The San Francisco Giants’ veteran core remains intact, but their roster will continue shifting until consistent winning returns.
Once viewed as the franchise’s catcher of the present and future, Patrick Bailey was dealt for a prospect and the promise of another who will join the organization in a couple of months. Ryan Walker has been sent back to Triple-A Sacramento, signaling an end to the era of patience and coddling. Even after taking a series from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Giants sit eight games below .500 and own the worst run differential in baseball. Nothing has gone according to plan. Nothing has come close.
Given all that, it’s no surprise the word “rebuild” is floating around. It pops up in group chats, talk radio, subreddits, and everyday conversation. A team that loses like the Giants have, trades its starting catcher, and demotes a veteran can’t avoid the term. It’s a logical leap.
Then, on Sunday, a glimpse of an alternate reality appeared—where the Giants weren’t cursed. They looked not just like a normal team, but a fun one. More importantly, they resembled the squad fans were promised: a starting pitcher (Tyler Mahle) who was electric yet hittable, a bullpen that made everyone nervous, yet enough grit and offensive firepower to come back and outscore the opponent.
When the whole roster piled onto the field after a walk-off win, it was easy to forget the previous weeks of misery. A group of happy baseball players dancing around the infield like goofs on a Sunday afternoon does that. They got breaks, but also created them. Some lineup cornerstones are heating up: Rafael Devers hit two doubles, Heliot Ramos launched a massive home run into Andres Galarraga territory, and Willy Adames collected three hits, including the game-tying one in the tenth.
That description would have sounded like mundane fiction to a Giants fan back in March. Of course those guys will have games where everything clicks. What, you’ve never watched a normal, healthy lineup before?
But this hasn’t been a normal, healthy lineup, even when it gives a convincing impression at its best. Sunday’s win required scratching and clawing, and came against a Pirates team that scored first on a walk that maybe could have been a called strike, followed by a stolen base and an error that let the runner reach third.
This isn’t to single out Jesus Rodriguez specifically—he did win the game, after all—but it’s a reminder that the Giants are entering a new era. One filled with trade-offs, learning lessons, steps forward and backward. They will have many rookies catching over the next few months, and the hiccups will be noticeable.
That sounds like the patient pragmatism of someone discussing a rebuild. But look around the roster. This isn’t a team built for 2028. It’s built for now. These are players who recently made All-Star teams and appeared on MVP ballots. They hit home runs, catch the ball, throw the ball, and catch it when it’s thrown back. I promise, it was right there.