This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Buster Posey isn’t afraid to make a splash.
Since taking over as the Giants’ president of baseball operations last year, Posey has signed Willy Adames to a franchise-record contract, acquired star slugger Rafael Devers in a blockbuster trade and made an out-of-the-box hire by bringing in former University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello to replace Bob Melvin as his new manager.
The question now is whether Posey will have more bold moves up his sleeve this offseason.
The Giants have made marginal upgrades to their roster thus far, adding a pair of lefty relievers (Sam Hentges and Reiver Sanmartin) and two defensive-minded outfielders (Joey Wiemer and Justin Dean). But there are still plenty of other holes to fill as Posey and the rest of San Francisco’s front office prepares for the Winter Meetings, which will run from Monday to Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.
Here’s a look at what the Giants will be looking to accomplish at the annual Hot Stove extravaganza.
Club needs
The Giants’ most pressing need remains starting pitching depth, which they didn’t have enough of while going 81-81 in 2025 and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. San Francisco has a pair of All-Stars -- Logan Webb and Robbie Ray -- at the top of its rotation and a solid third option in Landen Roupp, but the outlook for the rest of the group is unclear. Justin Verlander is a free agent, and Hayden Birdsong couldn’t solve his control issues after being demoted to Triple-A Sacramento, so the Giants will likely need to add at least two starters to ensure they have enough quality arms to get through the season next year.
San Francisco has started retooling its bullpen by signing Hentges and claiming Sanmartin off waivers from the Reds, but the club could still use help at the back end, particularly now that All-Star Randy Rodríguez is expected to miss next season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Other areas the Giants could look to address include right field, backup catcher and second base, which could become a bigger priority as a result of Casey Schmitt’s left wrist surgery on Tuesday.
Prospect to know: 1B Bryce Eldridge
The Giants’ No. 1 prospect debuted as a September callup this year and went 3-for-28 (.107) with two doubles over 10 games, but he didn’t look overmatched and routinely made hard contact. The power-hitting first baseman underwent left wrist surgery in October, but he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training, which should give him a shot to make a push for his first Opening Day roster next year.
Potential trade candidates
The 21-year-old Eldridge represents an ideal roster piece for Vitello, who spent the last eight years developing college kids at Tennessee. But Eldridge’s youth and upside could also make him one of the Giants’ biggest trade chips, particularly since the club already has another first base/DH option in Devers. Dealing Eldridge would be unpopular with fans, but it could make sense if the Giants line up with another club on an established starting pitcher or outfielder.
If the Giants prefer to keep Eldridge off limits, they could also consider parting with Josuar Gonzalez (the club's No. 2 prospect) or Jhonny Level (No. 4), both of whom are highly touted switch-hitting shortstops.
Rule 5 Draft
The Giants’ 40-man roster is currently full, so they’d have to clear a spot if they want to take a player in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. San Francisco didn’t extend Rule 5 protection to any of its prospects last month, leaving former first-round Draft picks Will Bednar and Reggie Crawford and right-hander Spencer Miles among the players who will be eligible to be selected by another team this year.
Burning question
How will they fill out their rotation?
The Giants splurged by signing Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal last offseason and then made an even bigger commitment by agreeing to take on the approximately $250 million remaining on Devers’ contract in June, but they don’t appear keen on continuing to spend big to bolster their rotation this winter.
The Athletic recently reported that the Giants are hesitant to meet the asking price for top free-agent starters like Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai, which could compel them to focus on mid-tier alternatives such as Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt or Merrill Kelly. If they’re willing to swing another big trade for a cost-controlled arm, the Giants could also kick the tires on trade candidates like the Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, the Twins’ Joe Ryan or the Royals’ Kris Bubic.