The fog
Non-Karl, non-Marlins Death
Here in the Central Valley, we’ve started our fourth consecutive week of tule fog, a constant blanket of fog barely above ground level that simply never leaves. For more than three weeks, the high every day has been 46 and the low has been 41. In all that time, the sun has not once emerged even to acknowledge our presence, keeping to its lofty perch above the clouds. Here’s a satellite view of the Central Valley:
It’s not that this weather is egregiously awful, or that this is an unbearable burden, but it’s so consistently bleak that it can get to you. Day after day, week after week, it’s just been the same thing. Consistently, predictably, annoyingly. The weather could be worse, but it could also certainly be better. You wish that there was something you could do to hurry the process along — at some point, it has to stop being gray and gloomy — but the truth is, there isn’t. You just have to sit and wait and hope that tomorrow, things get better.
So let’s talk about the 2026 Giants!
Just like the weather in the Central Valley, the Giants too have been mired in unchanging fog since the magical 2021 season ended and everyone in the organization realized that they didn’t actually know how to make the magic. “I thought that was your job,” they took turns saying to each other in hushed whispers, the panic growing as they realized that there were no other adults in the room.
And so the franchise tried to break out of it. They gave Matt Chapman a big contract, they gave Buster Posey the keys to the organization, they gave Willy Adames a big contract, and they traded for Rafael Devers and his big contract. But this offseason, they’ve indicated that they’re going to shy away from any more big, long-term contracts. Despite the fact that last year’s team was not good enough, the organization seems willing to bet everything on the same guys being better.
Robbie Ray will be not only effective, but healthy all season! The team will get a full season out of Landon Roupp or maybe Carson Whisenhunt or maybe Hayden Birdsong! The bullpen will just kind of take care of itself, the way bullpens do! And all these positive things will happen without the team spending a whole lot of money on any of it. We’re thinking positively so hard that Norman Vincent Peale is spinning in his grave in excitement.
But that’s how you get fog. I don’t think it’s accurate to say that the Giants are content with the current roster — they’ve checked in on Freddy Peralta, indicating some level of interest in acquiring him — but it seems likely that they finish the offseason without acquiring an impact pitcher. No disrespect to Michael Kopech, but he is not Framber Valdez. No disrespect to Brendan Donovan, but he is not a pitcher and yet the Giants are still said to be involved in his trade market.
Without getting too pessimistic, it’s hard to see how anything short of Acquiring The Best Players On The Market will break the team out of their funk. Chapman, Adames, and Devers are three very good players, and their presence is making up for a farm system that has had trouble producing impact offensive players since the Brandons were called up, and folks, I regret to inform you that that is not recent history.
But the team also needs to make up for a farm system that has produced exactly one impact starter (Hi, Logan!) over that same time period. Yes, the Rouppensong trio could produce one guy like that, but that’s certainly not the most likely scenario. The team currently has two sources of reliable innings out of five rotation spots, and one of those sources has a long injury history that should make you skeptical. There just has to be a better plan, or else, well, you know how I hate to belabor a metaphor, but…
This is how the fog gets you. It makes you think that it is inevitable. It makes you think that there is no other way. But the Giants organization needs to break out of that thinking. Giants, you can have good pitchers if you just go out and get them. I know the owners don’t want to spend money, but they’re wrong here. You can’t seriously compete without taking risks. That’s how it works. There are risks in the pitching market for the Giants to take. I know it’s been gray for a long time, but I promise you, guys, you gotta look for the sun.
The well known definition of insanity would seem to apply here. Running this back with the same players will likely get the same result. Imai is a necessary addition. You don’t give up any prospects and you get at least a #3 starter and probably more. I don’t understand the big deal even if the get Donovan. His 10 hr’s and 50 rbi over almost 500 ab’s isn’t more than we can get from Schmidt (12 hr’s and 40 rbi’s in only 312 ab’s last year). If you don’t go out and get a good starting pitcher, what was the point of getting and paying big money for Chapman, Adames and Devers?