SF Giants, Posey get passing grade for offseason thus far from MLB insider

The offseason is not over for the SF Giants, but it seems like a lot of the team's heavy lifting has been done. One MLB inside has given the Giants a B grade for their efforts thus far which seems about right for the Giants.

This grade comes from Jim Bowden of The Athletic who was a former MLB front office executive and is now an analyst. You can read his full grades for every MLB team's offseason here (subscription required).

A grade of B seems right for San Francisco. Their two major moves, signing shortstop Willy Adames to the largest contract in franchise history and veteran starting pitcher Justin Verlander to a one-year deal, put them in a position to contend in 2025 if things go well.

SF Giants get a B grade for offseason from MLB insider

New president of baseball operations Buster Posey and general manager Zack Minasian have been active in trying to improve the team after three straight seasons of mediocrity.

The Adames signing did a lot to solidify the team's infield. Having both Adames and third baseman Matt Chapman on the left side of the infield for the forseeable future is a great place to be in and should give the Giants two solid, dependable players who can set an example for the rest of the team.

It is important to remember that the Chapman extension can still technically be viewed as part of the team's offseason. Even though they were able to get that done before the 2024 season ended, it still will have implications for years to come and would have been seen as a massive signing if it happened during free agency.

The Verlander signing is an interesting one for several reasons. It could look like a stroke of genius if the soon to be 42-year-old can stay healthy for a majority of the year and give San Francisco even a glimmer of the pitcher he was just a few years ago. He also figures to be a good mentor figure for the team's young pitching staff.

Of course, the offseason is not yet done. If the Giants went out and landed a big bat like first baseman Pete Alonso or right fielder Anthony Santander that could make the team look more formidable. However, a big splash like that at this stage seems unlikely.

If the Giants do not do anything for the rest of the offseason, they are still in decent shape for 2025. It will not be a year where they are expecting to contend, instead it will be a year for them to see what they have in younger players like Heliot Ramos, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Kyle Harrison.

That may not be super exciting for fans, but this offseason could mean that 2025 will be a transition year like it was for the Giants in 2009 when they exceeded expectations but still missed the playoffs. With the current state of the NL West, that would not be the worst outcome after this respectable offseason from Posey and the Giants.