The Giants’ outfield overhaul does not have to look one way this offseason - and that’s exactly the problem. They need help out there, but the front office has to decide whether the answer is a smaller fix or a real swing.
There are already pieces in place. Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert should be in the lineup against right-handed pitching.
Jonah Cox also showed he can help the team in more than one way, especially with his speed on the bases. Behind them, Scott Bandura, Turner Hill and Bo Davidson will be in the mix for playing time.
Casey Schmitt could keep bouncing around the field too, including left field, which he picked up on the fly in 2026.
Even with that group, the outfield still needs a boost. Giants outfielders combined for just 1.3 fWAR last season, a total that ranked 27th in baseball. Without a significant change, it remains a unit with a very low ceiling and a very low floor.
One path is straightforward: add a right-handed platoon bat. Randal Grichuk or Lane Thomas fit that lane.
The Giants have been badly exposed against left-handed pitching over the past couple of seasons, posting an 84 wRC+ in those matchups, tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst mark. If they believe they can contend, that kind of weakness is hard to carry.
The roster math matters here, too. The infield is mostly right-handed.
The outfield, on the other hand, has some soft spots against lefties. Adding a bat from the right side to pair with Lee and Gilbert would not transform the group, but it would steady it and give Tony Vitello more flexibility to work matchups later in games.
That would also address one of the Giants’ bigger issues in 2026: they were too easy to game-plan against. Too many at-bats were suboptimal no matter which side of the platoon they faced.
To their credit, their left-handed hitters did well against right-handed pitchers. Beyond that, there was not much to lean on.
Of course, the Giants could also aim higher and bring in a more established everyday outfielder. Free agency is thin in that class, but there are names to watch.
Seiya Suzuki, whom the Giants recruited a few years ago before he signed with the Chicago Cubs, is one. Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners is another.
If a player can hit in Seattle, there is a good chance he will be fine at Oracle Park.
Both players would likely reject qualifying offers this offseason, which would bring a non-financial cost the Giants have to consider, especially after a 65-win season. They would also come with long-term contracts, and the Giants already have enough of those on the books to make that decision a real balancing act.
In Other News...
Giants Still Have One Possible Edge In Tarik Skubal Pursuit
Tarik Skubals free agency figure is already drawing plenty of attention around the Bay Area, and the Giants have a natural thread to pull on with a pitcher who grew up close enough to know the region well. With the Dodgers out of the postseason and speculation swirling about whether they will try to keep the left-hander, the market for one of the top names available figures to get crowded quickly. San Francisco can point to home-area familiarity as a possible advantage, even if there is still plenty of uncertainty about how aggressively it will move.
The bigger question is whether that connection matters enough to outweigh the usual free-agent calculus of money and winning. Skubal is going to have choices, and the Giants will need to decide whether they are willing to present a deal that belongs in the top tier of the market. For now, there have been no official moves, just the sense that San Francisco has at least one possible edge if it chooses to press its case. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Pitching Overhaul Keeps Taking Shape Behind The Scenes
The offseason picture around the Giants is already starting to take shape, and it reaches well beyond their own roster. San Francisco is among the clubs scouting Japanese right-handers Hiromi Itoh and Taira, both expected to be posted this winter, a reminder that the front office is tracking every possible avenue to add pitching depth as it looks ahead to 2026. On the other side of the division, the Dodgers have openly heard from Alex Vesia and Enrique Hernandez about a possible return in free agency, a sign that the market around the West is beginning to stir.
For the Giants, the pitching need is hardly a mystery. Randy Rodriguez is in the Arizona Fall League as part of his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and the club is expected to pursue additional bullpen help even with his rehab moving along. Around the division, the Rockies are reshaping their own pitching operation too, considering a new coaching role tied to advance reports and in-game adjustments after moving on from pitching coach Alon Leichman after just one season. The dominoes are already falling in different directions, and San Francisco will be watching closely as the market for arms takes form. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Have A Matt Chapman Question They Cant Ignore
Matt Chapmans first season in San Francisco did not play out the way the Giants envisioned when they committed to him, even if the glove stayed dependable. His offense slipped during the 2026 season, finishing with a .235/.324/.368 line, seven home runs and 42 RBIs before a core muscle injury ended his year and sent him to season-ending surgery.
Now the Giants have to balance what Chapman still brings defensively with the uncertainty around his health and production moving forward. With a long-term commitment on the books, the organization is expected to be more careful with him in 2027, hoping that a lighter workload can help preserve both his availability and the bat that has become too important to leave to chance. [Read more 🡒]