The Giants finally made some news at the Winter Meetings by moving all the way up from #15 to #4 in next summer's draft in today's draft lottery. This marks the first time the Giants have moved up since the lottery started and significantly increases their chances of drafting an impact player. Combine this good fortune with the expected signing of the top international prospect, Luis Hernandez, in January and the Giants are poised to break into at least the top third in farm system talent ranking by this time next year for the first time in many years. Props to Director of Player Development, Randy Winn, on a job well done representing the Giants at the draft lottery. His job just got significantly easier as I am sure he would much rather be in charge of developing good players than not-so-good ones.
Meanwhile the Dodgers continued to do Dodger things by signing the top Closer on the market, Edwin Diaz RHP to a 3 yr/$39 M contract. Of course, $4.5 M is deferred annually so the present value AAV for CBT purposes is only $21.1 M. Diaz is coming off a season with the Mets in which he recorded 28 Saves and pitched to a 1.63 ERA. Although he has been a fairly consistent he has tended to alternate between good and great seasons every other year so maybe he's only "good" in 2026? Remember the Dodgers shelled out a lot of money for Tanner Scott LHP last offseason and that didn't turn out so well for them, although they ended up winning the World Series anyway. Although the Giants have a big need for a reliable Closer, Buster Posey has given clear signals that he is shopping in the Brebbia Aisle while looking for bullpen bargains so nobody seriously thought the Giants were bidders for Diaz.
A player who the Giants were almost laughably linked to at the start of the Winter Meetings, Kyle Schwarber, is re-signing with the Phillies for 5 yr/$150 M. Schwarber, who will turn 33 yo before the start of the 2026 season, has turned himself into on elite power hitter although he is mostly limited to a DH role. Giants fans can return to hoping Bryce Eldridge turns into that kind of hitter in the very near future.
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