San Francisco Giants 2024 offseason preview: What's next for the Giants after another .500-ish season?

2024 season: Eliminated on Sept. 19, 4th in NL West

Let's take a look at the season that was for the 2024 San Francisco Giants, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for 2025.

Things that went right

There were a few bright spots for the Giants in a season that was spent almost entirely with a record slightly below .500.

Logan Webb was easily the team’s most valuable player. The right-hander doesn’t create many headlines, but he uses his elite ability to induce grounders to rank among baseball’s innings and ERA leaders each year. This year, Webb was eventually supported in the San Francisco rotation by Blake Snell, who finished an injury-impacted first half with a 6.31 ERA across eight starts before catching fire after the All-Star break. And when the ball was turned over to the bullpen, few hurlers in baseball were as effective as Ryan Walker, who was elevated to the closer’s role in August.

The team’s two most effective hitters were both in the minors at times this season. Heliot Ramos was promoted early in May and quickly became a proficient power hitter who overcame mediocre plate discipline. Tyler Fitzgerald didn’t initially take off to the same degree, but after logging 86 plate appearances in the first half, he took over as the starting shortstop after the All-Star break and became a dynamic offensive contributor.

Catcher Patrick Bailey made little impact with his bat but continued to be a special defensive player at arguably the most important position. He endured three stints on the injured list this year, though they were all for the minimum amount of time.

Things that went wrong

A pair of key position players fell short of expectations. Jung Hoo Lee’s rookie season included an unimpressive .641 OPS across 37 games before a shoulder injury ended the campaign in May. Meanwhile, Thairo Estrada took a massive step backward after being one of the team’s most reliable hitters across 2022 and ‘23. His season went so badly that he was placed on outright waivers in August.

The biggest disappointment on the pitching staff was the work of Camilo Doval. A 2023 All-Star, Doval went from being one of baseball’s best closers to being so unreliable that he was briefly optioned to Triple-A in August.

Ultimately, another year of mediocrity led to the end of president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi's tenure with the team, as the team announced Sept. 30 that it had fired Zaidi after six seasons at the helm. In a surprising move, the Giants then announced that they hired Buster Posey to replace Zaidi.

Offseason plans

San Francisco has hovered around .500 three years in a row and isn’t flush with elite prospects, which means that the new front office will need to decide if they should continue to push forward with this roster or take a step back and rebuild.

The infield came into clearer focus when third baseman Matt Chapman agreed to a six-year extension in September. Bailey will remain the No. 1 catcher. Fitzgerald will be the shortstop, and on-base machine LaMonte Wade Jr. can serve as the strong side of a first-base platoon. But with Estrada no longer on the 40-man roster, there is no obvious candidate to play second base.

Things are less clear in the outfield, as Ramos is the only surefire starter. Southpaw swinger Mike Yastrzemski will likely return to play right field against right-handers. Grant McCray didn’t embarrass himself during a late-season trial in center field but didn’t make a major impact, either. He stole 95 bases in the low minors across 2022 and ‘23 but didn’t reach base as often or compile nearly as many swipes at higher levels this year. Jerar Encarnación will also be in the mix. He had plenty of power in the minors but couldn’t get that skill to translate during a 2024 audition.

To compete in 2025, this team will need help behind Webb in the rotation, as Snell is expected to opt out of his contract. Kyle Harrison will be in the rotation and has plenty of room for improvement at age 23. Robbie Ray will hopefully be a reliable starter in his first full season following 2023 Tommy John surgery. Hayden Birdsong and Mason Black will compete for back-end rotation spots. Neither youngster fared well in 2024 auditions, though Birdsong showed promising strikeout skills.

If Doval can bounce back next year, the bullpen could be in great shape, as he can form a late-inning trio with Walker and Tyler Rogers. Manager Bob Melvin will be tasked with assigning roles, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Doval reclaim his ninth-inning gig.

The front office managed to keep the team relatively competitive in 2024, plugging holes late in the offseason by signing Chapman and Snell to what were essentially one-year contracts. Similar opportunities might not present themselves this winter, which means Posey and Co. will need to decide if they should invest significant money in free agents at positions such as second base and starting pitcher. The unpleasant alternative would be to trade away players such as Webb, Walker and Bailey and sink to the bottom of the standings for a couple of years. Not for nothing, the signing of Chapman for six years is a strong indication that the team plans to remain competitive.

Prospects on the horizon

The Giants don’t have one of baseball’s better prospect pools, and most of their top youngsters aren’t expected to arrive until 2026 or later.

That said, left-hander Carson Whisenhunt stands out as a prospect who is almost ready and could soon help the major-league team. The 23-year-old didn’t post strong numbers in Triple-A this year, though his premium strikeout skills were still present.

Other players who were recently in the prospect pool, such as Birdsong, Black and McCray, got their feet wet this year and can be expected to have a greater impact next season.

The team’s top prospect is first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who was San Francisco’s first-round pick in 2023. Just 19 years old, Eldridge is pushing his timeline, having earned a promotion to Double-A in early September. He could force his way into the team’s 2025 plans in the second half of the season.

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Goals for 2025

There is a wide range of possible outcomes for the Giants next year. With aggressive offseason moves from an organization that is no stranger to pursuing free agents, this team could again start the new campaign with postseason aspirations.

At the same time, without making major changes, San Francisco seems destined to finish fourth in the NL West again. After all, there is no easy path in a division that includes the dominant Dodgers and two other contenders in the Diamondbacks and Padres.

Fantasy focus

Webb is the lone San Francisco player who will factor into the early rounds of fantasy drafts. He should be drafted in the range of Round 5, with expectations of being a reliable No. 2 starter in mixed leagues.

The next Giants player off the board could be Fitzgerald. His exciting blend of power and speed makes it easy to dream of him being a 20-20 or 30-30 player. His name will be called in the range of Round 10.

Whether it’s Walker or Doval, whoever closes for the Giants will have plenty of fantasy value. Walker could rise especially high in drafts, as managers would be thrilled to pair his outstanding 2024 ratios with 35 saves.