Last week, the SF Giants reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with veteran pitcher Tyler Mahle. Once that deal is finalized, they will need to make a corresponding roster move to create space on the 40-man roster.
The 40-man roster is full, so expect a move to be made soon. The Mahle signing likely rounds out the rotation.
The Giants will now turn to addressing right field and bolstering the bullpen. They have the luxury tax flexibility to do so. Whether they choose to leverage that or not remains to be seen.
There has already been some turnover in terms of outfield depth. Marco Luciano was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburg Pirates. Wade Meckler and Joey Wiemer have also been designated for assignment, but their statuses have not been resolved due to the holidays. There is usually a pause on the waiver wire around this time of year. Interestingly, all three players are currently in limbo.
That outfield unit is still at risk for more turnover. Of course, Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee are safe. Drew Gilbert’s glove could earn his way to a role in 2026.
Justin Dean and Grant McCray both lean more as glove-first outfielders. Both are also above-average runners with good baserunning instincts. The Giants know that McCray’s bat is still raw, so there is room for growth. That said, he did not make much progress on improving his contact skills in 2025. On the other hand, Dean is an older outfielder with contact issues and limited offensive upside.
Luis Matos and Jerar Encarnación are bat-first outfielders, but without much success against major league pitching. Both are out of options, and there is likely only room for one of them on the Opening Day roster. If the choice was between these two for the final roster spot, Matos likely has the edge.
The Giants also have some soft spots on the pitching side of the 40-man roster. Tristan Beck, Keaton Winn, José Butto, and Reiver Sanmartin are some names potentially at risk of being placed on waivers. Sanmartin was claimed off of waivers from the Cincinnati Reds earlier in the offseason. He might be the most at risk among that group.
They have a steady group of infielders and catchers. It would be surprising if the Giants made a move from either of these units. One way or the other, they will have a move to make to welcome Tyler Mahle to the club.
