The Giants didn’t get much of a read on Marcelo Mayer down the stretch, and that’s exactly why his late-season line can’t be taken at face value.
San Francisco landed Mayer from the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline in a deal that sent left-handed Erik Miller the other way. It was a move that caught some attention, mostly because Mayer had once been viewed as one of the better prospects in baseball. From the Giants’ side, there was real intrigue in taking a shot on a player with that kind of pedigree.
But the on-field results after the trade were rough. Mayer picked up just one hit in 17 plate appearances for San Francisco in the final week of the season. Still, that tiny sample came with a major caveat: he dealt with a foot injury after the move and went through multiple rehab stints, which makes it hard to separate performance from health.
He may simply have been trying to get some big league reps before the year ended while still not feeling completely right. That kind of situation can leave a player looking out of sync, and Mayer’s brief run with the Giants fit that description.
His numbers in Boston weren’t especially encouraging either. In 2025, he hit .228/.272/.402 with four homers and 10 runs batted in. In 2026, he followed that with a .220/.282/.312 line, along with three homers and 22 RBI.
Even so, there was some hope that a move back to California could help him reset. Mayer is from Chula Vista and grew up hearing about Casey Schmitt, with the two standing out as some of the more promising prospects to come out of San Diego in recent memory.
There’s still a path for Mayer to matter in San Francisco. He and Schmitt could both be in the mix next season, and if the Giants use Schmitt in left field, that could clear the way for Mayer to take over as the primary second baseman.
He’d still need to win that job in spring training, but the Giants clearly made the deal believing he could at least become useful infield depth. His first look in orange and black didn’t change that much, because it came while he was clearly rusty and dealing with injury. The real answer on the trade won’t come until next season.
In Other News...
Giants Lose Another Key Coach As Staff Turnover Keeps Growing
The Giants coaching staff keeps looking different from one week to the next, and the latest change comes with Alex Burg heading to Cleveland to become the Guardians quality control coach. Burg had been with San Francisco since 2022 and had taken on an expanded role during his time with the club, making him another familiar face now moving on as the organization continues reshaping its dugout and support staff.
His departure adds to a broader round of turnover that has already included the hiring of James Rowson as offensive coordinator and the reassignment of several other coaches into new roles. For a team trying to steady itself and build continuity, the constant movement leaves one more open question about how the Giants staff will look once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Buster Poseys Hall Of Fame Case Goes Beyond The Numbers
Buster Poseys case for Cooperstown has always been bigger than the box score, and thats part of what makes his Giants legacy so durable. Over 13 seasons in San Francisco, he became the face of a championship era, winning three World Series titles while also earning a reputation as one of the games most respected catchers and leaders.
Jake Peavys reflection on Posey adds another layer to that rsum, the kind that doesnt show up in traditional Hall of Fame arguments but matters to anyone who lived through those Giants teams. Posey is now running the baseball operations side in San Francisco, and when his Hall of Fame eligibility arrives in 2027, the debate will not just be about what he produced, but about how much he helped shape winning around him. [Read more 🡒]
Buster Posey Just Framed The Giants Biggest Offseason Test
Buster Posey has already made the Giants winter priorities pretty clear, and it starts on the mound. As president of baseball operations, he laid out an offseason plan built around pitching, with San Francisco entering the winter with only two guaranteed starting spots in the rotation and a need to sort out the rest through a mix of additions and internal competition.
The bullpen figures to be part of the same push, but the path there sounds different. Rather than leaning heavily on free-agent relievers tied to qualifying offers, the Giants are expected to look more toward trades as they try to deepen the relief corps and stabilize the staff around the pieces already in place. [Read more 🡒]