Welcome to Snyder’s Soapbox! Here, I pontificate about matters related to Major League Baseball on a weekly basis. Some of the topics will be pressing matters, some might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and most will be somewhere in between. The good thing about this website is that it’s free, and you are allowed to click away. If you stay, you’ll get smarter, though. That’s a money-back guarantee. Let’s get to it.
Yet again, we’re dealing here in the Soapbox with a team either crying poor or pinching pennies. Last week, it was Hal Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees. This time around, let’s talk about the San Francisco Giants. We’ll get to the relative cheapness in a bit. First, let’s lay the groundwork with this organization.
Don’t take that nickname literally, because they sure aren’t acting like giants of the sport. Mediocrity is the word with this bunch.
The Giants in 2022 went 81-81. Then they went 79-83, 80-82 and, last season, 81-81. At least they don’t suck? I guess?
In the face of their long-time rival Dodgers running the sport right now, though, this just isn’t acceptable at all from this franchise. Given that the Giants finished exactly .500, they do have some pieces. Shortstop Willy Adames, first baseman Rafael Devers, third baseman Matt Chapman and left fielder Heliot Ramos are a fine place to start. Logan Webb and Robbie Ray atop the rotation aren’t too shabby in their own right either.
That means it’s time for the front office to supplement the team this offseason, whether via trades or free agency. The Giants last season ranked 13th in end-of-year, 40-man payroll and aren’t particularly bogged down by long-term deals moving forward, even after acquiring Devers.
As things stand right now, the Giants’ estimated total payroll for 2026 is $154.4 million. They’ve been over $200 million before, multiple times in fact. The luxury tax threshold is $244 million.
Now, in a story about the Giants’ possible pursuit of Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai, The Athletic reports the following:
Except the Giants are choosing to sit this one out.
According to club sources, because of a number of financial considerations, the Giants do not anticipate making the nine-figure investment required to sign Imai — or any of the other top pitchers on the free-agent market. Instead, the club is focusing on more modestly priced alternatives.
Sigh.
There’s been a graphic bouncing around social media for months that shows every team’s operating revenue in 2024 compared to 2025 payroll (plus any luxury tax penalties). The Giants’ revenue from 2024 is is listed as $448 million against a $213 million payroll (and other costs) in 2025. Now, let’s point out that there are far more considerations than just player payroll; we’re not accusing the Giants of simply pocketing well over $200 million.
The Giants still owe deferred money to Blake Snell (now on the previously mentioned Dodgers) in addition to money still due fired manager Bob Melvin as well as the $3 million buyout they picked up in hiring new manager Tony Vitello from the University of Tennessee. That comes to about $10.5 million before you even get to Snell’s deferred $17 million signing bonus.
Vitello sure better be a home run hire if the fire-Melvin-hire-Vitello maneuver is such a large constraint on player spending.
And even if we do figure in the manager payouts along with Snell’s deferral, the Giants are still spending substantially less on this current roster than in 2024.
Meanwhile, attendance has steadily risen.
2022 attendance: 2,482,686
2023 attendance: 2,500,153
2024 attendance: 2,647,736
2025 attendance: 2,925,823
I just find it very hard to believe the Giants, in that market with that gigantic fan base, can’t spend close to the so-called megamarkets.
And here’s where, once again, we end up in a similar spot to my discussion on the Yankees last week.
If you really, truly, are either losing money or making very, very little money, show us. Open up those books and show us the net losses or very slight gains that you need to maintain.
It won’t happen. It never happens.
Why? Because the Giants, like most or nearly all MLB teams, are making money hand over fist. And like so many other teams, they aren’t putting the fans first. Mediocrity is more acceptable than going out and spending what it takes to land marquee players that could help push the Giants back to the World Series.
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