SF Giants will need to pick a direction with upgrading the outfield this offseason

The SF Giants could use some help in the outfield, but how the front office goes about it varies. They will need to pick a direction, ranging from a platoon bat to an everyday outfielder.

The Giants could draw up the current iteration of the outfield a few different ways. Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert should take everyday at-bats against right-handed pitching. Jonah Cox showed that he could help the team win in a few different ways, especially with his speed on the bases.

Scott Bandura, Turner Hill, and Bo Davidson will be among the young outfielders competing for a role. Casey Schmitt could continue to see time at a few different positions, including left field. He picked up that position on the fly in 2026.

Nevertheless, that unit needs help. The outfield combined to put up 1.3 fWAR this past season, which was 27th in baseball. Without a major shakeup, it will remain a low-ceiling, low-floor unit.

The Giants could raise the floor a few different ways this offseason. One way is by adding a platoon bat, such as Randal Grichuk or Lane Thomas.

Over the past couple of seasons, they have struggled badly against left-handed pitching. This included posting an 84 wRC+ in those matchups, which was tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst mark.

If the Giants believe they can compete, then they cannot be so vulnerable against one side of the matchup. That said, they do not have a lot of spots in the lineup that they can attempt to upgrade.

SF Giants could look to add a platoon bat or everyday hitter to bolster the outfield

The infield consists primarily of right-handed hitters. On the other hand, the outfield has some soft spots against left-handed pitching. The front office should be looking to complement Drew Gilbert and Jung Hoo Lee with a platoon bat from the right side.

This would not change the dynamic of the outfield, but it would raise the floor and give Tony Vitello flexibility to play matchups later in games.

One of the big issues for the Giants in 2026 is that they were easy to matchup against. They often had too many suboptimal at-bats against either side of the platoon. In fairness, their left-handed hitters performed well against right-handed pitchers, but that was it.

The Giants could also make a more notable addition to the outfield. While free agency is light on everyday hitters, there are a few for them to target.

The Giants recruited Seiya Suzuki a few years ago before he signed with the Chicago Cubs. Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners will also be available. If a player can hit in Seattle, then there is a good chance that they will be fine at Oracle Park.

Suzuki and Arozarena will both likely reject qualifying offers this offseason. That is a non-financial cost that the Giants would have to weigh, especially after a 65-win season.

Plus, those players would also require a long-term deal. The Giants are already tied up with a few too many of those as is, so they would need to weigh that as well.

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