3 decisions that doomed the SF Giants chances in 2022

Even though the SF Giants were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, it felt like their chances were dashed well before then. If a few extra breaks fell in their favor, maybe the season would have gone differently. With that being said, there are three decisions that led to them falling short of October baseball.

3 decisions that doomed the SF Giants chances in 2022

At 80-79, the Giants have a shot at finishing the season with over a .500 record. They will need to win at least two of the next three games against the San Diego Padres to do so. That is mildly impressive considering how frustrating this season has been in many facets of the game.

This could help in free agency as the front office will sell potential targets on the idea that they are not far off from playoff contention. Whether that is true in reality is up for debate.

Speaking of the front office, they made some critical decisions or non-decisions that have led to where the Giants are currently at. What are some of those that doomed them the most? We have our opinions on this and our friends at Giants Baseball Insider shared their perspectives as well.

1. Not re-signing Kevin Gausman

I will admit that it is a bit odd to single out the rotation. After all, it is the strength of the roster but could it have been even better? Giants starters combined to post a 3.69 ERA, 3.12 FIP, and a 16.8 fWAR. The FIP was the best mark in baseball, whereas the fWAR was the third-best in baseball.

In an unpopular move, the Giants decided not to retain Kevin Gausman and the righty confirmed that he did not receive a legitimate offer from the Giants. Instead, Gausman signed a five-year, $110 million pact with the Toronto Blue Jays. For the second consecutive season, Gausman will make an appearance in the postseason.

His first season with Toronto was not only a success from a team standpoint, but an individual standpoint as well. The 31-year-old hurler registered a 3.35 ERA, 2.38 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, and a 7.32 SO/W ratio in 31 starts. He has proven to be a workhouse as he has made nearly every possible start since 2020.

The Giants had a legitimate 1-2 pitch with Carlos Rodón
and Logan Webb, but I wonder how the dynamic of that rotation would have looked with yet another co-ace to the rotation. That might have put them over the hump and turned them into a team that would have presented a challenge in the playoffs.

However, it never came to fruition despite the fact that San Francisco had more than enough payroll space to absorb Gausman's contract. That is one decision that really set the stage for the rest of the season.

3 decisions that doomed the SF Giants chances in 2022

2. Not tinkering with the bullpen sooner

The Giants bullpen led baseball with a 2,99 ERA in 2021 and they returned nearly every reliever for the 2022 season. However, betting on stability and continuity proved to be the wrong choice for the most volatile area on the roster.

The 2022 bullpen has posted a 4.03 ERA, which ranks near the middle of the pack. The good news is that they have a legitimate closer in Camilo Doval, who has posted a 2.53 ERA with 27 saves in 30 opportunities this year.

The bad news is that they did not have enough quality relievers to get the ball to Doval. They have a small nucleus of relievers that they can pencil into next year's roster but they were not quick enough to begin reworking the bullpen.

The Giants have seen a lot of new faces over the past month like Jharel Cotton, Shelby Miller, and Scott Alexander. All three have looked good in a limited showing and it has helped the Giants tally a 3.43 ERA in the final month of the season. This is the type of output that the Giants expected from the bullpen when the season began.

At the trade deadline, it would not have made sense for the Giants to target a top-end reliever like Josh Hader or David Robertson. That said, they could have benefitted from adding a bullpen arm like Chris Martin, which the Los Angeles Dodgers shipped utility infielder Zack McKinstry to the Chicago Cubs. This is one of those moves that could have better positioned the bullpen in 2022 and beyond at a cost that made plenty of sense.

San Francisco has gone 21-27 in one-run games in 2022. Those games are often determined by the team that plays cleaner defense with a bullpen that can work with little margin for error. That was not the Giants bullpen this year and it felt like they should have responded quicker to that unit's struggles.