The Giants’ Roster Situation Is One of MLB’s Most Complex

It’s been quite the season in San Francisco for all of the wrong reasons. The Giants are ending their fifth season in a row in which they won’t make the playoffs, and this one will comfortably go down as the most disappointing.

While the club may not have been division favorites or heavy playoff contenders heading into the campaign, there was common belief that this was going to be San Francisco’s most competitive team since the magical 2021 season.

Despite having Rafael Devers for a full season and calling up a top-25 prospect in Bryce Eldridge, quite the opposite happened. Sure, they have officially avoided 100 losses, but this will still go down as their worst losing season since 2017, when they lost 98 games.

Now the bright side of this entire thing spreads from Sacramento, California to Richmond, Virginia. San Francisco’s farm system is undoubtedly one of baseball’s most improved and, quite frankly, most talented.

This puts the organization in an extremely confusing spot.

Stats as of games on September 17.

Win Now or Later?

At a quick glance of their books, most would think that the Giants big league club is in a contention window right now. They currently sit towards the middle of the pack with the 13th most expensive payroll in MLB.

That ranking may not sound like a team gunning for it all, but in this case, it is.

San Francisco has three players in Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman making north of $25 million a year. Mix in a Jung Hoo Lee, who’s making $22 million, and a Logan Webb at $23 million, and you get a rather expensive core of players.

Even if those numbers aren’t earth-shattering, the issue is that the majority of those deals haven’t worked out. Devers just put together one of the best statistical seasons in Giants history and, despite a down year, Webb has one of the best value deals among starters in MLB.

The other three, on the flip side, don’t look too favorable for the Giants.

Lee has provided just 3.3 fWAR in 327 games for San Francisco after signing a $113 million deal to come over from the KBO.

Chapman has been valuable when on the field, but has played just 212 games between the two seasons that have followed his signing a $151 million extension to stay in San Francisco long-term.

Perhaps the worst of them all is Adames. The veteran signed the most expensive free agent contract in the history of the organization at $182 million a couple of offseasons ago.

Sure, he had the first 30 home run season in San Francisco since Barry Bonds, but outside of that, his Giants tenure has been far from fulfilling. In 121 games this year, he accumulated just 0.4 fWAR with a 97 wRC+, all while being the worst defensive shortstop in the sport.

There was a lingering back issue all year long, but even with that taken into consideration, it’s not a good sign in year two of a seven-year pact.

The biggest issue with all of these, though, is that they simply haven’t led to wins. Since the addition of Devers, the Giants have an abysmal record of 104-139.

The good news? Help is on the way.

By most accounts, the San Francisco Giants now have a top five farm system in the sport. A lot of that is thanks to a trio of teenagers.

Josuar Gonzalez looks like a future No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, while Luis Hernandez and Jhonny Level have showcased some extremely advanced skills for their age.

Oh yeah — and all of them are shortstops.

Mix in fourth overall pick Jackson Flora and a handful of other intriguing prospects, and you have yourself a potential core of the future.

The trade deadline might have been Posey’s biggest hint at what the plan really is, though. Sure, he did the obvious by selling the expiring contracts of Robbie Ray and Luis Arraez.

However, his biggest tell was something that never actually took place. From the early months of the 2026 season to the days leading up to the deadline, it was constantly reported that the Giants were listening on offers for their expensive trio of Devers, Adames, and Chapman.

Thankfully, Devers stayed put, went on a heater San Francisco hasn’t seen in decades, and will now form one of the most exciting left-handed hitting duos in baseball with rookie Bryce Eldridge.

For the other two, however, it’s easy to assume that Posey and Co. would like out from under those deals.

So… What Now?

In their 26 seasons at the corner of 3rd and King, the Giants have never gone into a rebuild. Even with the disastrous 2026, it’s fairly safe to assume that won’t happen now.

However, it does feel like the tide is turning in the Bay. If there’s anyone who understands that a homegrown championship can be done, it’s Buster Posey.

When he led the organization to three rings in five years, he did so next to Brandon Crawford, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Belt, Pablo Sandoval, Tim Lincecum, and Matt Cain, all of whom came through San Francisco’s own system.

Not to mention, if there’s anybody in the history of the Giants not named Willie Mays that could convince the franchise to finally change their ways, it’s the former MVP-winning backstop.

Since their World Series win in 2014, the organization has only made it into the postseason twice: 2016 and 2021.

While they may not admit it, it feels like San Francisco is finally trying to develop their way to contention, rather than spending their way to it.

Posey is arguably in the most interesting spot of any president across the league. He has an expensive core that hasn’t worked, an ultra-talented farm system climbing the ranks, and is making decisions as one of the most beloved figures in the history of the organization.

It may not look like it with their current performance, but San Francisco’s next few seasons — and decisions — will be fascinating to watch unfold.