Story by
3 moves the San Francisco Giants must make to salvage their season
- Story by
- 3 moves the San Francisco Giants must make to salvage their season
The San Francisco Giants are turning the 2026 season into a rather forgetful one.
At this point in the season, as records are taking shape and we get a sense of the teams being fielded, the Giants' shortcomings have been surprising.
Advertisement
The season was headlined by the excitement and doubts of Tony Vitello, a first-year skipper with no major league experience. There was anticipation for the returning lineup that includes Casey Schmitt , Matt Chapman , Willy Adames , Heliot Ramos , among others.
There was excitement about the arrival of Tyler Mahle and Luis Arraez , and a full season with Rafael Devers . That was March. We're in June, and all that is out the window.
The Giants have one of the worst records in all of baseball. They are dead last, if not second-to-last, in their NL West division, at 25-38, and are currently trending towards the club's first 100-loss season since 1985.
San Francisco has lost seven of its previous 10 games. Prior to back-to-back wins on Wednesday and Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers to conclude their series, the Giants' previous win in that span came against the Colorado Rockies in a 19-6 rout on May 31. Outside of that, there have been mostly low points for the Giants who have, at times, struggled to score runs.
Advertisement
At this point in the schedule, the Giants should consider ways to give their fans something to cheer for and salvage an abysmal season, even if it means preparing for the future.
Here are options for San Francisco to consider:
How San Francisco Giants can salvage their 2026 season
At the beginning of the season, the Giants were predicted by many, including USA TODAY , to find their way into the playoffs by sneaking into the wild card.
And 63 games later, the Giants are likely going to be on the outskirts of the postseason in 2026. A turnaround is not impossible, just extremely rare at this point.
The 2005 Houston Astros had an identical record to this year's Giants at the same point in the season. The Astros, at one point in the season, held an 18-32 record. They turned it around and ultimately clinched the NL Wild Card and even appeared in the World Series.
Advertisement
So it's not a complete loss for San Francisco, yet.
The No. 1 pressing question is how the Giants can salvage their remaining 99 regular-season games and still have something to look forward to through September. Here are a few suggestions for the San Francisco baseball club.
Trade Rafael Devers
Devers, 29, hasn't been the explosive slugger that he was with the Boston Red Sox , which originally drew the Giants' attention. Devers is in the midst of a 10-year deal worth $313 million, and he'll turn 30 in October.
Devers has had a down year in 2026. And, although there's optimism that he'll pick up his play, it might be worth a shot to deal Devers to a team that could better utilize his services. Devers isn't the sole reason for the Giants' shortcomings this season, but he hasn't helped get them out of the funk either.
Advertisement
He struggled in March and April, batting .210, but improved his average to .253 in May. If he continues to get into a groove, Devers could make a fine designated hitter on a contending team, or a team that can afford his salary.
However, getting rid of a hefty contract like Devers' is going to be a hard task for the Giants to sell to other teams. And there are a few teams that could use an additional option at DH, including the Seattle Mariners , San Diego Padres , and Atlanta Braves . If Devers gets back to his usual play, either of these teams could use his services.
Dump expensive salaries
The Giants have a lot of money tied up. If they can shed some of those commitments, it would set up future transactions and allow them to competitively pursue the game's biggest stars and prospects in future years.
Advertisement
The first step would be to trade Devers, but to follow suit would mean clearing their payroll of all expensive contracts. Devers makes the most on the team this season at $29.5 million, according to Baseball Reference .
Chapman is the second-highest paid player on the Giants, making $25.17 million. Robbie Ray , who will be a free agent in 2027 makes $25 million. San Francisco's ace pitcher, Logan Webb , makes $23 million. Jung Hoo Lee has a $22.83 million contract. And although Adames is only getting paid $13.14 million in 2026, he's owed $31.1 million per year through 2031.
San Francisco would have to convince Chapman and Adames, both of whom have no-trade clauses in their contracts. In that scenario, Chapman and Adames would likely be dealt to a team of their choice.
During a radio appearance with "Willard & Dibs" on Bay Area sports radio station 95.7 "The Game", ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney mapped out a plan for the Giants to get out of their expensive payroll.
Advertisement
"It would be ugly," Olney said. "I mean, first off, you would definitely have to eat a lot of money. You might have to take a bad contract in return. You know, to get a team even interested in it, you might have to give up some prospect value."
Ridding the team's payroll would indicate that the season is a throwaway. However, it would give hope for what lies ahead and setup potential transactions to upgrade the team.
Embrace the young talent
The worst-case scenario is that the Giants can't move off those contracts and they have to rely on hope for progression in their core guys.
Advertisement
And if that's the case, they should embrace playing the young fellas. Otherwise, you're stuck fielding an expensive, under-achieving roster.
"I mean, at this point, and then I'm just going on feedback that I'm hearing from other teams, where they're like, 'man, that they're stuck with those guys,'" Olney said. "They feel like that, unless the Giants basically are willing to make a bad trade, that they're probably going to be stuck with these guys, and they just have to hope that they start playing better. It's not an easy roster to turn around, that's for sure."
With the Giants' season headed in the direction that it is, it's not absurd to want to see more of the young prospects and players in the early stages of their careers.
Naturally, fans want to see what else the team has to work with. Maybe there's a glimmer of hope that develops when seeing the potential talent grace the field.
Advertisement
With a 25-38 record, it's time we see what the young guys can do for the team. Enter guys like: Daniel Susac , Drew Gilbert and Bryce Eldridge . The only thing that could make the season less sufferable is seeing the Giants' potential future begin to make strides and get reps for future seasons.
Eldridge was the Giants' top prospect going into the 2026 season. Up to this point, he's batting .286, with two homers, six RBIs, and a .842 OPS.
Susac was a top-10 prospect for the Athletics just a few years ago. He's bounced around the minors and found a home in the Bay Area. Susac is a Northern California native, growing up in Roseville, just outside of Sacramento. In a sense, he's home.
Gilbert has become a fan favorite with his antics, whether in the dugout or on the field. Gilbert's personality is something that helps strengthen chemistry, and that's something that will be cherished in a season that has seen more downs than ups.
Advertisement
There are many gems to stumble upon once you get over the win-loss column. A commitment to the young cats signals to everyone else that it's time to re-strategize.
That gesture alone would give fans a dose of reality, salvaging those early wild-card predictions and expectations, and offering a glimpse into the franchise's future.
2026 is cooked, make it a development year for the guys and call it a season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Three moves SF Giants must do before it's too late
