander in 2025. It’s possible the Giants could bring him back.

It’s also possible San Francisco could pursue Max Scherzer, who was paid $15.5 million by the Toronto Blue Jays last season. He could be an easy target. New Giants manager Tony Vitello was his pitching coach in college.

Lucas Giolito falls into the category as MLBTR projects he could get a two-year deal worth $32 million. He’s coming off a 10-4 record with a 3.41 ERA with Boston in 2025, as he helped them reach the playoffs. Nick Martinez also lands here, with a MLBTR projection of two years and $25 million. He’s coming off an 11-14 campaign in which he had a 4.45 ERA in 40 games (26 starts). He can be a reliever or a starter.

Other starters that could fit here are Zack Littell, Cody Ponce and Tyler Mahle.