The Giants are heading into an offseason where pitching has to be the priority, and the list of possible fixes is long enough to give San Francisco some real flexibility. With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire on December 1, the club will have about a month before an expected lockout to work the market. Free agents can begin signing five days after the World Series ends, which gives the Giants a clear window to move early.
Buster Posey has already said the Giants did not do enough to improve the bullpen last winter, and that problem still sits front and center. The rotation needs help too, especially after four young starters underwent Tommy John surgery this year. San Francisco is looking at both ends of the pitching staff, and there are several names that could fit.
Adrián Morejón is one of the more intriguing relief targets. The 27-year-old Padres left-hander has given the Giants trouble, holding them to one run over six appearances this season and limiting them to a .198 batting average in 25 career games against San Francisco.
At Oracle Park, he has posted a 1.23 ERA. Morejón has been used as Mason Miller’s setup man, but as the top reliever on the market, he is likely to draw plenty of attention.
David Bednar is another bullpen option worth watching. He saved 35 games this year and finished with a 2.47 ERA after two steady seasons with the Yankees.
There is some baggage attached, though, including an ERA above 5.00 two years ago. Even so, he could give the Giants a proven closer without landing anywhere near the kind of deal Edwin Díaz would command.
Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias and Pete Fairbanks are also in the mix.
If San Francisco wants rotation help, Clay Holmes could be a fascinating target. The 33-year-old is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Cubs, who got him from the Mets at the trade deadline.
A line drive broke his fibula and wiped out much of his season, but Holmes is capable of starting or closing. His career ground-ball rate is 62%, a shade above Logan Webb’s 56%.
Kevin Gausman could also circle back to the Giants. The former San Francisco starter put together a strong run in Toronto before the Cubs acquired him at the deadline.
Gausman, now 35, has held opponents to a .216 career batting average at Oracle Park. The Giants did not offer him a contract after the 2021 season, when he reached free agency, but Posey was behind the plate for him during that All-Star year.
There are more rotation names in play, too. Freddy Peralta, Trevor Rogers and Michael King all fit on the board.
Peralta, 30, owns an 80-53 record with a 3.71 ERA and a 3.1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Rogers, 28, would give San Francisco a left-handed option.
King, 31, would become available if he declines his option with the Padres.
The Giants have enough possible routes to attack this offseason that the real question is not whether they can find pitching, but which type they want most. A proven closer, a starter, or someone who can do a little of both - that choice could shape how seriously San Francisco can push toward contention in 2027.
In Other News...
Giants Fans Have Two Very Different Reasons To Watch Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is already giving Giants fans a couple of things to track, with the Scottsdale Scorpions off to a 5-1 start and two of the organizations young players making very different kinds of impressions. Dakota Jordan has brought some energy to the lineup, showing the kind of speed and offensive juice that has made him one of the more watchable names in the group, while the Scorpions keep rolling through the early part of the schedule.
Drake Georges return is the other piece worth following, especially after he finally got into game action again following Tommy John surgery. In his first AFL appearance, he worked one inning and showed a fastball that sat in the mid-90s along with a high-spin breaking ball, the sort of brief but meaningful checkpoint that matters for a pitcher trying to rebuild momentum and reestablish himself. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Tied To Costly Trade Idea That Could Reshape Their Rotation
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What makes the idea interesting is the price attached to it, because any deal of that kind would not come cheap. San Francisco would have to weigh the cost of parting with Casey Schmitt and two prospects in Bo Davidson and Ramon Marquez against the upside of landing a pitcher who could reshape the staff, while the Angels would have to decide whether moving on from Detmers fits their own timeline and roster needs. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Offseason Priority Says Everything About Their 2027 Plan
After a 65-win season, the Giants are already talking like a club that sees a cleaner path back to contention, and the first place they want to attack says plenty about how they view the roster. Buster Posey has signaled that the bullpen will be the priority in the offseason, a notable admission for a team that spent this year looking far from complete and is now trying to set up a stronger run in the near future.
The front offices thinking also appears to be moving beyond the usual low-cost fixes. Rather than leaning only on minor league contracts and non-tender types, San Francisco is weighing a more aggressive approach in free agency for relief help, which fits the broader idea that the organization believes 2027 can be a real target if the right pieces are added now. [Read more 🡒]