On paper, trading for a perennial 30HR/100RBI guy is a great move, but that remains to be seen for the Giants President of Operations, Buster Posey. Last season, he traded for disgruntled Red Sox 3B/DH/1B, Rafael Devers. While Devers’ numbers in a little over half the season were solid in San Francisco, he didn’t move the needle for the team, and they finished the year with only 81 wins. For a team that hovers near a $200M payroll, that just isn’t good enough. The team’s payroll is top-heavy, with five players sitting with an AAV of over $20M each. Devers should be great, but can SP Logan Webb anchor this staff that is very top-heavy?

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THE LINEUP

In 90 games with the Giants, Devers did score 52 runs while driving in 51…and he managed 20 HRs. He actually had an odd stat; between the Red Sox and Giants, he played 163 games, on more than a full 162-game season. In those 163 games, he hit a total of 35 HRs, 99 Runs, and 109 RBIs. While his counting stats were still very solid, his average and OPS fell off a cliff. With a full season under his belt, I expect a huge season for Devers. 

Aside from Devers, the biggest bats in the lineup are shortstop Willy Adames and OF Heliot Ramos. They led the team in ABs and only combined to miss eight games. They hit a combined 51 HRs and averaged 90 runs and 80 RBIs. But as a team, they were only 22nd in the league, with an OPS of .697.

For the team to improve upon that, Matt Chapman will need to live up to the contract he signed before last season. He is the highest-paid Giant at just a tick over $25M per season. At 33 yrs old, he is showing signs of regression. Before last season, he had never played less than 140 games…last season, he only played in 128 games. It was due to a nagging injury to his right hand and wrist while trying to make a diving play. While it was fluky, this is when players start to regress.

THE ROTATION

Sep 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) throws against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

While the offense may be questionable at the moment, the pitching staff is solid…especially their front-line starters. Logan Webb and Robby Ray are two of the league’s best 1-2 pitchers in the game. Last year, they combined for a 26-19 record, and each had an ERA under 3.65 and a WHIP under 1.25. And they combined to strike out 9.48/9ip. Landon Roup is a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter. In 22 starts last season, he was 7-7. To bolster the staff and offset the realistic loss of Justin Verlander, the team signed Adrian Houser to a two-year deal. Last season with the Rays and White Sox, he went 8-5 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. 

BULLPEN

May 28, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Walker (74) pitches in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Ryan Walker ended last season as the last man standing for the Giants. He led the team with 68 appearances as well as saves, ending the year with 17. Camilo Doval had 15 saves but was traded to the Yankees. And Randy Rodriguez had four saves but is out for the season, having to undergo Tommy John surgery last September. Jose Butto is slated to pitch in high-leverage situations, but there is still time for Buster Posey to find a late-inning reliever in free agency…possibly Tommy Kahnle or Paul Sewald.

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