The Giants are making a few adjustments to their pitching group, but not the kind that would qualify as a full overhaul.
Buster Posey had already left the door open to coaching changes after the regular season, and Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported that San Francisco will indeed make some minor shifts. Frank Anderson, who was "Director of Major League Pitching in 2026" and served as Tony Vitello’s pitching coach at the University of Tennessee, will move in as an assistant pitching coach under Justin Meccage, who remains the club’s pitching coach. Christian Wonder, previously an assistant pitching coach in 2026, is headed into a role that will be more tied to the farm system, while Jesse Chavez will return as bullpen coach.
That said, one outside option that could have changed the tone of this offseason is no longer available. The Yankees reportedly signed pitching coach Matt Blake to a contract extension, taking him off the board before San Francisco could explore that route.
Blake’s appeal was obvious. He comes with an analytics background, and the Yankees have had one of the better pitching staffs in MLB during his time in the role. New York’s roster talent has obviously mattered, but Blake has earned plenty of credit for the way the staff has performed.
There’s also the reality that the Yankees’ hitters, including Aaron Judge, have not always embraced analytics to the same degree, while the pitching side has been more receptive to Blake’s approach. The results have backed that up.
Blake also came up through the Cleveland Guardians organization, a group that has built a reputation as a “pitching factory” that squeezes the most out of its arms. For that reason, the Giants could still be smart to look in that direction and see whether someone like Brad Goldberg, currently an assistant pitching coach, could be lured away with a promotion.
The Giants’ coaching staff is not solely to blame for the state of the pitching, but there is no denying that something needs to change. Tyler Mahle thriving after being traded to the Atlanta Braves and Erik Miller looking dominant initially with the Boston Red Sox stood out as warning signs.
For now, though, Baggarly’s reporting suggests San Francisco is leaning more toward changing the approach than changing the people. Maybe the organization believes its current group deserves a second year to grow and adjust. If the pitching staff stumbles again, though, that patience could look like a mistake.
Blake is gone, but the Giants still need to keep looking. Running it back without meaningful new ideas does not sound like the safest play.
In Other News...
Wilmer Flores Heartbreak Is Fueling A Baseball Debate Giants Fans Know Too Well
The check-swing call that ended Game 2 of the World Series has reopened an argument Giants fans know all too well, because it instantly brought back memories of the disputed Wilmer Flores call from the 2021 NLDS. In both cases, a game turned on an umpire's ruling about whether the bat had gone far enough to count as a swing, and once again the debate has shifted from the moment itself to the rulebook behind it.
What has kept the discussion alive is the minor league check-swing review standard, which says the bat has to cross the foul line to be ruled a swing. That definition does not match the more traditional way fans and many in the game think about a check swing, and it has left room for confusion in high-pressure moments. The latest controversy only adds to the case for clearer definitions and review protocols, especially when a single call can decide October games and stir up old wounds in San Francisco. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Infield Churn Could Suddenly Make Nate Furman Matter In 2027
A midseason wave of injuries and the trade involving Luis Arraez pushed Nate Furman into the Giants picture in August 2026, and the rookie infielder got a quick taste of the majors as the club searched for answers around the diamond. Furman arrived with a solid minor league hitting rsum, but his brief big league sample was modest, with four singles in 32 at-bats.
Even so, the Giants saw enough in his defense and speed to keep him in the conversation, and that matters with the infield still looking unsettled heading toward 2027. Furman may not have seized a regular role yet, but he has a path to sticking on the 40-man roster as useful depth, which is often how a player goes from emergency call-up to a legitimate part of the long-term plan. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Offseason Hinges On What Ownership Lets Buster Posey Do
Buster Poseys first real offseason steering the Giants is shaping up as less of a shopping spree than a test of how much freedom ownership is willing to give him. Based on Cots current estimate, San Francisco sits about $19.8 million below the 2026 luxury-tax threshold, with a projected tax payroll of roughly $224.2 million against a $244 million line, but that figure is only a starting point and not an official budget or a commitment to spend.
For a club that knows it needs help in the rotation and more depth in the bullpen, the arithmetic matters almost as much as the personnel decisions. Posey and the front office still have to thread the needle between those roster needs, existing contractual obligations and labor rules, and the real story of the winter may be less about who is available than what ownership is willing to authorize when the market starts to move. [Read more 🡒]