Two legacy SF Giants players the club should target this offseason

While the SF Giants have several boxes to check off this offseason, they also have an opportunity for a couple of cool signings. Adding a pair of legacy Giants in Mark Leiter Jr. and Darren Baker would be great stories to follow.

Two legacy SF Giants players the club should target this offseason

Mark Leiter Jr.

On Friday, the New York Yankees non-tendered Mark Leiter Jr., thereby making him a free agent. He was projected to earn $3 million in his final trip through arbitration.

The non-tender market can be a good opportunity for teams to find value. It may not always lead to the most impactful moves, but teams can find good role players. In recent years, the Giants have had success in this market. The most notable addition was Kevin Gausman, but even John Brebbia and Jakob Junis were solid additions.

Leiter Jr. is the son of former big league pitcher Mark Leiter. The elder Leiter appeared in parts of 11 seasons, including two seasons with the Giants. During his time with San Francisco, he pitched to a 4.38 ERA in 51 appearances while sharing the Willie Mac Award with Mark Carreon in 1995.

The Giants need to add more strikeout pitchers to the bullpen, and Leiter Jr. would check off that box. In 2025, the Giants' bullpen posted a 7.9 K/9 rate, which was the fourth-lowest mark in baseball. On the other hand, Leiter Jr. has a 10.1 K/9 rate across six seasons. Plus, he induces a healthy number of ground balls.

The 34-year-old pitcher struggled to a 4.84 ERA in 59 appearances with the Yankees this past season. The underlying numbers were much more promising. This includes a 3.55 FIP, 3.80 xFIP, and a 3.72 xERA.

Leiter Jr. had a successful run with the Chicago Cubs, where he recorded a 3.85 ERA across three seasons. He has upside as a middle reliever, and the Giants are pretty light on all types of relievers at the moment.

Darren Baker

Darren Baker is the son of future Hall of Fame manager Dusty Baker. The elder Baker managed the Giants for 10 seasons and served as a manager across 26 years before retiring after the 2023 season. He also played in 19 seasons as a player, including one with the Giants.

The younger Baker was a 10th-round pick by the Washington Nationals in 2021. He tallied seven hits in 14 at-bats during his brief stint with them in 2024. Washington released Baker at the end of the 2025 season.

The left-handed bat has put up a .694 OPS across five minor league seasons. He does not hit with much power, but he is a fast runner and a volume base stealer. Plus, he has the versatility to play in the outfield and at second base.

Dusty Baker is now a special advisor to baseball operations for the Giants. This role tends to be a fluid one, but he spends a lot of time with the Sacramento River Cats. Adding the younger Baker would be a cool chance for the pair to spend more time together on the baseball field. This would likely be a minor league deal with a camp invite.

The fit is a little tough as Sacramento's roster should have plenty of outfield options. However, that could look a lot different by the time the season comes around.