The SF Giants’ biggest offseason shakeup is shaping up to come on the mound.
Last winter, the club’s outfield depth was the area that changed the most. This time, the pitching staff is the group most likely to be reshuffled as the offseason unfolds.
The outfield does have more bodies in the mix than it did a year ago, largely because so many of the names are new to the 40-man roster. Scott Bandura, Bo Davidson and Turner Hill were added late in the season, and they joined Jonah Cox and Victor Bericoto as newcomers.
That said, more names does not automatically mean better depth. At this point, the Giants’ outfield picture is still not clearly improved.
A year ago, the organization was looking at Luis Matos, Marco Luciano, Wade Meckler and Jerar Encarnación on the depth chart, with each getting a chance to claim a job and coming up short. Meckler eventually landed with the Los Angeles Angels and turned in a solid year at the plate.
Even with all that movement, Grant McCray looks like the most vulnerable outfielder in the group.
The real churn, though, is coming on the pitching side.
The Giants’ late-season waiver claims - including Duncan Davitt and Joel Kuhnel - did not separate themselves in their short looks. If both clear waivers and return as non-roster invitees next spring, that would be a perfectly workable outcome for the club.
The team also promoted Matt Wilkinson, Seth Lonsway, César Perdomo and Yunior Marté from the minors. That move was presumably meant to protect each of them from the Rule 5 draft. Lonsway, who was called up as an emergency pitcher at the end of August, could end up being part of the roster squeeze.
Then there are the more established arms already on the 40-man roster. Tristan Beck, Carson Seymour and Reiver Sanmartín are all in the mix, but none has pitched consistently enough to feel secure heading into next year.
The Giants also have seven arbitration-eligible players, and all seven are relievers. Ryan Walker looks like a likely non-tender candidate, while José Buttó could also be in danger of falling off the roster bubble. That creates a tricky balancing act: the Giants need to avoid clogging the bullpen with too many holdovers if they want room to improve a relief group that struggled badly in 2026.
That arbitration process comes after the Giants first need to activate 17 players from the 60-day injured list, so it is not tied directly to the first wave of offseason roster decisions. Either way, the pitching depth chart is going to look very different by the time next season arrives.
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The catch is that this is not just about landing one name and moving on. San Franciscos pitching shortages have made usable depth almost as important as the headliner, and that narrows the lane on how aggressive the Giants can be in talks. Posey is being asked to balance upside, cost and fit all at once, which is why the target list feels useful but unfinished - the kind of winter puzzle where the real answer may depend on how far the Giants are willing to go once the asking price becomes clear. [Read more 🡒]