With a 40-44 record, the Giants sit in fourth place in the NL West but are also within striking distance of the playoffs, as San Francisco is 3.5 games out of the final National League wild card slot. Several other teams within the crowded NL are in this same half-in, half-out state of contention, though hopes were high in the Bay Area after the Giants spent more than $324MM on free agents this past offseason.
Team chairman Greg Johnson remains optimistic that the best is yet to come for the Giants, though he admitted in an interview this week with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that the club's performance has been “very consistent.“
“I think we have to be a little more patient at this point where you get frustrated when you watch every day,” Johnson said. “We also have to consider that we've been plagued with injuries in the most important areas, and when you try to hustle with a two-man rotation, it's very difficult….We've had a slow start to games. We can't seem to start throwing, we always seem to be trying to play catch. But on the other hand, the clubhouse vibe seems good despite the injuries, and I think if we can stay relevant for the next few weeks, we'll be in good shape for the second half..”
Thirteen players are currently on the injured list, since the end of the season Jung Hoo Lee' shoulder surgery for minor injuries (to Thairo Estrada again Wilmer Flores) that appeared within days of the publication of Slusser's interview with Johnson. As Johnson simply put it, “it's hard when you watch the team take the field — that's not the team we thought would be there.”
The number of workers in IL shows an increase over the program, as Johnson says “We probably have the biggest lift (and injured players coming back) of any team out there.” This alone would provide more natural system reinforcement than anything San Francisco could add at the deadline, though whether or not enough players return by July 30 adds another wrinkle to the club's future plans.
Johnson declined to comment further on the deadline, saying that was the intention of baseball president Farhan Zaidi. However, the chairman played down the idea of a mid-season trade, saying “we will look and see what is available, but we are not optimistic that the market will bear much fruit as many teams are in contention at the moment, and the cost of acquiring players and letting go of a lot of young talent..” If a situation arises where the Giants can add a player by increasing their cap hit of around $254MM, Johnson said “I think we do” have that kind of financial flexibility.
It's been no secret that the Giants have been trying to add stars (and thus big paychecks) to their roster over the past few years, as their goal. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron is the judge, Carlos Correa, and other big-ticket stars in free agency. Spending last winter was the theme of Lee's six-year, $113MM deal, though the Giants were able to secure two relatively inexpensive deals late in the season with tough short-term, exit deals. Blake Snell again Matt Chapman. As a result, San Francisco is now over the luxury tax threshold for the first time since 2017, although their $254MM figure puts them under the second tax bracket of $257MM.
Regarding the Giants' spending in general, Johnson said “We're not going in with any set number — here's the cap, here's the target. Things are changing, and being able to get someone of Blake Snell's caliber and looking at your vulnerable spots and a lot of untested pitchers, that was a reason to go out and spend more than the luxury tax. You want to be patient and have a chance and having Blake still available kind of pushes us over that [luxury tax] width.”
Considered limited deals at the time, the signings of Chapman (three years, $54MM with two opt-outs) and Snell (two years, $62MM with post-season opt-outs) did not go to plan. Chapman is at least on the field and providing his third-best defense, even if his hitting was decent. Snell, on the other hand, has had a nightmare season that has included two IL shutouts and a 9.51 ERA over 23 2/3 innings pitched.
Because Snell didn't sign until March 19, he didn't get any kind of regular Spring Training, as the NL Cy Young Award winner's preseason work was limited to his practice squad and some sim games behind him. officially joined the Giants. Snell's struggle has been so severe that it appears to have led to a policy change within the group, such as “signing someone late is not something we will do again, especially with a pitcher,” Johnson said.
“I think that shows how important Spring Training is, especially for pitchers….We felt that a veteran like him could be ready very quickly. I'm sure he's frustrated too. He wants her to feel like she is 100 percent where she is, and she wants to feel like she is 100 percent.”
While it's surprising to hear a team manager make such a strong statement, that's not all the controversy as Snell himself has gone on record about his regrets about his lack of a regular offseason. It should be noted that Johnson did not consider the Snell signing a mistake, as there is still time this season for Snell to return to contribute, not to mention the second year of his contract in 2025 (as an exit is considered increasingly unlikely).
Overall, Johnson's statements don't differ much from the views of other officials or office managers in recent weeks, as much of the agency is still in wait-and-see mode with a month to go before the deadline. It's certainly possible that the Giants could be aggressive in adding talent if they continue their hot streak in July, though staying under .500 (and definitely out of the playoff race) might encourage Zaidi to reload in 2025 and move the veteran. players at the end. Or, given how San Francisco plans to compete next year, the Giants could pursue a combination of both buyouts and trades at the deadline, rather than one specific approach.
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