The Giants expect to reduce player payroll relative to this past season, . The extent of the pullback isnt clear, though the clubs 2024 spending was roughly $20MM higher than it had been in 23. Thats mostly a reflection of the late-offseason free agent pickups of , and . calculated San Franciscos Opening Day payroll this year in the $208MM range. They started the 23 season Satchel Paige Jersey with roughly $188MM in spending, Cots measured. The Giants competitive balance tax number jumped north of the $237MM base threshold. Theyll pay the luxury tax for the first time in six years. The payment itself should be modest. Cots estimates the Giants went around $14MM over the threshold. Theyre taxed at a 20% rate on the overage, so they should pay around $2.8MM. (MLB hasnt released the official CBT calculations to this point.) While a sub-$3MM tax bill is a drop in the bucket for a team that spent over $200MM on salaries, it comes with ancillary penalties. The Giants would be taxed at a higher rate if they surpa s the CBT next season starting at 30% for the first $20MM in overages with higher penalties beyond that. Luxury tax payors are also subject to bigger penalties for signing a free agent who had declined a qualifying offer from another team. The Giants would surrender $1MM from their international amateur bonus pool and their second- and fifth-highest picks in next years draft to add a qualified free agent. Thats relevant in a winter when the Giants are expected to play for some marquee players. Theyre long shots compared to the New York teams in the bidding, but theyre among the best on-paper fits for and . President of baseball operations Buster Posey is on record about wanting to . Adames is easily the top option at the position. First base isnt as clear-cut a weakne s especially with top prospect moving quickly through the minors but Alonso would bring a lot more power than A run at a top-end starting pitcher like or also isnt out of the question. At least one top-of-the-market pursuit should be doable even if ownership wants a notable payroll cut. Some of the spending reduction has already happened. The Giants shed Solers salaries at the deadline. Snell and hit free agency (though they still owe Snell a $17MM signing bonus thatll be paid in January 2026). San Francisco has $109.5MM in guaranteed contracts for eight players: Chapman, , , , , , and . MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects their four-man arbitration cla s of , LaMonte Wade, and to account for roughly $25MM. Rounding out the roster with players on league minimum salaries would push them into the $146MM range. Thatd leave them a little more than $60MM shy of last years Opening Day payroll and roughly $40MM below their 23 spending level. Posey will surely want to reshape the roster after taking over baseball operations once the team fired Farhan Zaidi. All four of the Giants arb-eligible players are realistic trade candidates, though theyd be selling low on Doval. A straight non-tender of Yastrzemski isnt out of the question. San Francisco could welcome a chance to get out from under a portion of Taylor Rogers $12MM salary. (They unsucce sfully tried to dump Rogers entire contract via waivers in August.) Posey and his staff should have a fair amount of leeway even if theyre not going to run another $200MM+ payroll. That doesnt negate the heightened QO penalties. Reluctance about surrendering multiple draft choices for Adames is a potential reason that the Giants are among the early suitors for , the next-best shortstop available. Snell, , , , , and are among the top free agents who did not receive qualifying offers. Soto, Burnes, Fried, Adames, Alonso and are among this years . Matthew Boyd Jersey