So, why is Buster Posey smiling?
Posey, who is the San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations, might have a few tricks up his sleeve. He, along with a lot of the Giants’ brass, will head out to Orlando, Fla., where they and other MLB teams will gather for the Winter Meetings.
If you are a Giants fan and have been keeping up with the team in the offseason, then you know that San Francisco has a couple of glaring needs.
But there is no situation that needs more attention than the starting pitching. Sure, the Giants have Logan Webb as their ace. But San Francisco finished 81-81 last season and that’s not going to fly at all.
That’s one reason the Giants decided to move along from Bob Melvin and make an unorthodox hire for their next manager. Enough has been written about Tony Vitello, whom the Giants poached from the University of Tennessee’s baseball program.
Vitello comes into this new role with zero MLB experience. Yet even he knows, especially from his college baseball career, that starting pitching plays a big role in how far a team gets.
Make no mistake about it: The Giants want to be in the chatter for a National League West Division crown. They are tired of seeing the Los Angeles Dodgers dominate the division and want to change that narrative.
Well, the Giants will not be able to do so without some stellar pitching. Justin Verlander is a free agent, but there’s been no serious talk about bringing him back.
On Thursday, Giants reporter Maria Guardado of MLB.com spelled out what the Giants need to do at the Winter Meetings.
“The Giants’ most pressing need remains starting pitching depth, which they didn’t have enough of while going 81-81 in 2025 and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year,” Guardado wrote.
“San Francisco has a pair of All-Stars — Logan Webb and Robbie Ray — at the top of its rotation and a solid third option in Landen Roupp, but the outlook for the rest of the group is unclear,” according to the MLB.com article.
“Justin Verlander is a free agent, and Hayden Birdsong couldn’t solve his control issues after being demoted to Triple-A Sacramento, so the Giants will likely need to add at least two starters to ensure they have enough quality arms to get through the season next year.”
What about the bullpen going into next season? Guardado had that angle covered, too.
“San Francisco has started retooling its bullpen by signing (Sam) Hentges and claiming (Revin) Sanmartin off waivers from the Reds, but the club could still use help at the back end, particularly now that All-Star Randy Rodríguez is expected to miss next season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery,” Guardado wrote.
“Other areas the Giants could look to address include right field, backup catcher and second base, which could become a bigger priority as a result of Casey Schmitt’s left wrist surgery on Tuesday.”
Before one goes and thinks the Giants have a lot of money to spend, though, remember that they spent a ton on Willy Adames and will pick up the rest of Rafael Devers’ contract from the Boston Red Sox. Now, where does that leave San Francisco? Guardado shared a bit of information from an article in The Athletic about the Giants’ starting pitching outlook.
“…the Giants are hesitant to meet the asking price for top free-agent starters like Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai, which could compel them to focus on mid-tier alternatives such as Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt or Merrill Kelly,” Guardado wrote.
“If they’re willing to swing another big trade for a cost-controlled arm, the Giants could also kick the tires on trade candidates like the Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, the Twins’ Joe Ryan or the Royals’ Kris Bubic.”
All eyes will now turn toward Posey and what he can do during his time in Orlando.
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