San Francisco Giants 2024 Offseason Preview: What's next for the Giants after another .500 season?

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

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

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

The team's two most effective hitters were in the minors at one point this season. Heliot Ramos was called up in early May and quickly developed into a competent power hitter who overcame mediocre plate discipline. Tyler Fitzgerald didn't take off at the same level early on, 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 remained a special defensive player at arguably the most important position. He spent three stints on the disabled list this year, though all were for the minimum amount of time.

A pair of key position players failed to live up to expectations. Jung Hoo Lee’s rookie season included an unimpressive .641 OPS in 37 games before a shoulder injury ended the campaign in May. Meanwhile, Thairo Estrada took a big step back after being one of the team’s most reliable hitters in 2022 and 2023. His season was so poor that he was placed on waivers outright in August.

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

San Francisco has hovered around .500 for three straight years and isn't loaded with elite prospects, meaning team president Farhan Zaidi and general manager Pete Putila must decide whether to move forward with this roster or take a step back and rebuild.

The infield became clearer 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 aren’t as clear in the outfield, as Ramos is the only sure-fire starter. Left-hander Mike Yastrzemski will likely play right field against right-handed pitchers again. Grant McCray didn’t embarrass himself during a late-season tryout in center field, but he didn’t make much of an impact either. He stole 95 bases in the minors during 2022 and 2023, but he didn’t get on base as often or rack up as many steals at the higher levels this year. Jerar Encarnacion will also be in the mix. He had plenty of power in the minors, but he couldn’t get that skill to translate during an audition in 2024.

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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 23 years old. Robbie Ray is expected to be a reliable starter in his first full season back from Tommy John Surgery 2023Hayden Birdsong and Mason Black will compete for rotation spots down the stretch. Neither youngster performed well in tryouts for 2024, 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 in charge of assigning the roles, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Doval reclaim his ninth-inning spot.

Giants management 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 deals. Similar opportunities may not present themselves this winter, meaning Zaidi and Putila will have to decide whether to invest significant money in free agents at positions like second base and starting pitcher. The unpalatable alternative would be to trade players like Webb, Walker and Bailey and sink to the bottom of the standings for a couple of years. Not surprisingly, Chapman’s six-year signing is a strong indication that management plans to remain competitive.

The Giants don't have one of the best prospect groups in baseball, and most of their best young players aren't expected to arrive until 2026 or later.

That said, lefty Carson Whisenhunt stands out as a prospect who is almost ready and could soon help the big league team. The 23-year-old didn't put up great numbers in Triple-A this year, though his excellent 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 make a bigger impact next season.

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

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

At the same time, without making any major changes, San Francisco appears 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, the Diamondbacks and Padres.

Webb is the only San Francisco player who will be considered in the early rounds of fantasy drafts. He should be selected in the fifth round, with expectations of being a reliable starter at the second spot in mixed leagues.

The next Giants player on the roster could be Fitzgerald. His exciting combination 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 10th round.

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

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