Hot Stove League Update: Opening Day

 The "Hot Stove League" officially opens the day after the World Series ends.  Teams have 5 days to negotiate with their own free agents without having to worry about what other teams are offering.  Free agents drop off 40-man rosters. Players on the 60-day IL are automatically added back onto the 40-man roster.  

Free agents who will drop off the Giants 40-man roster include Justin Verlander RHP, Dominic Smith 1B/DH/LF, and Wilmer Flores 1B/DH.  I highly doubt the Giants have any intention of bringing Flores back but might have interest in making offers to Verlander and Smith.  

Players on the 60-Day IL who will be added to the 40-man roster today include Erik Miller LHP, Randy Rodriguez RHP and Tom Murphy C.  I would think Murphy will be immediately released with Miller and Rodriguez staying on.  Miller should be available to play by spring training.  Rodriguez will go back on the 60-day IL in the spring and remain their for all of 2026 due to Tommy John surgery.

Patrick Bailey C and Ryan Walker RHP just missed the "super two" cut-off and are not eligible for arbitration leaving just three arbitration-eligible players:  Andrew Knizner C, Joey Lucchesi LHP and JT Brubaker RHP.  Projected arbitration salaries are Brubaker at $2.1 M, Lucchesi at $ 2 M Knizner at $1.3 M.  I doubt the Giants want to go to an arbitration hearing with any of them but should try to re-sign them before the contract tender deadline.  

Having reviewed the Giants organizational deph charts through the postseason, let's focus on where we found needs heading into the Hot Stove League and in order of how critical the need is:

1.  Starting Pitcher:  Right now the Giants have just two reliable SP's on the roster with a bevy of intriguing but unestablished young hurlers plus Brubaker.  They have a critical need to add at least one established #3 or better SP and could use another less expensive SP similar to Brubaker.  I rank that as their #1 Hot Stove League need.

2.  Closer:  In the wake of the midseason trades of Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, the Giants still have a better than decent bullpen but Ryan Walker is the only pitcher on the roster with signficant Closer experience.  After his struggles last season he cannot be the presumptive Closer on the first day of spring training.  Past signings of Armando Benitez RHP and Mark Melancon RHP scarred me as much as anyone but the Giants find themselves in a position where they have to do it again if they don't want to squander the money spent to build a competitive core.  

3.  Right Field:  While the Giants have multiple candidates for the starting right field position there are none who can be counted on to close a gaping hole in the lineup.  If the Giants are going to add a position player in the offseason, right field has to be the priority over second base.  I agree with Owner Greg Johnson's comments that they have to be wary of locking in too many simultaneous long term contracts there may be lower cost options than Kyle Tucker OF through free agency or more likely trade.

3. DH:  The Giants are in a weird position here in that Devers can DH but will probably be happier playing first base at least half the time.  Buster has said he prefers to rotate position players through the DH to give them days off but then their position has to be covered with an adequate bat or and already marginal lineup becomes shorter.  They also have an elite prospect in Bryce Eldridge who, like Devers, is limited to 1B and DH.  I am in the camp who thinks Eldridge needs more minor league PA's before you pair him up with Devers in a same-handed 1B/DH platoon so Buster needs to go out and get a bat, any position will do, who can DH until Eldridge is ready.

4.  Second Base:  If the Giants fill the hole in RF they can probably roll with Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss at 2B. Ideally one of them would bat left but the advantage Schmitt and Koss have is they can both double as utility infielders.  If right field proves too difficult to upgrade, they second base becomes more of a concern.  If it proves easier to upgrade there, such as a trade for Brendan Donovan, they might have to pull the trigger on it. 

5.  Reserve Catcher:  I'm actually OK with Knizner as back up catcher. He hit over .300 in the second half in a small sample.  Reserve catcher is a lower priority position and you are not going to attract a starting caliber catcher to be the reserve behind Patrick Bailey.  But if Knizner forces the Giants to go to an arbitration hearing, they could move on and look to fill the position with someone else.

While there is some chatter on the internets about trading Heliot Ramos or Jung Hoo Lee, the rest of the roster looks set with a reasonable hope for several players to improve on their 2025 performances.  On the other hand, Buster Posey has been so bold in his first year as POBO, I would not put it past him to swing a blockbuster trade to shake up and reset the roster. I would love that but admit it's not clear where and how that would lead to an upgrade.