Progress report: San Francisco Giants

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

• 2024 finish: 80-82 (4th in NL West)
• Manager: Bob Melvin (80-82, 2nd season)
• Leading the front office: Buster Posey, president of baseball operations (1st season)

DOLLARS AND SENSE

• Largest luxury tax hit: SS Willy Adames ($26 million)
• Top returning player(s): 3B Matt Chapman (5.5 fWAR), C Patrick Bailey (4.3), INF Tyler Fitzgerald (3.0)
• Top returning starting pitcher(s): RHP Logan Webb (4.4 fWAR), RHP Kyle Harrison (0.8), RHP Jordan Hicks (0.5)
• Top returning reliever(s): RHP Ryan Walker (1.7 fWAR), RHP Tyler Rogers (0.6), RHP Landon Roup (0.4)

ROSTER WATCH

• Key additions: SS Willy Adames (free agent), RHP Justin Verlander (free agent), C Max Stassi (minors), RHP Miguel Díaz (minors), 1B Jake Lamb (minors), LHP Joey Lucchesi (minors), RHP Loui Trivino (minors).
• Key losses: LHP Blake Snell (free agent), OF Mark Canha (free agent), OF Michael Conforto (free agent), C Curt Casali (free agent), LHP Taylor Rogers (trade).
• Baseball America top-100 prospect(s): 1B Bryce Eldridge (12).

KEEP AN EYE ON

• Two of the Giants’ biggest splashes last year, LHP Blake Snell and 3B Matt Chapman, didn’t sign until well into spring training. This offseason, the Giants jumped on the market before the winter meetings, signing SS Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract in early December. The deal surpassed new president of baseball operations Buster Posey’s contract ($167 million) as the largest in franchise history. Adames has averaged 21 homers since making his debut with the Rays in 2018.
• Another big offseason addition from 2024, CF Jung Hoo Lee played just 37 games (.641 OPS) before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. The 26-year-old is back to 100 percent and will be looking to make good on his upside after hitting .340/.407/.491 in seven years in Korea.
• Snell opted out after the season, leaving the Giants to turn to RHP Justin Verlander to help fill that void. The 42-year-old Verlander is coming off a 5.48 ERA last year with the Astros and is now three years removed from his last Cy Young season.

PECOTA projection: 77.9 wins

PECOTA RANKINGS

(As of Feb. 20)

• 77.9 wins   |   San Francisco Giants
• 77.6 wins   |   St. Louis Cardinals
• 74.8 wins   |   Cincinnati Reds
• 74.4 wins   |   Pittsburgh Pirates
• 74.4 wins   |   Los Angeles Angels
• 71.0 wins   |   Sacramento Athletics
• 67.3 wins   |   Washington Nationals
• 62.2 wins   |   Miami Marlins
• 61.8 wins   |   Chicago White Sox
• 54.8 wins   |   Colorado Rockies