Giants offer contracts to three remaining arbitration-eligible players originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There were no surprises ahead of Friday’s deadline for the Giants to make decisions on their arbitration-eligible players.
Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and right-hander Austin Warren signed one-year contractsand the Giants offered contracts to first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and relievers Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval. They could always trade one or more players down the line, but at an important offseason deadline, they decided to keep them all under team control, at least.
Yastrzemski was the most interesting decision of his final year of arbitration, but he agreed to a deal that will pay him $9.25 million next season, according to a source. While he got off to a slow start, Yastrzemski finished with a wRC+ of 106 and hit 18 home runs. He was a Gold Glove finalist for the second time, and the Giants made it clear they wanted to prioritize defense next season.
“Yaz ended up coming off a productive year,” general manager Zack Minasian said during this week’s “Giants Talk” episode. “He’s a quality defender, he can play all three positions, so we’re certainly happy to have them. Like anything else, whenever there are players available, we go through the process and try to determine if the cost is worth it.”
Like Yastrzemski, Wade could be a trade candidate at some point, although it was a no-brainer to offer him a contract in the meantime. He is expected to make around $4.7 million in arbitration and is coming off a year in which he posted a .380 on-base percentage and 119 wRC+. The Giants will eventually need to get more power out of first base, but top prospect Bryce Eldridge is expected to start the year in Triple-A and should be ready at some point in 2025.
Rogers and Doval’s decisions were easy, even though the relievers come from very different seasons. Rogers led the NL in appearances for the second time and had a 2.82 ERA while serving primarily as a setup man. He will pitch in either the seventh or eighth inning next season.
Doval could take the other if he can find his form. His walk rate has climbed in 2024 and his ERA has risen to 4.88, but he’s a 27-year-old who is one year away from being an MLB All-Star and is still in the triple digits . The Giants are waiting a return to old habitswhich would give them one of the best late-game trios in the big leagues with Rogers, Doval and closer Ryan Walker.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, Rogers is expected to earn approximately $5.5 million in arbitration. Doval is projected at $4.6 million. The Giants also did not tender deals on pitchers Ethan Small and Kai-Wei Teng, reducing their roster from 40 players to 39 players.
