SF Giants speculated as a landing spot for two-time All-Star pitcher

The SF Giants will need to find a way to boost their rotation this offseason. Could they turn to a two-time AL All-Star? Mark Feinsand of MLB.Com speculates that San Francisco could be a landing spot for Framber Valdez.

SF Giants speculated as a landing spot for two-time All-Star pitcher

Feinsand lists the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago Cubs as other suitors. He also mentions a reunion with the Houston Astros as a possibility.

The Orioles have probably the biggest need for pitching of any team in baseball. On Tuesday night, they pulled off a surprising trade, sending former top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. While Rodriguez had not pitched since 2024, this move only added to Baltimore’s need for pitching.

Valdez was issued a $22M qualifying offer from the Astros. Not surprisingly, he rejected that offer. Houston would receive draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere.

The Giants have signed several players who have rejected qualifying offers over the past couple of offseasons. This includes Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Willy Adames. As a result, they have lost four relatively high draft picks and a combined $2 million in international bonus pool money.

That is not a trade off they can continue to make every offseason, so it is fair to wonder if they will target any players with a qualifying offer attached to their name this winter. 

Plus, the Giants have expressed some reluctance toward signing pitchers to a nine-figure deal. Valdez will almost certainly receive a deal in that range.

It would also be hard to overlook the mix up Valdez had with his catcher last summer. That incident could dissuade a former catcher like Buster Posey from engaging in contract talks.

From a performance standpoint, Valdez is exactly the type of pitcher the Giants need. He is a workhorse who has thrown at least 150 innings in each of the past four seasons.

Similar to Logan Webb, the southpaw pitcher excels at keeping the ball on the ground and in the ballpark. That trait has helped him soak up innings.

While Valdez would be a solid fit for any rotation, the Giants will likely look elsewhere to fill their rotation needs.