Entering the 2026 MLB season, the San Francisco Giants were viewed as a potential darkhorse to make the postseason.
Armed with a top tier starter in Logan Webb, an expected bounce-back campaign from Rafael Devers and the new blood of a talented — yet young and unproven — rookie manager in Tony Vitello, San Francisco had many parts that, viewed through a broad enough scope, made sense.
They also have Buster Posey calling the shots.
The former NL MVP and one of the greatest players to ever wear the orange and black, Posey serves as the organization’s President of Baseball Operations. That means, he has the final say on nearly every decision within the organization.
And that hasn’t been a good thing this season.
San Francisco has grossly underperformed this season. The offense has been historically ugly, the managing has been suspect at best, and the cohesiveness in the clubhouse appears nonexistent due to massive issues.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Giants were a paltry 23-36. That’s the fifth-worst record in baseball.
They had MLB’s 11th highest payroll at $197.5 million. They, alongside the Detroit Tigers, are the only teams in baseball with a top-11 payroll and a bottom-five record.
That’s not a place you want to be.
It’s also not as if the Giants’ wayward season is due to injuries or bad luck. It’s just been bad baseball all season long.
It’s clear that at the moment, Vitello is in over his head — which is to be expected for someone who’s only coached as high as the collegiate level before. Devers, the team’s highest-paid player at $29.5 million per year, is hitting a pathetic .253 and has a negative WAR.
However, there have been a few wins for Posey and the Giants this season — and none bigger than the small and diminutive Luis Arraez.
Arraez again looks like one of the best contact hitters in baseball. His .321 average is third in baseball and his 70 hits are tied for second. He has 14 walks on the season, and his nine strikeouts is by far the lowest of anyone ranked in the top-100 for batting average — by 10 strikeouts.
He’s also greatly improved his defense, moving from first base — where he played with the Padres — back to second base.
Under the tutelage of Ron Washington, Arraez has emerged as an above average defender and with it, risen his WAR to 2.0 — the highest it’s been since 2023 — and with a one-year contract worth $12 million, looks like one of the best deals in the league.
But while Arraez has been the MVP of the team and the best offseason move Posey made, how much longer should he truly be in a Giants uniform?
The answer is simple — not much longer.
Plenty of teams at the trade deadline will be looking to improve their offense and defense, and Arraez will be one of the few available players who can do both. A hitter who can get on base, doesn’t strike out, and is a plus defender? Sign me up.
The Giants’ season is a loss. The quicker they accept that, the easier this decision is.
Flipping Arraez for a few prospects would go a long way toward improving San Francisco’s No. 19 farm system according to MLB.com. Not only would the move help the Giants tank for a better chance at the No. 1 overall selection — possibly UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky — but it could also clear them of expectations and allow them to begin rebuilding for the future.
But I’m not the one making these calls.
That’s Posey’s job. It’s what he’s paid to do.
I’m just curious to see what he does.