3 long-time SF Giants who may be playing their final month with the team

The SF Giants are all but eliminated from playoff contention but they still have a month of games left to play. As they finish out this disappointing season, it is worth thinking about three long-time Giants who may be playing their final month with the team.

The path forward is very unclear for the Giants. Farhan Zaidi's job security is very much in doubt after another middling season. On the one hand, he must be commended for trying. He did go out and make moves to improve the team by signing Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Jung Hoo Lee, and Jorge Soler.

But then he did not double down at the trade deadline, instead opting to make the team worse in a cost-saving trade to send Soler to the Atlanta Braves. Perhaps ownership will retain Zaidi because he will follow orders and cut costs while at least maintaining the veneer of competitiveness. Or perhaps fan discontent will be so intense that they feel they need to get rid of Zaidi after 7 seasons and only one playoff appearance to show for it.

Three familiar faces to SF Giants fans may be gone soon

This roster could look very different next season. The Giants have already moved on from long-tenured players who have been synonymous with the Zaidi era like Austin Slater and Thairo Estrada. That trend will likely not stop there.

The Giants may try to get younger and more athletic this offseason (yes, I know we hear that every offseason) and if they do that means some long-time familiar faces could be on the chopping block.

Let's take a look at three Giants who have been with the team for a long time who may be in their final month in San Francisco.

3 long-time SF Giants who may be playing their final month with the team

1. Infielder Wilmer Flores

After a 2023 campaign that saw Wilmer Flores hit 23 home runs and carry the Giants' offense for much of the second half, the veteran infielder had a massive drop off in 2024. This season his slash line was a dismal .206/.277/.318 and he only hit 4 home runs and drove in 26 runs in 214 at-bats before he had to undergo season-ending knee surgery.

Flores has an interesting contract situation. Wilmer has a $3.5 million player option that he seems fairly certain to exercise because it is highly unlikely he would get more than that in free agency.

However, that does not mean he will certainly be a Giant next year even if he opts in. The Giants could definitely upgrade his spot on the roster next season and it is hard not to think that they will do so.

Even though it seems fairly likely that the Giants will move on from Wilmer, there is no doubt that he has been a very popular Giant since he joined the team in 2020. Let's hope that wherever he ends up he still has some solid play left in the tank.

3 long-time SF Giants who may be playing their final month with the team

2. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski

Another player who has endeared himself to SF Giants fans over the years is Mike Yastrzemski. He plays the game hard and has been a fairly consistent player for the team since his debut back in 2019.

Of course, there are many fans who are frustrated by the fact that he can be very streaky at the plate and can run very cold at times. This season his stats have been respectable. He is slashing .239/.309/.430 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI.

Yastrzemski brings a lot of value with his defense, though. He is a very solid right fielder which means that he is a valuable player overall even if he is not the most reliable or consistent hitter.

He is eligible for arbitration this offseason but that does not mean the Giants will offer him a contract. He made $7.9 million this season but could be due to earn closer to $10 million next year. We saw how the Giants played things with J.D. Davis earlier this year by cutting him after arbitration so a similar thing could happen with Yastrzemski.

It is definitely not certain that this will be Yastrzemski's final year with the Giants, but it is a possibility depending on how things transpire in the offseason.