Top Needs the Giants Must Address After Signing Willy Adames

The San Francisco Giants opened up their offseason by signing shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal. Adames provides stability for the infield with solid defense and impressive power.

Adding to the excitement, Giants third baseman Matt Chapman recently inked an extension that locks down the left side of the infield for the next half-decade. This duo not only solidifies the defense but adds some much-needed offensive production to a team that has struggled with consistency in the box.

However, while the left side is set, there are still several areas that the Giants need to address if they want to be serious contenders in 2025.

The starting rotation lacks serious depth behind ace Logan Webb, the infield could benefit from further stability at second or first base, and the outfield is still missing a consistent, middle-of-the-order bat.

Bolstering the Rotation

The most glaring need for the Giants is now their starting pitching. Behind Logan Webb, there are far too many question marks.

Robbie Ray is heading into his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery while Jordan Hicks is still transitioning into a starting role. The rest of the staff, Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, Landen Roupp, and Keaton Winn, have all showed promise but lack serious big league experience.

Corbin Burnes is the clear solution here. The Giants are the reported frontrunners to sign the former Cy Young winner, who finished 2024 with a 2.92 ERA in 194.1 innings.

Burnes’ California roots of being from Bakersfield, playing college ball at St. Mary’s, and recently purchasing a home in Scottsdale (where the Giants spend Spring Training), all make San Francisco the most logical fit.

Pairing Burnes with Webb would give the Giants arguably the best 1-2 punch in baseball, combing dominance with both reliability and durability. The biggest question is whether ownership is willing to sign off on a deal that could eclipse Adames’ contract as the largest in franchise history.

Pivots from Burnes

If the Giants miss out on Burnes – with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles all in play – they will need a backup plan.

Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty stand out as the most solid alternatives. Buehler is no stranger to Oracle Park after spending years in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. In 2024, he struggled with a 5.38 ERA across 75 innings yet still remains an extremely high-upside option.

Flaherty, on the other hand, enjoyed a strong bounce back season with two teams after being shipped from Detroit to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. He finished the season with 162 innings posting a 3.17 ERA.

Both of these names provide much-needed innings for a staff that relied on bullpen games heavily throughout the course of the 2024 season.

Another big name to watch is Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old flamethrower who has drawn interest from the majority of teams across the league. Giants’ President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey has spoken highly of Sasaki, despite the majority of the industry expecting him to land in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

Other short-term options that could make sense include names like Nick Pivetta, Charlie Morton, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer. Finally, a reunion with Sean Manaea would be an interesting move with the left-hander coming off of a career year.

Infield: Solidifying Second or Finding a Stopgap at First

With Adames slotted in at shortstop now, the Giants’ biggest issue is solved and they can turn their attention to the right side of the infield.

The biggest infield names left on the market are Alex Bregman and Ha-Seong Kim. With Chapman’s extension, Kim is the only one with any potential of landing in San Francisco.

He is an elite defender (career 24 DRS and 11 OAA) with a league-average bat who could effortlessly slot into second base when he comes back from shoulder injury.

However, with Buster Posey hinting at Tyler Fitzgerald being the everyday second baseman moving forward, the focus most likely shifts towards first base.

Lamonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores are under contract in 2025, but it seems like an affordable upgrade is out there. The organization is unlikely to pursue long-term options like Christian Walker or Pete Alonso due to Bryce Eldridge (Just Baseball’s No. 42 prospect) waiting in the wings.

A short-term option like Paul Goldschmidt makes perfect sense. Familiar to Oracle Park from his time with the Diamondbacks, Goldschmidt’s numbers have slightly regressed, making him a prime candidate for a one-year deal.

Another name that could make sense is Carlos Santana. The switch-hitter offers Gold Glove defense and launched 23 home runs in 2024 with a .236/.328/.420 slash line.

Outfield: Adding a Power Bat

The Giants would benefit from adding a proven outfield bat to bolster the middle of the lineup. Two marquee free agents, Teoscar Hernández and Anthony Santander, are still sitting at the top of the free agent market.

Hernández had a fantastic 2024 campaign, slashing .272/.339/.501 and capping it off with a World Series title. Santander, meanwhile, had a breakout of his own hitting 44 long balls, showcasing his switch-hitting power potential.

A reunion with Joc Pederson is another option. Pederson had a strong 2024 with the Diamondbacks, posting numbers on par with his 2022 All-Star season in San Francisco. However, his lack of defensive ability could dissuade the franchise from bringing him back.

All three of these options, however, may be better suited as designated hitters, a role that the Giants have generally tried to avoid committing one player to full-time.

If the Giants want to prioritize a left-handed outfielder, Jesse Winker and Jurickson Profar are both affordable options.

In terms of right-handed platoon bats, Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham stand out as viable options who could be thrown into the outfield as needed.

Trade Market: Instant Impact

Reports surfaced earlier this offseason that the Giants have also been looking into the trade front. Joel Sherman wrote that they had been in talks with the Astros for Kyle Tucker before he was shipped off to the Cubs.

This signals that the organization is exploring all avenues when it comes to upgrading the roster.

Names like Luis Robert Jr., Josh Naylor, and Ryan Mountcastle could be potential targets as all of them would bring offensive firepower to a lineup that needs it.

On the pitching side, Luis Castillo, Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, and Sonny Gray could all be available. While an inner-division trade for Cease would be unlikely, any one of these arms present ace-caliber upside that the Giants could use to stabilize their rotation.

However, with a bottom-third system lacking prospect stardom, the Giants would need to focus on a quantity over quality package in any trade negotiations. Names like Casey Schmitt, Marco Luicano, Luis Matos, and any number of their young pitching prospects could serve as trade chips.

Building on Momentum

The Giants took a leap forward by inking a deal with Willy Adames, but they can’t stop there. By adding a top-tier starting pitcher like Corbin Burnes or exploring trade options for big bats and reliable arms, the Giants can build off of this momentum.

With a few more key moves, the team by the bay can position themselves as true contenders in 2025 and beyond.