San Francisco Giants Still Have Major Work To Do With Roster To Compete

The San Francisco Giants, like every team in baseball, is currently looking up at the Los Angeles Dodgers after the spending spree they went on this offseason following their 2024 World Series victory.

But, it has hurt the Giants even more as the gap that already existed between the rivals has grown even more this winter.

Some of those major additions, such as outfielder Michael Conforto and starting pitcher Blake Snell, were playing for the orange and black against the Dodgers in 2024. Now, they have flipped to the other side of the rivalry, adding to the gulf that exists between the franchises.

Competing against them in the National League West is not going to be fun for the foreseeable future, as Buster Posey has his work cut out for him as the new president of baseball operations for the franchise he used to play for.

It certainly hasn’t been from a lack of effort, as the former star catcher did what he could to spend some money this offseason.

Alas, to this point, the only major additions made have been shortstop Willy Adames and starting pitcher Justin Verlander.

Given the relatively quiet offseason, it should come as no surprise that David Schoenfield of ESPN has given the team a “C+” grade for their work thus far this winter with some upside.

“Well, Buster Posey got his big name -- unfortunately, it's a guy coming off a 5.48 ERA. We'll see if Verlander has anything left in the tank. If he does, and if the Giants get 30 starts from Robbie Ray and improvement from youngsters Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong, this could be a nice rotation lined up behind Logan Webb.”

There are reasons to believe that Verlander has something left in the tank to offer, as his production last year was in line with what he provided in 2023 before he succumbed to a neck ailment.

Staying healthy at 42 years old will be a challenge, but if he can, the Giants will receive production better than the league average.

At the plate, Adames is going to be a major upgrade for the team, as they identified shortstop as their biggest need.

Alas, Schoenfield has some reservations about San Francisco giving him the largest contract in franchise history.

“As for Adames, he's a good player and fills a need at shortstop, but $182 million feels a little steep for a player who might have to move off shortstop in a couple of years and strikes out as often as he does. On paper, this team gives off its usual .500-ish vibe.”

That assessment does seem a little harsh as Adames has the talent to raise the team’s ceiling in multiple facets of the game. His arrival will also allow Tyler Fitzgerald to move over to second base, filling another void in the lineup.

If the Giants are going to make noise, they should look to make another splash, such as signing first baseman Pete Alonso.

He wouldn’t close the gap that exists on his own, but their odds of challenging for a wild card spot would improve with another slugger added to the mix.