The San Francisco Giants are still staring down a pair of glaring holes in their starting rotation, and with each passing day, the list of viable free-agent arms is shrinking. The latest name to come off the board? Merrill Kelly - and he's heading right back to a familiar place.
Kelly just inked a two-year, $20 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, returning to the desert after a brief stint with the Texas Rangers. For the Giants, it’s a missed opportunity. Kelly wasn’t a headline-grabber, but he was a logical, mid-tier target - the kind of dependable veteran who could’ve brought some much-needed stability to a rotation that’s currently more questions than answers.
At 37, Kelly isn’t flashy, but he’s been consistently effective. Last season, he posted a 3.52 ERA across his time with Arizona and Texas.
That’s the kind of steady production that fits perfectly into a rotation looking for innings, reliability, and cost control. And now, instead of potentially slotting into the Giants’ staff, Kelly will be toeing the rubber against San Francisco in NL West matchups over the next two seasons - something he’s done well in the past.
The Giants, for their part, don’t seem to be in the market for top-of-the-line starters this winter. Big-ticket names like Framber Valdez and Tatsuya Imai are reportedly outside the club’s financial comfort zone, with both expected to command deals north of $100 million. That leaves San Francisco fishing in the mid-to-lower tiers of the pitching pool - and that pool is draining fast.
Michael Soroka just signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks as well, and Dustin May is heading to the Cardinals. The options are thinning, and if the Giants don’t act soon, they risk being left with little more than lottery tickets and unproven arms.
To their credit, the Giants did finally make a move, reportedly agreeing to a two-year deal with Adrian Houser. That’s one rotation spot spoken for, but the work is far from done. Houser adds depth, but he’s not a frontline guy, and the Giants still need at least one more starter - ideally someone who can eat innings and take pressure off a bullpen that was overworked last season.
There are still names out there that make sense. Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito could be fits on short-term deals with a bit of upside.
Max Scherzer, though not the force he once was, has deep connections to San Francisco’s coaching staff and could be a one-year stopgap if he’s healthy. Marcus Stroman is another potential option if the price is right.
None of these are going to spark a ticket-buying frenzy or light up the fanbase, but this is the reality of the Giants’ current approach - a front office operating under clear budget constraints when it comes to starting pitching. It’s not about chasing Cy Young winners; it’s about finding value, reliability, and arms that can bridge the gap until younger pitchers are ready to take the next step.
But that’s the catch - those young arms? They’re not quite there yet.
And leaning too heavily on unproven talent is a risky play for a team that still hopes to contend. Free-agent pitching is always a gamble, but standing pat might be the biggest risk of all.
The clock is ticking. The market is moving. And if the Giants want to avoid being left behind, they’ll need to make another move - and soon.