To this point, it’s been an undeniably quiet offseason for the San Francisco Giants. But Joel Sherman doesn’t necessarily see it as an indictment on the team not wanting to spend money.
The Giants were a topic of discussion on the MLB Network’s MLB Hot Stove. Host Matt Vasgersian noted that while the Giants have made moves, they’re not exactly splashy. From there, he asked Sherman to grade San Francisco’s offseason.
Sherman started by joking, “I wonder if social media/the internet has made us all so stupid and we can’t help it. Because we think that everything that happens is only one offseason.”
He then further elaborated on that point.
The San Francisco Giants Have Heavily Revamped the Roster in Recent Seasons
Sherman continued, noting that while this offseason has been a relatively quiet one in San Francisco, the Giants have made more significant moves in recent years.
“And I would point out that the Giants, near the end of the 2024 season, extend Matt Chapman for over $150 million,” Sherman continued. “Last offseason they sign Willy Adames to literally the largest contract in the history of the team and then during last season, they take on 10 years and almost $250 million of Rafael Devers. That counts also. Those guys are going to be part of the team.”
Of course, those aren’t the only moves that the team has made over the last 18 months. As Sherman noted, at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, the Giants traded relievers Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval to the New York Mets and New York Yankees, respectively.
Those trades, along with reliever Randy Rodriguez set to miss likely all of the 2026 season while recovering from Tommy John Surgery, create some serious question marks in the San Francisco bullpen.
“They have to go out and get a bullpen arm or two if they’re going to contend this year,” Sherman said.
Further Bullpen Help Has Been Suggested
Despite being sellers at the deadline, a late surge put the Giants into postseason contention near the end of the season. Ultimately, though, they fell short. And while there are multiple reasons for that, the bullpen was a big one.
Bryan Murphy of McCovey Chronicles noted the struggles of the San Francisco relievers in the season’s final weeks.
“Their 4.39 ERA was not the worst in the sport (it was merely 20th), nor was their 4.31 FIP (21st); and yet, because the group couldn’t strike anybody out (7.1 K/9 — worst in the sport) and because their expected FIP (xFIP) of 4.56 was third-worst (behind the Nationals and Phillies), Giants relievers amounted to -0.6 fWAR, the worst in the sport,” Murphy wrote.
It’s one of the reasons that acquiring starting pitchers who can eat innings is such a smart move. There are, however, other moves to make.
Nick San Miguel of Around the Foghorn suggested that San Francisco should try to sign free agent reliever Pierce Johnson, who struggled with the Giants in 2018 but has recently seen more success with the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.
In December, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required) noted that the Giants had talked with Michael Kopech.
Both Johnson and Kopech remain available in free agency. And while most of the top relievers have already signed, several decent options remain available.
And while more moves could come, Sherman feels that the possible big splashes are highly unlikely.
“It feels like the heavy lifting was done in the previous 18 months,” Sherman said. “Look, there’s still a lot of big free agents out there. And maybe Buster Posey and the Giants will surprise us. But that’s not the feeling I’m getting when I talk to other teams about the Giants. They feel that their big moves were made in the previous 18 months.”
Giants’ ‘Heavy Lifting’ Has Been Done Over Last 18 months, MLB Analyst says