Giants Baseball Insider

San Francisco Giants Predicted to Sign Best Free Agent Starter to Pair with Verlander

The San Francisco Giants could still have one last major free agent move left in the tank ahead of the 2025 MLB season.

Kade Kistner

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty (0) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty (0) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The San Francisco Giants finally made a splash in what has been a very quiet offseason for new president of baseball operations Buster Posey and his front office.

The signing of Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million deal on Tuesday marked the second acquisition of the winter for the Giants after adding shortstop Willy Adames to the mix on an eight-year contract.

But the Giants may not yet be done as they have been picked as one of the teams still left to make a major splash ahead of the 2025 MLB season in a effort to keep up with the deeply talented National League West.

In a recent article from Bleacher Report, they predict that San Francisco will add Jack Flaherty, the best remaining free agent starting pitcher to the roster to pair with Verlander.

"Flaherty ends up with the Giants on a three-year deal with a two-year player option," writes Zachary Rhymer of BR.

It is not a far-fetched idea.

Personally, a three-year deal seems far more likely than some sort of five-year deal, but the spirit is there. Flaherty is coming off of a career performance that saw him help propel the Detroit Tigers to contender status before getting shipped off to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the MLB trade deadline.

From there, he showed grit and helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series, giving him invaluable experience that will help any rotation in baseball.

San Francisco has a very young and promising starting rotation and they will go as far as that unit will take them. Verlander was a great add to the mix, but at almost 42 years old, nothing can be taken for granted with his health. His veteran presence will be a positive for the young players but the Giants will still need a high-performing workhorse.

That is exactly what Flaherty represents, and a three-year deal in the $63 million range should not be an issue for a large market team like San Francisco, especially given their aspirations, and quite frankly, the expectation that they contend for a playoff spot every single season.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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