The San Francisco Giants have spent too long living in baseball’s mushy middle. They went 81–81 again in 2025, exactly average in exactly every way. So they finally made a real swing. They hired Tony Vitello straight out of college, the loudest energy drink in cleats, a culture-changer with no big-league managing experience. The gamble is the point. Now the front office needs to match that courage with a winter that pushes the roster forward. The Winter Meetings are where that has to start.
1. Add a veteran ace like Max Scherzer to stabilize the rotation
Logan Webb is a horse, but the rotation behind him was stretched thin last season. Vitello needs a trusted arm who can take the ball, set a tone, and show the kids what winning actually looks like. Max Scherzer, a close friend and longtime defender of Vitello, is sitting there available on a one-year deal. That fit is so obvious it might as well be neon. Webb and Scherzer at the top would give San Francisco a real backbone instead of hope disguised as depth.
2. Fix the outfield and bring in real offensive punch
Even with Rafael Devers and Matt Chapman helping in the infield, the overall offense never scared anyone. The outfield was too unsettled and too light on production. They need a middle-order bat who can hold down right field or left every day and lengthen the lineup. Stability and power need to become the theme, not “who’s playing where tonight?” The Winter Meetings should produce one real outfielder, not three more maybes.
3. Tighten the defense and bullpen
The infield ought to be a strength with Devers, Adames and youthful depth behind them. Adding Ron Washington to the staff is a smart way to clean up the mistakes that kept innings alive. But games flipped too often in the seventh and eighth, and that’s where the upgrade focus should be. One reliable late-inning reliever and a backup catcher who can handle pressure spots would go a long way toward making this roster feel like a contender rather than a construction zone.
