Where do the SF Giants turn to next following the latest signing?

The SF Giants have seemingly rounded out the rotation after reportedly adding veteran pitcher Tyler Mahle on a one-year deal. Where do they turn to now?

Where do the SF Giants turn to next following the latest signing?

When the offseason began, we highlighted three priorities that they needed to address this offseason. They have now addressed the rotation after adding Mahle and Adrian Houser.

To some degree, the Giants have added to the bullpen. Signing Sam Hentges and Jason Foley have been the two notable additions to this unit. They have also extended camp invites to Gregory Santos and Nick Margevicius.

The bullpen will now need to become a bigger priority, even if most of the closers in free agency have already signed elsewhere. The Giants have a handful of low-volume starters in Houser, Mahle, and likely Landen Roupp. 

This is not a knock on them, but a realization that they may be best used for five innings per start. If that is the case, that means the bullpen will need to cover three or four innings in those starts. As currently constructed, this bullpen does not have enough length or effectiveness to be able to cover that gap.

That needs to change. They also need an idea for how they plan to preserve leads and close out games. There is not much of a blueprint for that at the moment. The Giants need to continue adding to the bullpen, and should be a popular landing spot for veteran relievers on minor league deals. There is plenty of opportunity for someone to pitch their way into the Opening Day bullpen with a strong camp.

In a debate over whether the Giants have a more pressing need at second base or right field, the latter is clearly a bigger need. Casey Schmitt is a serviceable option at second base with some power upside.

In right field, it would be difficult to pencil in any of their internal options for regular at-bats. Luis Matos, Drew Gilbert, and Jerar Encarnación will likely compete for playing time in spring training. In the case of Matos and Encarnación, they are both out of options, so they need to make the club or be placed on waivers. There is probably only room for one of them to make the team. 

However, no one from that group has yet earned more playing time. Matos and Encarnación are bat-first options, but without much of a track record against major league pitching. Gilbert proved to be a capable defender at all three outfield positions, which was a weakness for the Giants in 2025.

If the Giants do not make an upgrade in right field, that spot in the lineup could be exposed, both offensively and defensively. It is simply a need for the Giants.