The 2021 San Francisco Giants remains one of the weirdest flukes in recent sports history. A team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2016 suddenly won 107 games, the fourth most by a team since 2000.
Since then, they’ve gone 321-327 and haven’t made the playoffs. The old core all left or declined with age, and only Logan Webb remains from that team.
San Francisco Giants players pose in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. From 2022-2025, San Francisco ranked 22nd in Major League Baseball. Photo courtesy of @sfgiants on Instagram
From 2022-2025, San Francisco (.700 OPS) ranked 22nd in Major League Baseball, and a 4.03 ERA from starters and a 3.87 from relievers ranked 14th and 12th respectively. The team has been painstakingly mediocre in almost every facet of the game.
After a rough 2022 driven by an offensive drop off, the team planned to sign a strong bat from a strong free agent class. A report went out that the Giants had come to a deal with reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, but it turned out to be false, and he’d re-sign with the New York Yankees the following day. Just a week later, starting pitcher Carlos Rodón left the team to join Judge in the Bronx.
Things finally looked up when it was announced that San Francisco had come to terms with shortstop Carlos Correa on a long-term deal. But suddenly, his introductory press conference got canceled, as the team found an issue with his physical exam and wanted to renegotiate the contract.
Correa’s camp moved on, with the New York Mets having the same issue before he eventually returned to the Minnesota Twins.
San Francisco struck out on everybody, and the time it has taken left nobody for it to sign anymore, making the 2022 offseason a complete disaster.
The scraps it gathered weren’t enough, and the team finished 79-83 in 2023.
The 2023 offseason was better, signing third baseman Matt Chapman and centerfielder Jung Hoo Lee, as well as trading for two starting pitchers in Robbie Ray and reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell. But signing those stars led to the team not addressing depth, resulting in an 80-82 season, and Snell left in the offseason.
President of Baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was dismissed, and Buster Posey was promoted in his place. While Posey signed Willy Adames to a notable contract, he made no other significant moves, leading to an 81-81 finish this year.
San Francisco simply hasn’t been able to sign its next offensive star. It’s hard to blame the old regime for certain players just choosing to go elsewhere, and the team’s luck with that has been poor. But the response was never to make a trade; Zaidi’s team always seemed to give up on improving the offense once the notable free agents were gone. Without those free agents, combined with no prospects blossoming, there hasn’t been any chance for the offense to get better.
If there’s any positive from the team’s middling 2025, it’s that Posey has shown that those ways could be left in the past.
One of San Francisco’s biggest trades in recent history came this past June, when it acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox. Devers has had an OPS of .850 or better each of the last five years, and with a contract through 2033, he could be the Giants’ big bat.
Posey also sold off parts at the deadline, another rarity in the Zaidi era.
The offseason rumor mill is starting to pick up steam, so Giants fans can look toward it with the hope that Posey eyes another bat to go alongside Devers.
Giants’ second basemen this season posted a .617 OPS, one of the lowest marks in the league, signaling a need for an upgrade.
San Francisco relies on groundball-inducing pitching, so any infield addition will need quality defense.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are reportedly motivated to move Ketel Marte, who’d check both boxes for the team. They’d be taking on the remaining $71 million through 2030, but it could be the exact player the team needs if Arizona will trade in division. If not, Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals may be available.
San Francisco also needs a corner outfielder. Kyle Tucker would be the perfect fit, but as the top free agent it’ll be competitive and costly. Taylor Ward, Jarren Duran and Steven Kwan are three additional trade options. If new manager Tony Vitello is willing to move Bryce Eldridge to the outfield full-time, Pete Alonso could become an option at first base.
With Padres’ ownership potentially selling, some GMs believe Fernando Tatis Jr. could be available. Tatis would be a perfect fit, but he’d cost a lot and carries a hefty contract.
It’s unlikely they’ll get the top option in both positions, but they need to improve both regardless.
Webb and Ray will get the job done, but the team needs a middle-of-the-rotation arm as well. Edward Cabrera, Michael King and Joe Ryan are MLB-proven options, with the NPB’s Tatsuya Imai being another potential fit.
If Posey continues with the trends he’s set so far, the Giants could finally see their weaknesses be mended.
But if things go awry again, there’s little reason to think the 2026 season will be any different than the last four before it.