LAS VEGAS – The San Francisco Giants had one of the worst defensive outfields in baseball last year. That is certainly on Buster Posey‘s mind as he evaluates the roster this offseason
Focus will be on adding to the pitching staff, the rotation and the bullpen, but the outfield must play better and produce at a higher clip in 2026 for this team to compete. The Giants have options internally, but Posey said they’ll also look externally.
“I kind of look at it as an open spot right now and we’ll see how the offseason progresses as far as if there is anything we can do, additions wise, to put us in a different spot,” Posey said between general manager meetings at The Cosmopolitan. “It’s a work in progress, I do think there is more in the tank for (Heliot) Ramos, (Jung Hoo) Lee to get better out there. We have to be better, for sure.”
Ramos was, statistically, one of the worst defensive left fielders last season and Lee’s play in center field left much to be desired. It didn’t help Lee that he was dealing with an unfamiliar workload, playing his first 162-game season after a career spent in the Korean Baseball Organization, where they play 144 games with a very handy off-day every week.
Right field was in constant flux following the Mike Yastrzemski deadline trade. Statcast estimates the Giants were worth a negative-15 fielding run value.
“There’s no question we have to be better in the outfield as a group,” Posey said. “It’s something that we’ll have to evaluate, kind of waiting to get coaching staff in place to have talks about what adjustments he can make to improve.”
Perhaps input from a new bench coach – likely to be Jayce Tingler – can improve those metrics; the bench coach positions defenders. Most helpful would be to fill the open spot in right field with a player who can lift the production.
Drew Gilbert, Grant McCray, Jerar Encarnacion and Luis Matos are among the right fielders in house who will compete for the job, Posey mentioned.
Matos is out of minor league options and the Giants have been shopping him to other teams, industry sources told the Chronicle. Marco Luciano, who the Giants have been testing in the outfield, is virtually out of the big league picture for now.
McCray impresses with his range and arm in the outfield and would certainly be a defensive upgrade – and his speed would be doubly impactful as a base-stealing threat, which is something Posey also said they’d like to do more next year. But McCray has struck out far too much when given opportunities at the big league level to hold a job.
Gilbert, close with Vitello from their time at Tennessee, is a strong defensive outfielder with bat-to-ball skills that may translate to an everyday job. Encarnacion’s 2025 season was mired by injury, but he flashed plenty of pop at the plate in his brief stints while playing a serviceable right field – perhaps he isn’t the answer if a defensive upgrade is the priority.
Kyle Tucker is the big-ticket outfield free agent likely to field one of the most lucrative contracts this offseason. He’s not a standout defensive player, but would be a heart-of-the-lineup addition. If the Yankees or Dodgers don’t lock him back up, Cody Bellinger is another big fish target. The 29-year-old has had a resurgence with the Yankees – and perhaps their lefty-friendly ballpark aided his strong 2025 – but Statcast estimates his range, arm and speed make him one of baseball’s better outfield defenders. Plus, he’s a former MVP with power and low strikeout rate.
If the Giants want to move Lee to a corner outfield spot, they could pursue free agent center fielders such as Trent Grisham or Harrison Bader. Grisham didn’t put up great defensive numbers last year, but is known for his range while transforming into a quality contact hitter with the Yankees last year. Bader would be a defensive upgrade, but he strikes out a fair bit and might not demand a huge contract.
Brendan Donovan could be available in a trade from the rebuilding St. Louis Cardinals. He can play second base, another position with flexibility for the Giants, and the outfield.
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