3 free agents Giants can sign to make it back to the postseason in 2025

The San Francisco Giants shocked the baseball world in 2021 when they won 107 games and took the NL West from the Los Angeles Dodgers. But they quickly came back to Earth, getting bounced in the NLDS and going .500 or below in each of the next three seasons.

San Francisco hasn't made the postseason over the last three seasons, but their divisional rivals, Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks have all made it in that span. The Giants are in dangerous territory of becoming an afterthought in the NL West if they don't quickly turn their franchise back around.

Heading into free agency this Winter, there are a few top names that the Giants can sign if they want to make it back to the postseason in 2025.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

3. 2B Gleyber Torres

The Giants need a second baseman. Adding to the middle infield is going to be at the top of their priority list this Winter, for good reason.

Last season, the Giants played Thairo Estrada at second base for 94 games. On the season, Estrada slashed .217/.247/.343 with single digit home runs and only 10 walks on the entire season. He wasn't doing damage with the bat and he was rarely, if ever, walking. The Giants can upgrade their middle infield if they're willing to take a flier on Yankees second baseman, Gleyber Torres.

The Yankees may not be trying to bring him back. If they do opt to bring him back, New York would more than likely be able to offer him more money. But assuming that the Yankees want to go in a different direction, Torres would be a perfect change of scenery candidate for the Giants.

Last season, Torres slashed .257/.330/.378 with 15 home runs. He was over 100 in OPS+ again, having been above league average in each year except for 2021. Torres has slugged over 35 homers in a season before and he could be back in the 25 to 30 range if he gets his groove back.

He's the perfect piece for the Giants to look into adding this offseason.

2. OF/1B Cody Bellinger

The Giants desperately need to add a few different things to their lineup. They need to add a few outfielders, especially with how many upcoming free agents they have, and they need to add a consistent power bat. Bonus points if that addition can play everyday.

The perfect player for this scenario is set to enter free agency, as long as he declines his player option, which is expected. It's Cubs first baseman/outfielder, Cody Bellinger.

Bellinger was signed late last offseason, ending up back with the Cubs after some speculation that he could leave in free agency. He landed with a contract that gave him a player option in 2025 and many expect him to decline it and hit the open market again.

Bellinger is coming off a year where he slashed .266/.325/.426 with 44 extra base hits. In 2023, he slashed .307/.356/.525 in comparable at bats. Bellinger is likely looking for a longer contract with more stability built into it.

The Giants need a player just like him. They can afford to come out of pocket for a four or five year deal that would bring Bellinger to San Francisco. He could be the missing piece that turns their lineup into a real threat in 2025.

1. LHP Blake Snell

The number one priority for the Giants this offseason is going to be finding a way to bring their ace, Blake Snell, back to San Francisco next season. The tough part with this is that Snell's market is expected to be very hot, with it becoming more and more likely that he gets the big contract that he was searching for last offseason.

Snell has a $30 million player option with the Giants, that he's expected to opt out of. Opting out of a $30 million player option would mean the Giants would need to pay him quite a bit more than that while also adding multiple more years on his contract if they want to bring him back.

But if San Francisco wants to compete in the NL West, they need an ace and that's exactly what Snell is.

Snell made 14 starts from July 9 until the end of the season. In that span, he tossed 80.1 innings, allowed 33 hits, 30 walks and 11 earned runs while striking out 114 hitters. He finished half of his 14 starts in that span without allowing an earned run. He allowed three earned runs in one of the starts, two earned runs twice and one earned run five times. Snell didn't allow more than three earned runs in a start since April 22.

However much the Giants need to pay, they should offer it. Snell needs to be a Giant for the rest of his career because if he's not, this team likely won't be competing for a division title anytime soon.