San Francisco Giants Offseason Doesn’t Depend On Re-Signing Their Ace

The San Francisco Giants have to worry about Blake Snell departing, but re-signing him isn't their biggest need.

Sep 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws a second inning pitch against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Around Major League Baseball, there aren't many teams that need to improve as much as the San Francisco Giants do in the offseason.

From a pure talent standpoint, the Giants have high-level players in certain positions, but they're lacking in that department compared to many of the other teams in baseball. 

With the possibility of losing Blake Snell in the offseason, they might have to make five-plus moves to contend. Losing Snell would be tough, but there's reason to believe it wouldn't be the biggest issue.

With the front office changes and still waiting to name a general manager, it's tough to get a perfect picture of what they plan to do.

If San Francisco plans to spend money with the other top teams in the league, they should be in a good position. Ultimately, many players' free agency decisions come down to wanting the most money.

If the Giants are willing to hand out expensive contracts, there aren't many excuses not to land elite players on the market.

But where exactly do they need to upgrade? 

Seth Trachtman of Yardbarker believes they should focus on a second baseman, a designated hitter, and in their starting rotation. 

"The Giants had another disappointing season after their aggressive offseason signings failed to deliver, and they have some definite areas to address. Shortstop looks in a better place after Tyler Fitzgerald's breakout, but second base is up in the air with Thairo Estrada's struggles. There's a hole at DH after the team traded Jorge Soler, and the rotation could be on shaky ground pending the option decisions of Blake Snell and Robbie Ray."

All those upgrades are needed, but highlighting the second base aspect might be the biggest.

Having a solid middle infield would do this team a lot of good moving forward. There are also players on the market to pursue who would give them just that.

San Francisco is in a position where they could afford to sacrifice some defensive abilities at second base if they find a hitter who would drastically improve this lineup.

Having a below-average defensive second baseman isn't always the best plan, as that could hurt them in parts of the campaign. However, their defensive struggles can often be ignored if they sign a 25-plus home run guy at the position.

Perhaps one of the biggest offseasons in recent memory will be on the hands of new faces, which does bring worries.

Hopefully, the Giants answer accordingly.