Top Five Free Agent Targets for the San Francisco Giants

Fans of the San Francisco Giants have been itching for their beloved team to hit the ground running in the postseason after they were blessed with a three-ring dynasty run from 2010 to 2014. Since then, the Giants have failed to build a roster capable of competing in the postseason. Finger-pointing has varied, but the front office is the most responsible for the Giants’ lack of competitiveness.

The reason must have something to do with the Giants having completely failed when it comes to offseason additions to their roster.

Trading for Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria in 2018, then signing Mark Melancon two years after recording 51 saves, all resulted in three consecutive losing seasons.

The famous list of superstars they’ve missed in the open market is comical: Carlos Beltran, Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto the list goes on.

Credit goes to the Giants chairman Greg Johnson for understanding that a change was needed in the front office hiring the beloved future Hall of Fame catcher, Buster Posey. Similar to his championship teams, Posey has described his vision for the franchise’s future identity as fundamentally strong, powerful rotation, and reliable defensively.

With a plethora of big fish in the sea, the Giants have plenty of opportunities to create this vision. Here are the top five free-agent targets the Giants should pursue.

Five Free Agents the Giants Should Target This Offseason

Blake Snell – SP

After the second half Snell put together, the Giants have been very open about their interest in keeping the two-time Cy Young award winner in the Bay Area. From July 8 on, he led all starting pitchers in ERA (1.42), FIP (2.77), and shared a league-high 3.1 WAR with 2024 Cy Young winner Chris Sale. Not to mention, he threw his first career complete game and no-hitter against the Reds in early August.

With Logan Webb cemented at the top of the rotation, pairing him with another arm like Snell would fit Posey’s philosophy of a strong rotation. A disappointing season from Kyle Harrison in 2024 wasn’t part of the agenda, however him having just celebrated his 23rd birthday in August leaves optimism for 2025. Not to mention Robbie Ray will return with a full healthy offseason and a surprisingly strong rookie season from Hayden Birdsong has the makings of a deep rotation next season.

However, due to Snell’s second-half success, there’s no doubt other teams will be in contact with Snell along with plenty of other teams. You’ve seen what he is capable of in a Giants uniform and can overcome mid-season injuries and cold stretches. He can still dominate in the postseason and is reliable going deep into games, this is a no-brainer for Buster Posey and his front office to attack this offseason.

BONUS – It’s safe to assume that if the Giants swing and miss on Snell, you will hear their name thrown in the hat for Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. If Snell leaves, the Giants need to replace a 3.12 ERA in their rotation and no internal arms outside of Webb have proven to reach that level.

Anthony Santander – OF

Mr. Underrated had been flying under the radar in Baltimore for years with at least a 119 wRC+ in each of his last three seasons. The switch-hitting slugger was blessed with hitting behind superstars such as Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman which is why he may have been overlooked.

Despite that, he has done his time on the underrated list, and after slugging .506 with 44 HR and 107 RBI this season, Santander won his first career Silver Slugger award. Now, he will be engulfed in multi-million dollar contracts from a parade of suitors. One of whom, should be the San Francisco Giants.

Not a single Giant since Barry Bonds in 2006, has clocked at least 30 HRs in a single season. Signing Matt Chapman brought other positive alternatives to the roster but Jorge Soler was not the answer. Santander would be the best option outside of Soto to break the streak. With the designated hitter role open, Santander would fit in seamlessly contributing to the splash count total at Oracle Park. The Giants are in compete mode with plenty of checks ready to be written, and a 30-year-old Santander would be worth every penny.

Ha-Seong Kim – INF

The Giants are without a doubt the favorite to lock up Kim as Buster Posey has publicly stated they will look to add to their middle infielder. Thairo Estrada had a horrible year at the plate and displayed no progression over the last couple of seasons, resulting in an open spot at second base. Headed into his age 29 seasons, Kim is an elite defender anywhere in the infield. He can get on base with an OBP north of .330 in the last two seasons.

Buzz around the Giants and Willy Adames have also been growing recently, however, I believe Kim fits their scheme more. The Giants were a miserable defensive team before signing Jung Hoo-Lee and Matt Chapman last year resulting in an instant improvement. Adding Kim at shortstop and pairing him with Chapman would give the Giants the best defensive left side of the infield in baseball. Posey saw success around strong defensive teams in all three World Series he won, which is where the identity of this team is headed.

Not only does Kim fit their defensive philosophy, but his bat and base running fill a lot of their holes from 2024. Teams who aren’t taking advantage of the bigger bases and increased stolen base success rate are obsolete. The Giants were 29th in stolen bases with just 68 last season and adding Kim puts a guy who has proven his ability to get on base and swipe 25-40 bags a season.

Gleyber Torres – INF

As mentioned previously, the Giants are looking to upgrade their middle infield with Estrada leaving and Tyler Fitzgerald showcasing his potential. Gleyber Torres had an up-and-down seven seasons in New York with his first two looking like he’d become an annual All-Star. His bat has created some memorable moments in the Bronx, however his defense is widely considered one of the worst at his position.

What catches the Giants’ eye about Torres is the power he brings to the lineup. He strengthened his offseason resume with a solid performance this postseason, earning him the leadoff spot. Slashing .257/.330/.378 and 15 HRs doesn’t jump off the page but Torres is capable of a 25-home run season and an OPS north of .800. If the Giants believe they can mimic what the Dodgers did with Teoscar Hernandez last season, Torres could be a strong bat in the middle of the order next season.

The Giants still have former top prospect Marco Luciano in their back pocket. He’s still just 23 years old and has only 115 at-bats under his belt. When it comes to Luciano there’s still a lot of potential to unpack along with Casey Schmitt, who could fill in some time and play elite defense at second base as well.

There are internal options for the middle infielder which could help keep Torres’s glove in the dugout and bat in the lineup. Again, with the DH spot open, Torres could thrive in that role with the proven success he’s flashed at the big league level.

Joc Pederson – OF

The Bay Area native returned home and spent just one season with the Giants in 2023. He was one of their better hitters and some fans even wished he was flipped for prospects during another disappointing Giants season. Now, Pederson is back on the open market and could fit into Bob Melvin’s DH spot while adding depth to the corner outfield.

Pederson suited up for 132 games and had a season-high 151 wRC+. Slashing .275/.393/.515 would be a definite upgrade in the lineup and especially useful behind Lee, Ramos, Chapman, and Fitzgerald.

Pederson had a 1.052 OPS with RISP this past season while hitting .301. This was another issue for the Giants hitting .234 as a team with RISP position which was 24th in the league. A major issue that cost the Giants a handful of games this season. Another attraction for Pederson is at 32 years old and only seen as a platoon power bat, it won’t break the bank. This would allow Posey to fill other holes in the roster while simultaneously getting more outfield depth and power.

As previously mentioned, signing a Pederson-type player won’t have Giants fans jumping off the couch like Santander would, but he can contribute big swings to the lineup next season.