Buster Posey has already identified the San Francisco Giants’ offseason priority.
“Pitching is going to be the focus,” Posey told Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard.
San Francisco’s bullpen has surrendered leads, while injuries have exposed a rotation lacking depth.
However, another problem may be as damaging and harder to solve.
The Giants have played some of the worst defense in baseball.
A September 18 analysis from McCovey Chronicles, using FanGraphs data, placed San Francisco 24th with minus-16.4 Defensive Runs Above Average. The Giants had also committed an MLB-high 102 errors.
Those numbers suggest Posey cannot repair the 2027 club solely by adding pitchers.
Two Giants Regulars Face Difficult Questions
Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee were identified as San Francisco’s two poorest position players by the FanGraphs defensive measurement cited in the analysis.
Adames had a minus-8.3 defensive value, while Lee stood at minus-10.5. Both players are part of the Giants’ long-term core, which makes the problem more complicated than replacing a fringe defender.
The numbers do not mean either player lacks value.
Adames has an established offensive track record and remained at shortstop during a difficult season. Lee can create offense with his contact ability and speed while playing a demanding center field role.
Defensive statistics also require context. FanGraphs’ defensive value, Statcast’s Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average do not measure players in exactly the same way. Results can shift as more plays are recorded.
The Giants should compare the models before deciding whether a player needs different positioning, additional coaching, or a change in role.
No report indicates that San Francisco plans to trade Adames, move Lee or change either player’s position.
Better Pitching Will Still Need Better Support
The issue extends beyond two regulars.
McCovey Chronicles noted that Giants pitchers had committed 17 errors, tied for the second-most among major-league pitching staffs. Devers, Adames, and Matt Chapman had combined for more than one-third of the team’s errors.
Errors do not capture every defensive failure, either. Limited range, poor routes and unsuccessful throws can cost runs without appearing in that column.
That matters to the pitchers Posey hopes to acquire.
A stronger bullpen can protect more leads, but every pitcher depends on the defense converting balls in play into outs. Adding veteran relievers without improving the group behind them would leave part of the problem untouched.
The Giants have possible internal help. Younger, more athletic players like Jonah Cox and Drew Gilbert have created energy late in the season, while the farm system has several regarded defenders.
That does not guarantee a quick transformation. San Francisco has money and playing time committed to its veteran core.
Posey is right that the pitching staff needs attention.
The deeper question is whether the Giants can fix that staff without first helping the defenders who will stand behind it.
Giants’ Biggest 2027 Problem May Not Be Their Bullpen