This week's mailbag gets into potential offseason targets for the Giants and Nationals, the potential free agencies of and , and the Mets' current six-man rotation. Neil asks: Giants fan here. They are killing me with this Jekyll and Hyde act on offense this year. It's the .500 team I was expecting but they need more team speed and the OF defense gives me a headache. Who should they target in free agency? Todd asks: I see my Giants are hanging on (barely!) in the West, but looking forward to next year, who do they need to acquire to be given an 'A' for their off-season next March? Obviously pitching is needed, I'm interested in specific names who they should be targeting. Thanks! Let's do a Giants rundown! C: Having as the starter represents a choice to sacrifice offense at the position for Gold Glove defense. That strategy can work, but you'd ideally make up for the dead spot in the lineup in some other way. 1B: seems to be improving defensively; he's been Clyde Drexler Jersey splitting time at first base with . In August, wrote that the situation "could turn into a timeshare dependent on top prospect s development at the position." Eldridge, 21 in October, has a 100 wRC+ in 260 Triple-A plate appearances. He's still the , so if and when he figures out Triple-A, he's expected to share first base and DH with Devers. 2B: , the Giants' innings leader at the position this year, was optioned to Triple-A a few weeks ago. Since then we've mostly seen , with rookie mixed in. Former top prospect , at times mentioned as a potential future second baseman, has spent the entire year at Triple-A and has been playing left field. SS: is settling in with a 149 wRC+ since July. 3B: has had a couple of IL stints for hand injuries, but he's still having a typical good year. LF: has hit decently with a 111 wRC+ (and no platoon splits), but he's been one of the game's worst defensive left fielders this year. As such, he's been worth only 1.1 fWAR. Ramos is under team control through 2029 and won't yet be arbitration eligible in 2026. CF: has been solid in his first full MLB season and has a 133 wRC+ since July. RF: With traded to Kansas City, the Giants have been giving and some run. The samples are too small to really tell right now, but perhaps they could form an adequate platoon. DH: It's been Devers, Smith, and here. Smith and Flores may depart as free agents, but the Giants shouldn't do anything major here given Eldridge's trajectory and Devers' defensive limitations. The Giants' offense this year ranks ninth in the NL with 4.37 runs scored per game. Their wRC+ is an even 100. That's all the way up to 118 since August, third-best in the NL. The club has been carried by veterans Devers, Lee, and Chapman in that time, with bonus contributions from Matos and Smith. For next year, the hope is that Eldridge can come up and contribute, but the Giants can't really count on it. Second base seems like a clear need for the Giants. will be a free agent again, and the trade market could offer a few options such as The Giants could use a big bat in the corner outfield. is the obvious choice. The versatile would also fit well in San Francisco. would be a cheaper bounceback candidate. For Neil's outfield defense concerns, moving on from Ramos would help. Defensive upgrades could include Bellinger, , and What's the outlook on the starting pitching side? Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription BENEFITS Acce s weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Acce s GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker Russell Westbrook Jersey