Trio of SF Giants players elect free agency to begin the offseason

The offseason is officially here. According to the team's transaction log, a trio of SF Giants players elected free agency on Sunday, including Justin Verlander, Dominic Smith, and Wilmer Flores.

Trio of SF Giants players elect free agency to begin the offseason

The term "elect" is the one baseball uses, and it makes it sound like a discretionary move. However, it just means that their contracts have expired, thereby making them free agents.

The moves bring the 40-man roster down to 37 players. That number is a bit fungible as the offseason begins. The Giants will need to activate Randy Rodríguez and Erik Miller from the 60-day injured list, as that lever disappears in the offseason.

Veteran backstop Tom Murphy is also currently listed on the 60-day injured list. The club holds a $4 million team option on him for 2026 that they will almost certainly decline. That decision will not have any impact on the 40-man roster, given that it will come before players need to be activated from the 60-day injured list.

Justin Verlander is the most notable player from the Giants to reach free agency. He completed a one-year, $15 million pact with San Francisco and held up his end of the bargain. He pitched to a 3.85 ERA across 29 outings, and looked like he still has plenty left in the tank.

The future Hall of Famer continues his pursuit of the 300-win mark. However, he did not get much help from the Giants, as he collected only four victories in 2025. That brings his career mark up to 266 wins.

Verlander has expressed his desire to continue pitching next year, and should see a healthy market. The Giants could be in that mix. They do have a need for at least one starting pitcher, but likely need more than one starter.

Dominic Smith was a pleasant surprise for the Giants this past season. He joined the club midway through the year and put up a .750 OPS with five home runs and 33 RBI in 225 plate appearances. The Giants have expressed interest in reuniting with the veteran bat, but recognize that it might be a tough roster fit.

Lastly, Wilmer Flores' six-year run with the Giants has likely come to an end. He put up respectable numbers in 2025, including finishing second on the team with 71 RBI. The right-handed hitter still grinds out at-bats, and could be a candidate to join another club in a bench role.