The San Francisco Giants are staring at an offseason with too many loose ends and not much time to tie them up. The pitching staff needs help, the roster has to be sorted out, and a looming labor deadline could make the whole thing even messier.
Major League Baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union runs out on December 1, 2026. An owners-imposed lockout is widely expected, and if that happens, clubs would be frozen from making Major League transactions until a new labor deal is struck. For the Giants, that means the window to get real work done could close fast.
The biggest issue is easy to spot: San Francisco does not have enough pitching. Logan Webb and Landen Roupp are the anchors of the rotation, but the depth behind them is thin.
Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, Trevor McDonald and Blade Tidwell all ended up needing Tommy John surgery after season-ending elbow injuries in 2026. Birdsong could be the first of that group back and might even pitch in 2027, while the others are expected to be out until sometime in 2028.
That leaves the Giants in a tough spot after a 65-97 season. President of baseball operations Buster Posey has said he believes the team can get back into contention in 2027, but that kind of jump won’t happen without major changes. He also admitted at the postseason press conference that he did not do enough to bolster the relief corps last offseason.
And this is not the sort of problem one move solves.
San Francisco is going to need starting pitching, experienced relievers, or both. If the free-agent market doesn’t provide enough answers, the front office may have to dip into its depth and make trades. The club has also reportedly been scouting Japanese pitchers Hiromi Itoh and Kaima Taira, which could offer a possible starting point if they become available to MLB teams.
The challenge is timing. This winter may not resemble a normal offseason at all, and the Giants may not be able to wait around for the market to fully develop. Posey has shown he is willing to swing at significant moves when the right ones come along, but the organization also cannot afford to be reckless or chase the wrong player just because a lockout is coming.
There is a balance to strike here. Spending too much out of fear would be a mistake. Waiting too long could be just as damaging if the work stoppage shuts down free-agent negotiations and trade talks before the roster is where it needs to be.
San Francisco has taken this route before. Ahead of the 2021 labor stoppage, the team moved quickly and signed starters Alex Cobb, Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani.
Once the new agreement was in place, it added Carlos Rodon. A similar approach would make sense again if the Giants want to avoid getting caught flat-footed.
The labor fight itself is still hanging over everything. MLB owners have proposed a salary-cap system, while the players’ union has pushed back hard against any limits on free agency. That tension is expected to fuel what could be a long work stoppage, and there is no guarantee it will play out like the last one, which lasted 99 days and delayed spring training and Opening Day for 2022 while still allowing for a 162-game season.
For San Francisco, though, the larger point is simple. The pitching staff needs help, the 40-man roster is crowded, and several young players have to be sorted out. Posey may believe contention is close, but belief is not enough on its own.
The Giants have work to do, and whether it gets done before December 1 or after a new labor agreement is reached, they cannot afford to sit still.
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