SF Giants have rotation conundrum thanks to Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander has had an up and down 2025 season with the SF Giants. His performance as of late creates a bit of a conundrum for the Giants this offseason as they will have to figure out what to do with their starting rotation.

The Verlander signing in the offseason was seen as an interesting gamble on a future Hall of Fame pitcher. The upside was that he could recapture the form he had not too long ago while serving as a mentor figure for younger pitchers in the staff. The downside was that he could get hurt and not be effective as a 42-year-old.

SF Giants have rotation conundrum with Justin Verlander

The reality has turned out to be somewhere in the middle. In 24 starts he has a 3-10 record with a 4.29 ERA in 121 and 2/3 innings pitched while also having some milestone moments in a Giants uniform. Besides the record, if the Giants had been presented with those numbers when they signed him they would have been pleased with it.

There was a time earlier this year when he was struggling and it seemed like they were going to have to make a tough decision with him. But really since the All-Star break he has turned it on and has looked a little more like the Verlander of old. He turned in a gritty 10-strikeout performance in his last outing as manager Bob Melvin let him throw over 120 pitches to get through five innings and qualify for the win.

Verlander has said he plans to pitch in 2026 and based on his recent performance that does not sound all that crazy. Is it crazy to think a reunion with the Giants could be in the cards?

San Francisco will go into 2026 with only Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Landen Roupp in their rotation. The other two spots will be up for grabs or will have to be filled in free agency or via trade.

Some of San Francisco’s young starters have shown promise this year like Carson Whisenhunt, Carson Seymour, and Kai-Wei Teng. However, none has done enough to convince the Giants that they are a lock for the 2026 rotation. The team likely needs one more established starter in the mix so they can let that fifth spot in the rotation be a competition between the younger arms.

Could Verlander be that fourth guy? Potentially, but the Giants have to feel a little lucky they have gotten what they have gotten out of Verlander this year. To get a mostly healthy Verlander for two years in a row feels like asking for a lot. 

On a recent episode of the Giants Talk podcast, reporter Alex Pavlovic said the team may be looking for more of a two or three year kind of guy rather than someone like Verlander who they would probably only feel comfortable giving a one-year deal.

Maybe someone like Zach Eflin could fill that void and give them a proven starter to pad out the rotation. 

Verlander’s strong pitching as of late at least makes a reunion with the Giants seem somewhat feasible, but it still seems like the Giants will opt for someone else to improve the rotation.

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