It’s been four years since the Giants last made the playoffs, and ever since, they haven’t really looked like a postseason team. Sure, they’ve made some splashy moves here and there, bringing in guys like Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, but even then, they’ve fallen short of making a real run. However, 2026 could be a different story.

Giants president Buster Posey is reportedly gearing up for a major shopping spree this offseason, and the team’s wish list is a long one: starting pitchers, late-inning bullpen help, a right fielder, and maybe even a new second baseman. But the catch? Making all that happen might mean parting with one of their top prospects!

“Giants Could Make Bryce Eldridge Available In Trade Talks,” MLB Trade Rumors spilled the beans.

Well, it’s definitely surprising to hear that the Giants are even considering putting their top prospect on the market. The guy just smashed 25 HRs in 102 games between Double-A and Triple-A this year, posting a .260/.333/.510 line. But with Devers now in the fold as both a first-base and DH option, things get a little crowded.

Guess what, fitting Devers and Eldridge into the same lineup every day could be tricky. Thus, moving Eldridge in a trade might clear that logjam and even bring back the frontline starter the Giants are desperate for.

Remember, Devers came over from Boston as a third baseman/DH? But he’s now locked in as the Giants’ everyday first baseman for the next eight years. That alone makes it tough to find regular at-bats for Eldridge unless the team is willing to rotate one of them into the DH slot permanently. So from that standpoint, it’s understandable why the Giants might consider dealing him, especially if they can get multiple pieces back.

And they have plenty of holes to fill.

If you remember, Logan Webb and Robbie Ray turned into All-Stars, but the team simply didn’t have enough starting pitching depth to stay competitive late in the season. The bullpen also fell apart after Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers were traded at the Deadline, and injuries to Randy Rodriguez and Erik Miller only made things worse. Defensively, they struggled too, finishing tied for 23rd in MLB with -23 outs above average.

Now, the big question is whether trading Eldridge will be enough to jump-start a genuine rebuild. Or if the Giants are ready to open the checkbook and finally reshape this roster the way they’ve been promising. So far, there are no quotes by any team on it yet.

The Giants’ payroll would play a huge role

Even with Buster Posey pushing for a major roster overhaul and a free-agent market full of tempting options, the Giants will still need serious financial muscle to make it all happen. For the uninitiated, Chairman Greg Johnson recently suggested that the 2026 budget will hover around $200 million.

“We may be over. We may be under,” he said. “We’re going to look at each situation and decide what fits both next year and our long-term plan.”

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Currently, Spotrac lists their payroll at $141 million and $164 million for luxury-tax purposes, with a 2026 Opening Day projection of about $186 million.

So, if they go past the 2026 competitive balance tax threshold of $244 million, they’ll be hit with penalties. At the moment, the Giants sit 10th in MLB payroll, and whether they actually push beyond $200 million will depend on how many high-end players they can realistically land.

So for now, the Giants are walking a tightrope: trying to plug major roster holes while staying flexible with shorter deals and lower AAV contracts, all without blowing past their long-term financial plan.