The San Francisco Giants made it official: they've signed Venezuelan shortstop Luis Hernandez, widely regarded as the top international free agent on the market. It’s a move that had been expected for some time, but now that pen has hit paper, the Giants' pipeline just got a little deeper-and potentially a lot more valuable.
This signing continues a clear pattern under president of baseball operations Buster Posey. Since stepping into the front office in 2024, Posey has made it a point to stockpile talent at shortstop, both as a long-term investment and as a way to build flexibility for future moves.
Hernandez joins a growing list of young middle infielders in the organization, including Josuar Gonzalez, who the Giants signed last year out of the Dominican Republic. Gonzalez was considered the second-best international prospect in that class, trailing only Roki Sasaki.
And the trend doesn’t stop there. The Giants also used their first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft to select Gavin Kilen, a shortstop out of the University of Tennessee who played under new manager Tony Vitello. Add in the major-league signing of Willy Adames-who inked the largest contract in franchise history-and it’s clear the Giants have a type.
Now, stacking up on shortstops might sound redundant, especially with Adames still in his prime at age 30. But in today’s game, positional versatility and trade value go hand-in-hand.
Shortstops are often the best athletes on the field, and that makes them easier to move around the diamond-or package in a deal. Whether Hernandez eventually takes over at short, shifts to another position, or becomes part of a trade package, he adds value.
Gonzalez, in particular, is already drawing attention. He’s cracked MLB’s top 100 prospect rankings and is seen by some executives as a breakout candidate for 2026. That kind of buzz doesn’t go unnoticed-especially when a team is looking to make a splash.
Still, it’s important to keep expectations in check. Gonzalez is only 18.
Hernandez is just 17. These are teenagers still growing into their bodies, still learning the game at a professional level.
For every top prospect who becomes a star, there are others who fade out before they reach the big leagues. Giants fans have seen that firsthand with Marco Luciano, once touted as the heir to Brandon Crawford.
Luciano never quite lived up to the hype and is now with the Orioles.
That’s the nature of prospect development. It’s unpredictable.
But that doesn’t mean it’s without purpose. Even if these young players don’t become everyday starters in San Francisco, they can still help the club in other ways-namely, as trade assets.
The Giants have already been linked to potential trade targets like Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs. And if Posey and company decide it’s time to push some chips in, players like Gonzalez, Kilen, or even Jhonny Level could be part of the conversation. That’s the beauty of building depth in the farm system-it gives you options.
Whether the Giants choose to be aggressive on the trade market or take a more patient approach, the signing of Luis Hernandez adds another layer to their strategy. He’s not just a talented young player-he’s another piece on the board for a front office that’s thinking several moves ahead.