Ranking the SF Giants top 3 offseason needs

Ranking the SF Giants top 3 offseason needs

2. Rebuilding the bullpen

The bullpen is often the most volatile area on any roster. The Giants bet on stability as they brought back nearly every reliever from last year's team when that unit led baseball with a 2.99 ERA.

That bet did not pay off as the Giants' bullpen has posted a 4.04 ERA in 2022, which ranks near the middle of the pack. The good news is they have a foundation to work with as Camilo Doval has emerged as one of the more electric closers in baseball.

The closer role is the most difficult one to fill but the Giants have that role settled. It is a matter of getting the ball to Doval. John Brebbia and Jarlín García will return in leverage roles as they have posted a solid 2.81 ERA and 3.06 ERA, respectively.

Scott Alexander and Alex Young are making a case to stick beyond this year as well. Tyler Rogers is finishing the year on a high note as he has not allowed an earned run in seven September appearances. Barring a trade, he is going to be part of the team next year and every bullpen needs an arm who can set up the double play like Rogers.

Outside of that, the Giants have a lot of work to do. The front office is likely not going to shop at the top of the bullpen market. Performances vary widely from year-to-year and they are not going to pin their hopes of improving the bullpen on one or two moves.

With that being said, they will likely be active in looking for solid value additions. Will Smith, Will Harris, Chad Green, and Taylor Rogers are a few names that pop out as potential targets. Harris and Green are coming off of injury-plagued seasons, whereas Rogers and Smith have their fair share of struggles in 2022.

However, all have the ability to tally high strikeout totals without giving up a lot of walks and that is a quality that the Giants like in a pitcher. Outside of these four names, they are likely going to hand out a lot of minor league deals with spring training invites. For example, Shelby Miller could return with a strong finish.

I think their approach to building a bullpen is a lot like buying an index fund. Some stocks within the fund will hit while others struggle. The hope is that enough of those stocks hit to make the overall investment worth it.