The San Francisco Giants are a team that everyone in baseball needs to look out for this offseason. President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey is not messing around.
He has proven he is willing to spend, trade, and hire a legendary college coach to get a World Series back to the Bay Area as soon as possible.
The Giants, unfortunately, have the privilege of being in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have become a powerhouse in baseball on and off the field. As well as the San Diego Padres, who have been scratching at the door as well to be the National League representative in the World Series.
And don’t forget the pesky Arizona Diamondbacks, whose never-say-never attitude led them to a World Series in 2023. The Giants must continue to spend and trade to build the roster they think is strong enough to win the division first.
That means they must compete with the heavy hitters with deep pockets in free agency. If they do that, they can make a lasting impact on their team and hinder others, and they should start by signing first baseman Josh Naylor.
Josh Naylor To Sign With San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are set to lose both their first baseman, Wilmer Flores, and Dominic Smith, in this free agency. However, that shouldn’t be much of an issue. Thankfully for them, they were already looking to upgrade the position anyway.
Flores and Smith combined for 21 home runs and a combined 0.7 WAR. It may be wise to keep one of them for depth, but they should definitely look to free agency to find a new first baseman.
Josh Naylor has been in the majors for seven years and could be on his way to joining the fifth team of his career. Naylor caught fire in 2022 with the Cleveland Guardians and signed with Arizona before the 2025 season. Fresh off an All-Star appearance in 2024.
Naylor was traded to Seattle during the trade deadline and was a major reason the Mariners made it to game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
Naylor had a career year in 2025 in all aspects of the game. His power was worse this year than in 2024, but he became a much better overall player this year.
Naylor has rightfully earned his chance for a big payday. At only 28 years old and with consistent improvement, someone will pay big for his talents. That team should be the San Francisco Giants.
Who Else Could The Giants Sign at First?
The San Francisco Giants will have to look for a contingency plan if they are unable to lock up Naylor. Keeping one of Flores or Smith would be wise.
Smith had the best numbers of the two, but played a less frequent role last year. It, however, was one of Smith’s better seasons. It would be ideal to keep Flores for his home run-hitting ability.
The Giants could pivot and go for the big fish in Pete Alonso, but the price for him may be too high for their liking, with Alonso predicted to make double what Naylor is currently projected to earn.
A cheaper option the Giants could go for is journeyman Ty France, who most recently played for the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. France is not a power hitter but gets on base and hits a lot of doubles. France won the American League Gold Glove award for first base.
The Giants need Naylor to make a push for the National League West, and if they are willing to do it, they should sign Ty France as well to replace Smith and Flores for the backup role. Buster Posey should not wait and get the deal done now.
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