Adding to the starting rotation in free agency will be a costly endeavor for SF Giants

We recently looked at how the second tier of free-agent pitchers could be out of the SF Giants price range. The latest signings of Frankie Montas with the New York Mets and Matthew Boyd with the Chicago Cubs prove that the price for starting pitching in general is high.

Adding to the starting rotation in free agency will be a costly endeavor for SF Giants

Montas signed for two years and $34 million with an opt-out after the first season. On the other hand, Boyd signed for two years and $29 million. Montas' contract has an annual value of $17 million compared to $14.5 million for Boyd.

Montas has put together a solid career since debuting with the Chicago White Sox in 2015. The past couple of years have been a little more difficult. He was traded to the New York Yankees at the 2022 trade deadline where he struggled to the 6.35 ERA down the stretch.

The righty pitcher missed nearly the entire 2023 season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He was much more durable in 2024 as he posted a 4.84 ERA in 30 starts split between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. These are respectable numbers for a back-end rotation arm, but Montas is being paid to be more than that. Perhaps, the Mets see something that will turn him into a bargain next season.

Boyd has missed considerable time in recent seasons. This included a stint with the Giants in 2022. He was signed by San Francisco while still recovering from surgery to repair a flexor tendon. The Giants knew that he would miss considerable time that season. He made it back to the mound following a trade to the Seattle Mariners that season.

The veteran pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery midway through the 2023 season. He returned to the mound with the Cleveland Guardians this past season and tallied a 2.72 ERA in eight starts across 39.2 frames.

If the Giants were not going to target a frontline starter or even a tier below that, Boyd looked like a fine swingman option on a bargain contract. That proved to be a false assumption as he will net a considerable sum in his next contract after a brief showing in his return from surgery.

The Giants rotation currently projects to include Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, Hayden Birdsong, and Kyle Harrison. Hicks, Harrison, and Birdsong are still building up arm strength to be able to handle a full season.

The Giants need a swingman option who can soak up some innings in case of injuries and workload limitations. The good news is that innings eaters should still be relatively affordable even if the options are not all that inspiring such as Kyle Gibson or José Quintana.

Though, if the Giants target a full-time starter, there is a good chance that the annual cost will be over $10 million. If they are planning to slash payroll this winter, the front office needs to weigh whether the investment is a notable upgrade over some of the internal options.