Want more ways to catch up on the latest in Bay Area sports? Sign up for the Section 415 email newsletter here and subscribe to the Section 415 podcast wherever you listen.
LAS VEGAS — The Giants have so many roster needs to address that it would seem far-fetched to resolve them all in free agency, so the front office will be diligent on the trade market as well.
When other teams are on the phone with Buster Posey or Zack Minasian, no doubt they’ll mention the name of the Giants’ top prospect, the first baseman with high-end potential and elite exit velocity, the 21-year-old whose presence results in roster redundancy.
Bryce Eldridge is a first baseman of the future on a team with a first baseman signed through 2033, Rafael Devers. So, yes, it would make sense for the Giants to listen to offers on Eldridge, especially because there’s a need for at least two more starting pitchers and several more relievers, including a closer.
Not to mention a right fielder.
Listen toSection 415
Today
Section 415: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, and the 49ers’ path to the playoffs
4 days ago
Section 415: Making sense of the Warriors’ uneven start
Tuesday, Nov. 4
Section 415: How Natalie Nakase turned the Valkyries into an immediate force
Eldridge remains a work in progress both at first base and at the plate and isn’t guaranteed a roster spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster. Unless management is convinced Eldridge is the next Will Clark, there’s no reason to consider him untouchable.
“I would say we value [Eldridge] as highly as you can value any prospect in your system,” Posey told The Standard at the general manager meetings Tuesday. “To be 21 years and have the projectability to be just an offensive force in the major leagues, regardless of what the position is — we value him very highly because of that.”
With regard to trade talk, the roster has few untouchables: Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Logan Webb, obviously, and perhaps other young players, depending on the shape of the roster. On that front, Posey said, “you have certain players that you know it’s almost impossible to move on from, but we wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we didn’t listen as well.”
Would Posey dare trade Eldridge? At this point, we’ve learned anything is possible with the president of baseball operations. The Devers trade, for example: Posey dealt two of the organization’s prized young players — pitcher Kyle Harrison and first-round draft pick from 2024 and fellow Florida State alum James Tibbs.
A third baseman and designated hitter in Boston, Devers now is the Giants’ No. 1 first baseman, with eight more years on his contract. Finding Eldridge playing time might be a challenge unless Devers and the Giants feel comfortable moving one of their two first basemen to the DH slot every day.
The alternative is trading Eldridge, which might be a bummer for many Giants fans, but the possible return could force the issue and round out the roster. Possible targets could be small-market teams willing to move high-end starting pitchers before they rake in the big money.
Cincinnati ace Hunter Greene, 26, has been in and out of trade rumors — the Reds say for now they want to keep him — and the primary first baseman is Spencer Steer, who was a Gold Glove finalist this year but is a so-so overall player. Greene has a club-friendly contract and is owed $39 million the next three seasons, with a $21 million club option for 2029.
Similarly, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, 29, who’s trade bait, is under team control through 2027 and could be signed long term in San Francisco, considering his Marin County roots. He made $3 million last season and is eligible for arbitration. The Twins’ first baseman is Kody Clemens, Roger’s kid and a .206 career hitter.
Then there’s Washington’s MacKenzie Gore, 26, who has two more years until free agency and is coming off his first All-Star season. The Nationals are revitalizing their franchise and don’t have a legitimate first baseman after Nathanial Lowe was cut in August and Josh Bell became a free agent. By the way, Eldridge hails from James Madison High School in nearby Vienna, Virginia.
Inserting Greene, Ryan, or Gore into San Francisco’s rotation alongside Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Landen Roupp would make for a dandy pitching setup and leave the Giants with payroll flexibility to add another starter in free agency.
Eldridge only started playing first base regularly this year. | Source: Norm Hall/Getty Images
Plenty of other starters are available on the open market, though some are far-fetched or wouldn’t be desirable. The industry’s biggest blockbuster, if it ever hits fruition, would involve Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, who’s expected to win his second straight Cy Young Award on Wednesday and would require a massive haul of players. The downside is he’ll be a free agent after next season, and the Giants prefer adding players guaranteed to be around longer.
Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, another elite starter who could get traded, also is a free agent a year from now. Miami’s Sandy Alcantara is prominent in the rumor mill but has trended in the wrong direction since his 2022 Cy Young Award season and had a 5.36 ERA this year. St. Louis’ Sonny Gray is way risky — he’s a workhorse, but he’s 36, owed gobs of money ($35 million next season, club option for $30 million in 2027), and has a full no-trade clause.
Again, to trade Eldridge, the Giants would need to find a team desiring a young first baseman, which makes the A’s a nonstarter. Even though they wouldn’t mind trading Luis Severino, who has been critical of the minor-league park in Sacramento, they have the best young first baseman in the game, slugger Nick Kurtz, the American League’s rookie of the year.
In trade talk, Posey has more chips than Eldridge, including young starters Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, Blade Tidwell, Trevor McDonald, Kai-Wei Teng, and Carson Seymour. On the other hand, he noted that young arms are a necessity during a 162-game season.
“The successful teams are going to have players within their system that make an impact,” Posey said. “I think for us to get where we want to go — and don’t read between the lines and say we’re not going to make additions, because we most certainly will do our best to improve the pitching, like always — but we’re going to need some of the Tidwells, the Whisenhunts of the world, the Tengs, the Seymours, the Birdsongs to take that next step and really contribute on the pitching side.”
Also, there’s a surplus of young outfielders that the Giants could dangle especially after they claimed Justin Dean from the Dodgers: Drew Gilbert, Luis Matos, Jerar Encarnación, Grant McCray, Wade Meckler, and Marco Luciano. Gilbert likely will stick around with his Tennessee connections to new manager Tony Vitello.
The outfield defense was sloppy last season, and Posey wants to see improvement from left fielder Heliot Ramos and center fielder Jung Hoo Lee. As for right field, Posey said, “I kind of look at it as an open spot right now, and we’ll see how the offseason progresses as far as if there’s anything we can do additions-wise to put us in a better spot. It’s a work in progress.”
Plenty of outfielders could be available in trades, starting with Cleveland’s Steven Kwan and Boston’s Jarren Duran. The Giants will consider adding another catcher to complement Patrick Bailey, and Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman could be a fit, a two-time All-Star who’s available after the Orioles extended Samuel Basallo’s contract.
Trades and signings are rare at the GM meetings, though the Giants pulled off a minor transaction Tuesday by sending pitcher Mason Black to the Royals for pitcher Logan Martin, who posted a 3.45 ERA in 22 starts in A-ball. Mostly at GM meetings, dialogue for future transactions is initiated. More action comes in the winter meetings, which are next month in Orlando, Florida.
Plenty of trade possibilities loom. Posey could move young pitchers and/or outfielders for proven relievers or package them with Eldridge to snag a front-line starter. Either way, on a team with an abundance of holes to fill, Eldridge remains the biggest chip, given his age and upside and Devers’ presence.