PROVE IT TIME: Giants COULD BENEFIT from waiting on FREE AGENTS | Bryce Eldridge COULD start in AAA

Is the market finally proving the Giants right? In today’s episode, we dive into growing doubts around Tatsuya Imai’s price tag, why the Yankees appear to be out, and whether a short-term “prove it” deal—similar to Munetaka Murakami—could now be the reality. We also break down a group of underrated free agents flying under the radar, including Michael Kopech, Zach Eflin, and José Urquidy, and what they could offer contenders willing to gamble. Plus, we zoom out to the bigger picture: a slower-than-expected offseason, teams hesitating on long-term risk, and whether the Giants’ patience is actually creating leverage. Finally, we tackle a key internal question — is there any realistic path where Bryce Eldridge doesn’t start 2026 in the big leagues? What his brief MLB debut told us, why the Giants may still prefer Triple-A seasoning, and how that decision impacts potential external additions at first base or DH.

0:00 Waiting on Tatsuya Imai
9:36 Underrated Free Agents
20:49 Could Bryce Eldridge start in AAA?

#sfgiants #FirstListen #Giants #sanfranciscogiants #sanfrancisco #baseball #mlb #tennesseebaseball #tonyvitello #freeagency #mlbfreeagency #mlbtraderumors #japanesebaseball #kbo #junghoolee #jtrealmuto #kyleschwarber #kyletucker #codybellinger #mlbdraft #ketelmarte #nicohoerner #tatsuyaimai #bryceeldridge #bobichette

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26 comments

  3. Bryce has to go back to AAA because he's not close to being ready for the Majors. Remember, when was called up this year, he only had 3 hits in 28 plate appearances. 2 singles and 1 double is not good enough imho. Let him start the year in AAA and build his game and confidence; we have Devers at First, he's not needed now. If not, trade him for pitching. Otherwise, let him develop properly.

  11. Eldridge may need some time to get going, but how much? I watched Nick Kurtz last year and it took him awhile before he really got going, but Kurtz is a rare player and you can't assume Eldridge will take off like that.

  14. I say let Bryce start off in AAA and get some good momentum going then bring him up. That way if the team is not performing he is a solution not one of the reasons. I dont think his bat to ball skills are quite there yet either. Too many ks. But ya dont sign anybody for 1b or dh

  20. Grant McCray/Drew Gilbert at DH, I thought you insane before, NOW I KNOW YOU'RE INSANE.
    Did you really just advocate the Giants looking at people who haven't been healthy in YEARS, maybe we should kick the tires on Mike Trout… or get Verlander/Scherzer… yea, no, you are completely insane. These kinda moves are exactly why the Giant's have been a .500 team for years. Let me tell you exactly what next year has to be.

    1. Eldridge PROVE YOU ARE WHAT WE HOPE YOU ARE.
    2. Devers prove that the .236 AVG 30% SO that you had as a Giant last year meant nothing and you will do for the Giants what you did for the Redsox. PROVE IT.
    3. Adames, prove that last year… where you were COMPLETELY FUCKING WORTHLESS FOR 3 MONTHS OF A 6 MONTH SEASON was just an anomaly and you are what we paid for PROVE IT.
    4. Ramos, prove that you can play left field PERIOD.
    5. Lee, prove you can play center… also that you are not going to be worthless 3 months out of a 6-month season…
    6. Bailey, prove that you can be AT LEAST a league AVG hitter… cuz this shit where you're 40% below league AVG, it completely negates the defense, PROVE YOU CAN FUCKING HIT.
    7. Right field… Gilbert/Weimer AVG .205… is this is joke, tell me this is a joke…
    8. Chapman has 5 more years and a no trade clause, there is literally nothing we can do about this…

    If ALL of these guys prove that last year was just a fluke and they are what we hope they are, maybe we are a couple of pitchers away from being a real contender… If not it's time to FIRESALE this team in the 2026 offseason.

  21. Imo, there good free agents out there, not great, but Scott Boras and the rest of those agents trying to sell high as usual when there's really no Ohtiani or Judge, or super free agents out there, so we'll see.

  22. Eldridge will be the Opening Day DH, but I feel like they should still bring back Dom Smith. Good teams have good depth and, respectfully, I'd rather have Smith at the plate in a late game pinch-hit scenario over guys like Gilbert and Encarnacion. He hit .373 with RISP last year so for $2-3M there's no reason he shouldn't be back in SF.

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