Ranking the SF Giants top three offseason priorities for the 2027 roster

After losing 97 games in 2026, the SF Giants have a lot of work to do to be competitive again. The front office will now turn its attention to addressing the biggest roster needs, including starting pitching, bullpen help, and a right-handed-hitting outfielder.

Ranking the SF Giants top three offseason priorities for the 2027 roster

I took a peek at last offseason's priorities, and they turned out to be the exact same areas to address in the exact same order. That is merely a coincidence, but it highlights that while the Giants made a few moves last offseason, they did little to address their needs and raise the floor of the roster.

The Giants may also look at adding a starting catcher, but they seem content with letting Daniel Susac and Drew Cavanaugh compete for playing time next spring. In addition to this, they could use a left-handed-hitting infielder to balance out a right-handed-heavy infield group. This includes Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Casey Schmitt. Schmitt will likely play multiple positions next year, including returning to the outfield.

1. Starting pitching, starting pitching, and more starting pitching

The Giants not only need to plug a couple of spots in the rotation, but they will need to add starting pitching depth as well. A good rotation typically relies on six to eight starters every year, and the Giants do not have anywhere close to that at the moment.

In the post-mortem press conference, Buster Posey shared that he believes the club can contend for a playoff spot next year. He was not going to say anything different, especially as attendance declined late in the year.

However, if Posey is to be taken at his word, the Giants will need to do a lot to raise the ceiling of a unit that struggled to a 4.48 ERA in 2026. If the Giants are going to be built around pitching and defense, then they need to have good pitching and good defense.

Tarik Skubal will receive the largest contract of any pitcher in this year's class. The Giants will likely not be shopping at that level of the market. There will be some reliable veterans available, including Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, and Clay Holmes.

2. Leverage relievers and bullpen depth

The bullpen was rough this season. We all saw it. At the end of the year, Buster Posey immediately took the blame for the bullpen and indicated that they will be focusing on bolstering that area in the offseason. He also told Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area that addressing the bullpen will be the where they begin their offseason work

One major question is who stays from the current group. Trent Harris and Dylan Smith pitched well enough to be part of that unit next season. They added Camilo Doval in the final week of the season. According to MLB Trade Rumors, he is projected to earn $6.6 million in his final trip through arbitration. Jason Foley and Sam Hentges are also eligible for arbitration in the offseason. The Giants hope to get Randy Rodríguez back as well. He is set to begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Fall League.

The Giants have a small core of relievers who can be part of a good bullpen. They will also want to avoid bringing back too many of the same faces that struggled to a 4.14 ERA last season.

The key will be building a unit that can preserve leads and close out games. Given the state of the current bullpen, they will need at least one more leverage reliever and then a couple of reliable relievers to raise the floor and add depth. A good bullpen needs five to six relievers, so the Giants have a lot of work to do. The non-tender market tends to be a good area to add depth.

3. A right-handed-hitting outfielder

The Giants said that they expect Harrison Bader to return next season, but that statement did not come with much confidence. They will need to make at least one more upgrade to the outfield.

Unfortunately, the outfield unit continued to be a soft spot in 2026. Giants outfielders combined to put up 1.3 fWAR this season, which was 27th in baseball. They need to start over and build the outfield back up again, and that process started with shipping out Heliot Ramos at the trade deadline.

If they plan on having Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert see considerable time in the outfield next season, then they need to have someone take those at-bats against left-handed pitching. The case could be made that they need two right-handed-hitting outfielders, but they will likely let a younger player compete for one of those roles.

Victor Bericoto showed intriguing power, but his approach needs to show considerable improvement after posting a 3.4 percent walk rate in 116 plate appearances. Jonah Cox displayed a dynamic skill set, but he does not necessarily address the need for a right-handed-hitting, platoon outfielder. He will have runway to compete for playing time, especially in center field.

The Giants need a platoon bat in one of the corner outfield spots. Right field makes a good bit of sense, given that Lee struggled to a .613 OPS in 178 plate appearances against left-handed pitching in 2026.

As a team, that was an extreme soft spot for the Giants. They slashed .233/.289/.369 (84 wRC+) against left-handed pitching this season. That wRC+ mark was tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst in baseball.

If the Giants have any intention of competing, they cannot continue to be so vulnerable in platoon matchups. Unfortunately, they do not have a lot of spots in the lineup where they can address that need, but the outfield remains one of them.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow