How San Francisco Giants Plan to Compete for Elite Free Agents Moving Forward

There's only one way the San Francisco Giants will begin to consistently attract the biggest free agents on the market.

Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have had what many would consider to be a solid offseason to this point.

Handing out the largest free agent contract in franchise history to their new shortstop Willy Adames and bringing in a high-upside veteran like Justin Verlander who will look to find another elite campaign in his tank were both good moves. But it was another year in which the Giants missed out on the very best of the best in terms of talent on the open market.

San Francisco looked to be on the cusp of signing the best pitcher available in former Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, but the 2021 NL Cy Young winner shocked everyone and instead signed with the Giants division rival Arizona Diamondbacks.

Landing Roki Sasaki was never going to be easy, but the 23-year-old Japanese future superstar has spurned the Giants as well and looks to also likely land with a division rival, be it the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.

In the two winters prior, San Francisco has additionally finished second in the chases of both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, players who have each won MVP awards since spurning the Giants.

Adames and Verlander are nice, but it's starting to feel like San Francisco is incapable of landing the best of the best when every other team is after them.

New Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey addressed this issue during a recent appearance on The TK Show with Tim Kawakami, saying there's one clear way which the franchise can change their luck with landing marquee free agent talent.

"The obvious answer is...we've got to take care of business on the field going forward," Posey said. "I think you're in a better position if you go in and make a deep run in the playoffs, it's going to be attractive. That is to me where the focus has to be. Let's look at 2025 what's in front of us and go take care of business on the field and then we'll be in a good spot."

San Francisco has a lot to offer potential free agents including perhaps most importantly competitive large contracts, but they cannot offer the prestige of winning and brand that teams like the Dodgers and Yankees bring.

There's no shame in losing out on a star free agent to Los Angeles - something the Giants are seemingly set to do once again with Sasaki - but coming in second place doesn't help win ball games and get the organization out of the rut which has seen them miss the playoffs in seven of the last eight years.

With free agents like Adames and a re-signing of Matt Chapman as well as a fresh new era San Francisco appears to be entering under Posey, there's optimism that winning will soon follow.

But until the Giants show a demonstrated proof of concept that says you can come here and win, they will continue to miss out on star free agents.