There are about 40 days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. The weather remains cold. The leaves continue falling. Brock Purdy and the 49ers are dougie-ing their way to the No. 1 seed. A lot of baseball offseason remains.
But as the new year looms, the Giants have yet to substantially upgrade their roster after a fourth straight season of finishing .500 or worse.
Their free-agent additions have been a backend starter (Adrian Houser) and two intriguing relievers who did not pitch in the majors last year (Sam Hentges, Jason Foley). There have also been additions around the margins such as catcher Daniel Susac (Rule 5), left-hander Reiver Sanmartin (waivers) and Justin Dean (waivers).
The Giants don’t have the luxury of relying solely on internal development from their young players. To raise their floor, they need more additions. They need another starter. They need a right fielder. They could use another high-leverage reliever.
While the Giants look to return to the postseason, the list of potential playoff contenders in the National League isn’t shrinking. The Dodgers, fresh off back-to-back titles, signed three-time All-Star Edwin Díaz to solidify their bullpen. The Braves have been active, adding to their bullpen (Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez), infield (Ha-Seong Kim, Mauricio Dubón) and outfield (Mike Yastrzemski). Even the Pirates have added bats (Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn) and bullpen arms (Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery).
Here’s a look at unsigned free agents at the Giants’ main positions of need:
Rotation
Potential rotation: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Adrian Houser, Landen Roupp, Hayden Birdsong
Available free agents: Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, Tatsuya Imai, Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Nick Martinez, Zack Littell, Patrick Corbin, Lucas Giolito, Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, Nestor Cortes, Jose Quintana
The Giants seem unlikely to drop nine figures on a starting pitcher, but circumstance could provide them with an opportunity to land a top-tier talent without making a long-term commitment.
The posting window of Tatsuya Imai closes this week on Jan. 2. If he does not sign with a major-league team before 2 p.m. PT on Friday, he will return to Japan for the 2026 season.
Imai recently told TV Asahi’s “Udo Times” in Japan that he has received interest but isn’t close to an agreement. He projected to land a long-term deal in the range of $150 million, but his bargaining power decreases with every passing hour. Will Imai still try to land a big contract? Or, will he transition to a shorter deal with a higher average annual value that allows him to re-enter the market in a several years?
The right-hander wouldn’t be the first Japanese player this offseason to sign a deal below industry estimates. Munetaka Murakami, a two-time MVP in the NPB, projected to land his own big deal but settled for a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox.
Imai and Murakami are not one-to-one comparisons. Murakami’s market depressed due in part to concerns about his shoddy hit tool, which may not allow him to tap into his elite power. Imai likely has the higher floor of the two, but there’s heightened risk in paying pitchers due to potential for injury. But with Imai’s posting window closing, it’s possible that he and his representation shift their strategy.
Imai would check several boxes aside from improving the Giants’ rotation. For one, his combination of NPB stardom and Dodger disdain would make him a box-office draw. It’s likely not a coincidence that the Giants boasted their best home attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic during a 2025 season in which they featured multiple household names.
There’s also the fact that the Giants haven’t had a Japanese player since Nori Aoki in 2015 (Jung Hoo Lee was born in Japan but is South Korean). That drought isn’t for a lack of trying — San Francisco made runs at Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Regardless of reason, the Giants’ inability to tap into that market in the present could hinder opportunities in the future.
Despite the looming deadline, Imai may still end up signing for big bucks over many years. As Friday approaches, it wouldn’t hurt the Giants’ office to explore where things stand — and see if there’s an opportunity to strike.
Bullpen
Potential bullpen*: Ryan Walker (CL), José Buttó, Sam Hentges (L), Erik Miller (L), Matt Gage (L), Joel Peguero, JT Brubaker, Spencer Bivens
Available free agents: Kirby Yates, David Robertson, Jakob Junis, Derek Law, Evan Phillips, Danny Coulombe, Andrew Chafin, Seranthony Domínguez, Pierce Johnson, José Leclerc
*Jason Foley will not be available until the middle of next season
Foley and Hentges represent a pair of low-risk, high-reward relievers who beef up a bullpen that will be without All-Star Randy Rodríguez in 2026. Neither pitched in the majors in ’25, but when healthy, they’re legitimate leverage arms.
Walker is best positioned to be the closer, but the Giants could use another late-inning arm given his struggles last season. Just about every premiere backend reliever is off the board, but San Francisco could continue looking for enticing relievers like Foley and Hentges who, for one reason or another, won’t command much money.
The Giants have added other relievers via waiver claim (Reiver Sanmartin) and minor-league deals (Gregory Santos, Nick Margevicius), and they could add more non-roster invitees in the coming weeks. Peguero, Joey Lucchesi and Lou Trivino were all non-roster invites who contributed in 2025, and the minor-league free-agent market is a viable means of building a bullpen.
“I do think they can come from all over,” said general manager Zack Minasian of closers and high-leverage relievers. “It doesn’t mean you don’t spend on a closer or you’re not willing to spend on a closer. But I think the key thing is just being open-minded and then just pushing our front-office group. We just have to continue to get good arms.”
Right field
Current options: Drew Gilbert, Luis Matos, Jerar Encarnacion, Grant McCray, Justin Dean
Available free agents: Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Mike Tauchman, Max Kepler, Starling Marte, Austin Slater
There were, at one point, 10 outfielders on the Giants’ 40-man roster this offseason, but that group has dwindled down to seven. Marco Luciano was claimed off outright waivers by the Pirates while Joey Wiemer and Wade Meckler were designated for assignment.
The Giants’ removal of Wiemer from the mix, at this juncture, was a curious decision. By WAR, Wiemer was the third-most valuable outfielder of that group behind Ramos and Lee. Wiemer wouldn’t have been an ideal every day right fielder, but he provided a plus glove with plus speed and considerable pop.
While San Francisco has at least added to its pitching staff, the team remains in search of a viable solution in right field. The team’s best option with its internal personnel would be a platoon of Gilbert and Matos/Encarnacion, none of whom have a proven track record of hitting in the majors.
There’s a drop off in quality after Tucker and Bellinger, but players such as Kepler, Marte and Tauchman would be upgrades over the Giants’ current group and could form half of a platoon. Marte has a career .770 OPS against lefties while Kepler, coincidentally, has a career .770 OPS against righties.
Upcoming dates for FanFest Tour
The Giants will continue their FanFest Tour prior to the season, making stops in San Jose (Jan. 17), San Ramon (Jan. 24) and Sacramento (Jan. 31) before hosting an open house at Oracle Park (March 14).
Free event tickets are required for admission.
San Jose
Location: San Pedro Square Market (87 N San Pedro St, San Jose, CA 95110)
Date and time: Jan. 17, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Expected guests: Tony Vitello, Bryce Eldridge, Casey Schmitt, players
San Ramon
Location: City Center Bishop Ranch (6000 Bollinger Canyon Rd, San Ramon, CA 94583)
Date and time: Jan. 24, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Expected guests: Tony Vitello, Jung Hoo Lee, Landen Roupp, players, coaches
Sacramento
Location: Sutter Health Park
Date and time: Jan. 31, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Expected guests: Logan Webb, players, coaches
Open house
Location: Oracle Park
Date and time: March 14, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Expected guests: Giants alumni, Giants broadcasters