Report: Giants anticipate reduced payroll in 2025
The San Francisco Giants are anticipating a payroll reduction in 2025, sources told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic.
San Francisco was a big spender last year, exceeding the first luxury-tax threshold for the first time since 2018. The team finished 2024 with a payroll above $216 million and an adjusted payroll of just over $206 million, which ranked 10th in the majors, per Spotrac.
While the payroll will be reduced, the Giants are still expecting to be aggressive in free agency with an eye toward competing in 2025, according to Baggarly. The team has already been linked to free-agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim, as well as this winter's biggest prize in superstar Juan Soto.
In order to find room to spend this winter, San Francisco plans to explore trades involving some arbitration-eligible players, including first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., closer Camilo Doval, and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. The team isn't committed to trading any of those players, though, and they could all still be in a Giants uniform on Opening Day, Baggarly reports.
"(We) never have a set budget, just a fairly wide range," Giants chairman Greg Johnson told Baggarly on Thursday. "The end number depends on plenty of movement between trades and free agents. Our goal is to try to field the most competitive team. It's way too early in the process to set a number. We want to make smart baseball decisions that balance the short term and long term."
The Giants added significant payroll last year by signing free agents Jorge Soler, Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Jordan Hicks, and Jung Hoo Lee, as well as trading for Robbie Ray and the $73 million remaining on his contract. Chapman then signed a $151-million extension in September. They also made a play for Aaron Judge before he re-signed with the New York Yankees.
The spending spree didn't quite pay off, though, as the Giants finished the season 80-82, while longtime president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was dismissed. The team's revenue streams were also unable to offset the payroll additions, sources told Baggarly.
San Francisco hired former All-Star catcher Buster Posey as its new head of baseball operations in October.