These SF Giants have a tenuous spot on the Opening Day roster

SF Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey recently suggested the team's roster is fairly set. If that is true, it is time to take a look at the team's potential Opening Day roster and see whose spot on the roster is somewhat tenuous.

Outside of the major additions of shortstop Willy Adames and starting pitcher Justin Verlander, the Giants have not made very many moves this offseason. They have made a couple moves that could provide competition by signing left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi and left-handed hitter Jake Lamb, but for the most part the roster seems fairly set.

There are a few players who will be on the bubble entering spring training and will need a strong spring if they want to make the team.

SF Giants players with a tenuous spot on Opening Day roster

Luis Matos

Outfielder Luis Matos is a player who would make a lot of sense on the Opening Day roster for the Giants. He showed flashes of brilliance last season even if he lacked the consistency necessary to be a mainstay on the big league roster. His offseason was strong as he tore it up in Venezuelan winter ball.

If he can continue that hot hitting in spring training, then he would make sense as a potential platoon parter with Mike Yastrzemski in right field. He also has the athleticism to play center field and give Jung Hoo Lee a day off if need be. He may face some competition from Grant McCray though who is another athletic outfielder with speed who showed some positive signs late last season.

Casey Schmitt

Turning to the infield, Casey Schmitt is another player who impressed late in the 2024 season. The Giants played him a lot at second base later in the season in a platoon with Brett Wisely and he looked strong defensively at the position while also shining with the bat, hitting six home runs in 107 at-bats.

With Matt Chapman at third base, Adames at shortstop, and Tyler Fitzgerald at second base, there is not a ton of room for Schmitt in the infield. However, because he can play all three of those positions and is strong on defense he makes sense as an insurance option for the team. He will face competition from Wisely, but as of right now Schmitt probably has the upper hand.

Landen Roupp

The Giants have several pitchers on their staff who could serve either as starters or as long relievers, and Landen Roupp seems like a strong candidate to be a long reliever for the team to start the season. He proved last year that he can both start and come out of the bullpen, and while he looked strong as a starter, the Giants seem fairly set with their rotation.

However, given injuries and fatigue it seems likely the Giants will have to cycle through a number of starters in 2025. Roupp figures to be a guy who will start games and be a reliever for the team although he will have to compete with pitchers like Tristan Beck and Hayden Birdsong for that role.

As of today, these three players seem likely to make the Opening Day roster. But if they struggle in spring training and another player shines then they may find they have lost their tenuous place on the roster.