The San Francisco Giants have been named as the top landing spot for a key free agent pitcher. There is no secret that Buster Posey will be focusing on strengthening his rotation this winter. After all, San Francisco’s starters had a combined 4.48 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 2026. These particular figures ranked 24th and 20th in Major League Baseball.
While the Giants have options, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller projects they will sign Casey Mize in the offseason. The former Detroit Tigers first-overall draft pick endured a bit of an up-and-down run with the club. Overall, he recorded a 3.95 ERA in 105 total games with Detroit. Most recently, the pitcher posted an impressive 2.70 ERA in 2026 before being dealt to the San Diego Padres.
His brief time in Southern California, however, did not exactly go well. In 10 regular-season starts in San Diego, Mize’s ERA was 7.46. Because of this disappointing display, Miller believes the San Francisco Giants should be able to sign the pitcher at a discount. According to the reporter, Posey can expect to acquire the former All-Star for around $10 million per year on a short-term deal.
Mize has earned just over $30 million during his MLB career. He was most recently paid $6.1 million for the 2026 campaign between the Tigers and Padres. If he does receive a two-year, $20 million contract with San Francisco, it would be a nice pay raise for the pitcher. However, the annual salary of $10 million would also be a relatively safe bet for Posey and the Giants.
Signing Casey Mize Would Help Boost the San Francisco Giants Starting Rotation
The San Francisco Giants have plenty of question marks regarding their starting pitching heading into 2027. At the moment, Logan Webb and Landen Roupp are expected to be key figures in the rotation. Nevertheless, there are some significant holes to fill outside of this duo.
As Miller points out, Trevor McDonald, Blade Tidwell, and Carson Whisenhunt are expected to miss the 2027 season due to injury. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter also recently predicted that J.T. Brubaker will depart San Francisco this winter. The pitcher is the only significant unrestricted free agent on the Giants roster.
Veteran lefty Robbie Ray was the only regular San Francisco Giants starter in 2026 to have a WAR above 1.5. He, however, was traded midseason to the Padres. As a result, the Giants clearly need some new addition at the position. While Mize posted a 1.3 WAR during the most recent campaign, it was a solid 2.6 in Detroit before he was traded.
Giants Also Linked to Other Star Pitchers
Mize is not the only starting pitcher to be linked to the San Francisco Giants in recent days. Chicago Cubs duo Shota Imanaga and Kevin Gausman have both also been named as possible targets for Posey. These two veterans, particularly Imanaga, are likely viewed as better pitchers than Mize. Nevertheless, the Giants are expected to be mindful of spending this winter.
As Miller alludes to, San Francisco has a ton of money tied up in position players. Because of this, the Giants may not be willing to splash the cash on a prized starting pitcher. Mize, on the other hand, would be a solid addition to the team’s rotation, while also not costing the club a fortune.
Giants Projected to Sign $30 Million Former Tigers Pitcher