Projected Giants rotation after San Francisco lures Justin Verlander to the Bay
It's still early days, but the Buster Posey Effect appears to be very real for the San Francisco Giants. After several offseasons of swinging and missing on the free-agent market, settling for Farhan Zaidi's annual motley crew of platoon-worthy veterans, Posey has now connected twice in his first winter leading the team's front office. First was shortstop Willy Adames, who solidified the middle of the infield on a seven-year, $182 million deal. And now, Posey has turned his attention to the rotation, snagging 42-year-old veteran Justin Verlander on a one-year contract.
Verlander certainly isn't what he was at the peak of his powers. In fact, he's coming off the worst season of his career, pitching to a 5.48 ERA over just 90.1 innings between shoulder and neck injuries. But he can still miss bats, he insists that he'll be at full health entering spring training, and he's just a year removed from a 3.22 ERA in 2023. He might not be an ace, but he's still got something left i the tank, and there's a reason his market had recently begun to heat up.
What exactly will Verlander bring to the Giants rotation? In many was, San Francisco is a perfect fit for him. Not only is Oracle Park one of the best places to pitch in all of baseball, but Verlander will be joining a rotation that can offer him plenty of protection over the course of a long season — and maybe, just maybe, challenge the Dodgers, Padres Diamondbacks in a rugged NL West.
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Projected Giants rotation after Justin Verlander signs with San Francisco
Verlander might have the same impact as San Francisco's dream acquisition, California native Corbin Burnes. But he fits nicely behind Logan Webb in what's become a sneaky-deep starting staff.
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Logan Webb |
2 | Jordan Hicks |
3 | Justin Verlander |
4 | Robbie Ray |
5 | Kyle Harrison |
6 | Hayden Birdsong |
There's plenty of risk and volatility going on here, from Verlander, Hicks and Ray's injury risk to Harrison's growing pains. But there's also reason to feel optimistic about all six of those names, plus back-end options like Mason Black and Landen Roupp. There's still work to be done with this lineup, particularly in the outfield, but don't be surprised if San Francisco is right in the thick of the NL Wild Card chase next summer.
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