3 Giants free agents who will leave, and 2 who will return in 2024

Giants Free Agent Who Will Leave: Brandon Crawford

The longest tenured Giant by far, Brandon Crawford is beloved in San Francisco, and for good reason. He's a clubhouse leader, a two-time World Series champion, a three-time All-Star, a Gold Glover, a Silver Slugger, and maybe a lifer with the club, having been drafted by the Giants in 2008. His playing time has waned significantly over the last two years, with the Giants moving No. 2 prospect Marco Luciano up to the majors this year and giving him more time at shortstop.

Crawford's $16 million makes him the third-highest-paid Giant, and given his age and the talent coming up behind him, it would only make sense for the Giants to let him go despite his sentimental value to the team and the city. Whether or not he signs with another team to keep his career alive is more nebulous, but it seems unlikely that after 13 years in the same city he'll want to start all over again somewhere new. We've probably seen the last of Crawford not only in a Giants uniform but a MLB uniform, and he'll definitely be missed.

Giants Free Agent Who Will Leave: Alex Wood

As one of San Francisco's most seen relievers/openers, Alex Wood had an underwhelming season. Despite pitching under 100 innings, he's tied with Sean Manaea for first in walks on the team, and his strikeout count is down by nearly half from last year. It's not what you want from your highest paid pitcher (Wood made $12.5 million in 2023), to say the least.

Letting go of Wood would mean freeing up a lot of necessary cash to offer to some of the Giants' many players who are in various stages of Super 2 arbitration, including lineup staples like JD Davis, Mike Yastrzemski, and Thairo Estrada. Though it would mean losing a lefty arm, there are too many other considerations that don't work in Wood's favor.