If the SF Giants miss the playoffs this season, 2025 should be a rebuild year

The SF Giants have hit a rough patch as of late. After getting hot for a few weeks, they have come crashing back down to Earth with 5 straight losses. This poor stretch makes it clear that if the team is unsuccessful this year, 2025 should be a rebuild year.

If the SF Giants miss the playoffs this season, 2025 should be a rebuild year

The Giants made a concerted effort this offseason to improve their team. They went out and got some exciting free agents and on paper they looked like a potential playoff contender. However, at this point in the season it looks like a continuation of the last two seasons of mediocrity.

There is plenty of time for them to turn things around. One would think they will get contributions from free agent signings like Blake Snell and Jorge Soler eventually...right?

But the question lingers: what if they don't? What if they just drew the short stick on these free agent signings and they end up with another season around .500 and without any playoff action? Where would they go from there?

The answer seems pretty simple: a rebuild.

The Giants got infinitely more watchable this season when they began calling up their younger players. Seeing Luis Matos, Heliot Ramos, and others step up and play well at the major league level has been a delight. The Giants are going to need more of that next season.

Let's say that the Giants fail to make the playoffs this season. Next season, they should let both Matos and Ramos play the corner outfield spots with Jung Hoo Lee in center. That means moving on from veterans like Michael Conforto, Mike Yastrzemski, and Austin Slater.

In the infield, they should have Casey Schmitt and Marco Luciano on the left side and they should seriously entertain trading either LaMonte Wade Jr. or Thairo Estrada to make room for Brett Wisely at second base.

The rotation, assuming Snell opts out which is far from a given right now, should be something along the lines of Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, Keaton Winn, and Mason Black or someone like Tristan Beck or even Carson Whisenhunt.

Just let the young guys play and figure out what you have. It will probably not result in a winning season, but neither have the attempts of the last few off-seasons. Give these young guys consistent MLB reps and see if they have what it takes. The slogan for the 1986 Giants was "You Gotta Like These Kids," and it should be the slogan for the 2025 Giants if 2024 ends in failure.