The SF Giants will likely need to overcome a roster surplus at first base

As it currently stands, the SF Giants will enter 2025 with a roster surplus at first base and DH with LaMonte Wade Jr., Wilmer Flores and Jerar Encarnación. They will likely need to move out of this group to free up a roster spot for a more pressing need.

The SF Giants will likely need to overcome a roster surplus at first base

Unsurprisingly, the Giants have offered Wade Jr. a 2025 contract. According to MLB Trade Rumors, he is expected to make $4.7 million next season, but that detail has yet to be clarified. That’s by no means a prohibitive amount, especially considering the left-hander’s performance at the plate.

Overall, Wade Jr. posted a .260/.380/.381 average (119 wRC+) with a 15.5 percent walk rate, 22.4 percent strikeout rate and ISO in 401 plate appearances last season -Value of .121. While those are solid numbers, there was a pretty big drop in his numbers in the second half after he returned from a hamstring strain.

Wade Jr. may be the only player with real trade value from this group. This value is modest considering he only has one more year of control over the team. If the Giants aren’t motivated to keep him beyond 2025, then moving him now makes sense.

The Giants also have Wilmer Flores and Jerar Encarnación on the roster. On paper, they probably see Flores and Wade Jr. forming a pretty strong platoon battery at first base. That wasn’t the case at all last season, as the Giants’ first basemen posted a .699 OPS with 14 home runs and 65 RBI. This was hardly Wade Jr.’s fault as he performed quite well at the plate.

However, Flores struggled greatly before ending the season on the injured list following knee surgery. The veteran first baseman exercised his $3.5 million player option in November because he would have been difficult to find that much guaranteed money in free agency.

The Giants could still decide to cut ties with Flores since trade interest would be minimal. However, it has still been a year since he posted an OPS of .863 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI in 454 plate appearances. Maybe the best thing would be to just stick with him and see what else he has to offer.

That leaves Jerar Encarnación. Encarnación made a good impression with the Giants last year. He posted an OPS of .702 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 119 plate appearances for the Giants.

The right-handed hitter displayed excellent bat speed but appeared to have a bat trajectory issue as he recorded a ground ball in nearly 50 percent of his batted ball events. The power is real, but it diminishes because too many balls are hit into the ground. Plus, he didn’t have enough power to justify his .277 on-base percentage.

Encarnación doesn’t offer much on the bases or in the field, so he’ll likely fit in as a first base/DH for the Giants in the future. And he really needs to get a lot of strength if he wants to have time at DH.

Similar to Flores, the Giants could decide to cut ties with Encarnación by placing him on waivers. It feels like they would have done that by now if that had been an option. He will be a name to follow in spring training as he is out of minor league options and will therefore need to be brought out of camp by the team.

Here are the Giants with first base and DH. You have a few options. Maybe too many options and not enough potential value. None of the three are considered suitable for the long term, as Bryce Eldridge could make his debut as early as 2025. The Giants have an overabundance of options and will likely need to move an option or two to give the roster more flexibility.