The San Francisco Giants have been one of the more puzzling teams this offseason - not because they’re inactive, but because of how they're choosing to operate after going big on position players. Despite shelling out over $500 million in the last 14 months on Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers, they’ve shown little urgency to address what’s arguably a more pressing issue: the starting rotation.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal recently voiced what many around the league have been thinking. Speaking on the Foul Territory podcast, Rosenthal said, “It seems that they are not prepared to spend at the top of the market… Why they wouldn’t continue to spend on pitching is a little curious to me… I’m a little baffled by the Giants and their seeming retrenchment here when they’ve spent heavily on those three position players.”
And he’s not wrong to be scratching his head.
Chapman, Adames, and Devers are now locked into long-term deals - foundational pieces for the next several years. But those deals also come with consequences.
Financial flexibility is tighter, and the roster’s core is starting to take shape. That makes it all the more important to get the pitching piece right, and right now, that piece feels incomplete.
The top of the rotation looks solid, with Logan Webb leading the way, followed by Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp. But things get murky after that.
Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald, and Blade Tidwell are all talented young arms, but relying on that trio to round out a rotation in a division as competitive as the NL West is a big gamble. Development isn’t linear, and expecting multiple rookies to hit the ground running is more hope than strategy.
The Giants have kicked the tires on some options. They were linked to Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai earlier in the winter but ultimately balked at the price. The same appears to be true for Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez - both of whom declined qualifying offers and are expected to command significant deals.
And that’s where the confusion really starts to build.
This isn’t a one-off scenario. The Giants have been in this position before - seemingly interested in top-tier arms, only to back away when it’s time to commit.
Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, and Corbin Burnes are just a few of the names they’ve passed on in recent years. On the flip side, they were reportedly willing to go big for Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he chose the Dodgers.
So it’s not that they won’t spend - it’s that they’re highly selective about when and on whom they do it.
Part of that caution may trace back to the Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija contracts. Neither deal was a total disaster, but they did tie up resources and roster spots for years.
Since then, the front office has been hesitant to hand out long-term deals to pitchers, especially those with any red flags. That kind of caution makes sense in a vacuum.
But when you’ve already committed half a billion dollars to your offense, pulling back on the pitching side feels like an incomplete plan.
This isn’t to say the Giants are done. The offseason still has time to unfold, and there are still arms available.
But if they’re serious about contending - and their spending on Chapman, Adames, and Devers suggests they are - then the rotation needs more than just internal competition. It needs stability.
It needs depth. And it needs experience.
Because right now, the Giants look like a team that’s built half a house and is hesitating on whether to finish the roof.