The San Francisco Giants are looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2021 in a stacked National League West. Legend Buster Posey, now running the franchise’s baseball operations department, has put an immediate stamp on the team, signing shortstop Willy Adames to a megadeal and bringing in future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. Is that enough to get the Giants back to playing in October? Here are the five critical questions facing the franchise for 2025.
Will Willy Adames live up to franchise-record contract?
The Giants made a major splash at the beginning of free agency, signing shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract — the largest in franchise history. Adames is coming off a season where he hit 32 home runs with a .794 OPS and 118 OPS+ with the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s had a strong spring training so far as the Giants look for him to anchor a lineup featuring Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos, and a returning Jung Hoo Lee. For San Francisco to get back to the postseason, they’re going to need Adames to be the offensive cornerstone they’re paying for.
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Can Justin Verlander bounce back at age 42?
An injury-plagued 2024 limited Justin Verlander to just 17 starts, and when he did take the mound for the Houston Astros, it wasn’t pretty. He posted a 5.48 ERA, a mediocre 72 ERA+, a 1.384 WHIP, and gave up 9.8 hits per nine innings, including 1.5 home runs per nine. The Giants lost two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they’re not expecting Verlander to fill those shoes entirely. Rather, they’re banking on the 42-year-old veteran finding at least some of his old form in what could be his final season.
When will we see top prospect Bryce Eldridge at Oracle Park?
The future of the Giants will start the season in the minors after Bryce Eldridge was reassigned to minor league camp. It was a long shot for San Francisco’s No. 1 prospect to be on the Opening Day roster, but that doesn’t mean he won’t reach Oracle Park sometime in 2025. Across four minor league levels at the age of 19 last year, Eldridge connected on 23 home runs, 27 doubles, drove in 92 runs, and scored 76 times while posting an .890 OPS. If he replicates those numbers early this season, expect the Giants to give him his first big-league opportunity.
Who will be San Francisco’s fifth starter?
Despite losing Blake Snell, the Giants have the top four of their rotation set with Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Justin Verlander, and Jordan Hicks. However, they have an opening for the fifth spot, and it’ll be a battle throughout camp to determine who secures it. The Giants have a handful of options to fill the back-end of their rotation, including Kyle Harrison, Joey Lucchesi, Hayden Birdsong, Landen Roupp, and prospect Carson Whisenhunt. The competition could extend into the regular season if no clear winner emerges this spring.
How will bullpen shake out?
The Giants bullpen compiled a heavy workload last season — throwing 655 innings, which ranked first in the National League and second overall in MLB. Ryan Walker emerged as a shutdown reliever and was promoted to closer, compiling a 1.91 ERA, 202 ERA+, 0.850 WHIP, and striking out 99 across 80 innings in 76 appearances. If Joey Lucchesi and Landen Roupp don’t secure the final rotation spot, they could end up being valuable bullpen arms. The Giants are also hoping former closer Camilo Doval returns to his 2023 All-Star form after opponents posted a concerning .746 OPS against him in 2024.
