SF Giants have several intriguing internal options for DH spot in lineup

The designated hitter spot in the lineup is a bit of a question mark for the SF Giants heading into 2025. They could sign a free agent, but they have some intriguing internal options who could fit nicely in the role and would not cost as much.

Last offseason, the Giants went out and splurged on a DH by signing Jorge Soler to a three-year $42 million contract. It did not exactly work out. He slashed .240/.330/.419 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in a Giants uniform before he and his remaining salary were traded to the Atlanta Braves. Then Atlanta continued the game of hot potato by trading him to the Los Angeles Angels this offseason.

SF Giants have interesting internal options for DH spot in lineup

Soler was not terrible with the Giants, but he did not provide the power they were hoping for when they signed him to such a large contract. They signed him to be their everyday cleanup hitter and he wound up being their leadoff hitter for much of his time in San Francisco.

The Giants could go after a designated hitter in free agency like Joc Pederson or J.D. Martinez, but after last season's experience with Soler they may not want to spend a lot of money again.

The Giants do have some internal options who could be interesting candidates for DH. Let's break them down.

Wilmer Flores

Wilmer Flores is not as bad as he was in 2024 and he is not as good as he was in 2023. The fact that the Giants will only be paying him $3.5 million in 2025 could end up being a steal if he can get back to being the hitter we know he is capable of being. He is really only a first baseman or DH at this point in his career, so if he can stay fairly healthy he could be a solid DH/1B option for the Giants.

Jerar Encarnación

The Giants picked up Jerar Encarnación from the Mexican League last season where he was raking. He continued to rake in Triple-A Sacramento which earned him a call-up to the big leagues. He did pretty well with the Giants, slashing .248/.277/.425 with 5 homers and 19 RBI in 113 at-bats. This compilation video of his hardest hit balls in 2024 shows that he can barrel the ball and send it a long way. He could be a solid DH option in 2025.

Grant McCray

One typically thinks of power when pondering a potential DH. Instead, what if the Giants opted for speed? Buster Posey has said that 2024 rookie Grant McCray has the potential to be a scary player for opponents given his speed and ability to wreak havoc on the base paths. However, with the Giants seemingly set in the outfield, he may not have too many opportunities to flash that speed. Having him be the DH would allow the Giants to get more speed in their lineup and put pressure on opposing defenses. Of course, the downside of having McCray as a DH is you would not be able to pinch run with him or have him come in as a defensive replacement late in a game. It would at least be a fun experiment for the Giants to try.

If the Giants decide against splurging on a free agent slugger to fill the DH spot in their lineup, these three internal options could make sense for San Francisco.