The Giants are heading into a strange kind of offseason - one where the calendar matters as much as the roster. With the World Series wrapped and the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on December 1, 2026, San Francisco’s front office has a short window to clear space, protect talent, and make some key decisions before any potential lockout changes the rhythm of the winter.
The first pressure point comes fast. Five days after the World Series, the Giants will have to activate every player currently on the 60-day injured list.
Those players must either be added back to the 40-man roster or risk going on waivers. That same stretch also includes a club option on Rowan Wick, who missed the 2026 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
San Francisco has already started carving down the roster ahead of that crunch. Grant McCray was claimed by the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, Braxton Roxby went to the Washington Nationals, and Matt Gage, Osleivis Basabe, and Jason Foley were outrighted to Sacramento.
The next date to circle is November 17, when the Giants must decide which eligible players to shield from the Rule 5 draft. The team already locked up several of those names, including Scott Bandura and Bo Davidson, but Joe Whitman, Henry LaLane, and Luis De La Torre are among the players still exposed. During the last lockout, the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft was skipped, though clubs are still expected to plan as if it will happen.
Then comes December 20, the non-tender deadline - the last major cutoff before the CBA expires. The Giants began with nine arbitration-eligible players, but that number has already dropped after Jason Foley was sent outright to Sacramto.
Camilo Doval leads the group, and Casey Schmitt is in line for a healthy bump as well. Andrew Knizer is one of the players who could be affected once the club has to activate players from the 60-day injured list, and the current eight-player arbitration group should shrink further before that deadline arrives.
That date also tends to bring quieter business of a different sort, with teams and players agreeing to salaries for the coming season and avoiding arbitration altogether. For the Giants, that could mean settling with several players early and trimming away some uncertainty before a possible lockout hangs over the winter.
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