The Giants are still searching for the formula that can drag them back into real contention, and the current roster leaves plenty of work for Buster Posey and Zack Minasian to do.
San Francisco has spent 11 years away from its dynastic stretch at the start of the 2010s, and the gap between then and now has only widened. Since winning the title in 2014, the Giants have reached the postseason only twice - in 2016, when they fell to the Cubs in the NLDS, and in 2021, when the Dodgers knocked them out in the NLDS.
That track record is not close to what the organization expects of itself. Posey took over as president of baseball operations in September of 2024, and with Minasian as his general manager, the Giants are 146-178. In 2026, they slid backward.
Tony Vitello was brought in as manager, and while that move could pay off over time, his lack of experience showed at points during the season. He’ll get a second year, and the expectations should be higher now that he’s got one season under his belt.
The core problem, though, is the roster itself. By the time the Giants started to look like a real team, it was already too late.
No area needs more attention than the bullpen. The Giants never had a locked-in closer, and it haunted them.
The ninth inning was never settled, and it was anything but comfortable. Getting Camilo Doval back into the mix should help if the team can make adjustments to his pitches, but the front office still needs outside additions.
That part of the roster has to improve if San Francisco wants to take a real step forward.
Health is another major issue. The Giants simply did not have enough of it in 2026. Logan Webb appeared bothered all season, endured a disappointing year, and finished early because of injury.
The rotation as a whole never clicked. FanGraphs ranked the Giants’ starting staff 24th in baseball, with a 4.48 ERA.
The offense had its own problems for most of the year, and the long-term outlook on Willy Adames’ and Matt Chapman’s contracts looks bleak right now. Still, if both are fully healthy, there’s at least a path for better production.
Rafael Devers ended the season strong, and the Giants need that version of him when the pressure ramps up. If Devers becomes the center of the offense and young players like Bryce Eldridge can deliver for a full season at a high level, San Francisco’s chances of getting back to October in 2027 will rise.
In Other News...
Giants Still Have A 2027 Bullpen Question Despite Randy Rodrguezs Return
Randy Rodrguez has started to show encouraging signs in the Arizona Fall League after working his way back from injury, and that alone gives the Giants a useful piece to monitor as they look ahead. His stuff still makes him an intriguing arm for a bullpen that will need depth and quality, and his return gives San Francisco a chance to imagine how he might fit into the mix once hes fully back in a big league setting.
Even so, the longer view matters here, especially with his earlier struggles in the closer role and the reality of a Tommy John surgery in the recent past. For the Giants, the cleaner path for 2027 is to add a dedicated closer over the offseason and let Rodrguez ease back into lower-pressure middle relief work first, rather than asking him to immediately anchor the end of games. [Read more 🡒]
Camilo Doval Just Gave Giants Fans A Real Bullpen Debate
Camilo Dovals winding 2026 season ended where so much of his early career was defined, back in a Giants uniform. After getting dealt from San Francisco to the Yankees and then to the Pirates before returning late in the year, Doval finished with two scoreless innings in his final appearances for the club, giving the Giants at least one more look at a familiar arm before the offseason arrived.
Now the front office has a choice to make, and it is not a small one for a bullpen that always seems to be under a microscope in San Francisco. The Giants must decide whether to offer Doval a contract or non-tender him, while also weighing what his place might be in the 2027 relief mix if he stays in the organization. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Offseason Pitching Search May Come Down To One Key Choice
The Giants offseason pitching search is starting to take shape around a familiar kind of question: do they chase proven upside, or lean toward healthier, more stable arms that could fit more cleanly into next years plans? Among the names being floated are Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Antonio Senzatela and JoJo Romero, a group that reflects just how wide the market could be for San Francisco as it looks to bolster a staff that always seems to be one of the central talking points in the winter.
Peralta and Woodruff bring the sort of front-line appeal that can change a rotations ceiling, but both come with recent injury concerns that any club would have to weigh carefully. Senzatela and Romero offer a different kind of decision, with their recent performance and contract situations making them more attainable depending on how the market develops. For the Giants, the real challenge may be choosing which version of pitching help to prioritize before the bidding even gets serious. [Read more 🡒]