The San Francisco Giants are planning their offseason. They may have to take a two-pronged approach.
Once the World Series ends the offseason will begin as normal. But on Dec. 1, if Major League owners and the MLB Players Association have not reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, then business will be shut down. The players will be locked out. President of baseball operations Buster Posey won’t conduct Major League business until there's a new CBA.
Once there is a new CBA, a mad dash to complete offseason work is likely to ensue.
Minor League Baseball will continue. Those players have a CBA but it doesn't expire until the end of next season. So even if MLB doesn't start on time, minor league baseball will.
Posey and his staff could take that time to assess how their prospects fit into their plan for 2027. There's one could significantly influence what the Giants do.
How Parks Harber Can Influence the Giants’ Offseason Plans
Parks Harber is a Top 30 prospect in the Giants’ organization, and he finished last season at Triple-A Sacramento. The third baseman put together another solid minor league campaign. He slashed .271/.359/.456 with 18 home runs and 81 RBI. He got a taste of MLB spring training earlier this year as a non-roster invitee.
One of the advantages to minor league baseball getting a head start on MLB should there be a lockout is that Harber will get a head start on getting at-bats for 2027. He's already shown solid power and an ability to combine it with quality average. He plays a solid third base and while the Giants have talent at that position, they also have some financial issues.
Matt Chapman is the starting third baseman. He’s a Gold Glove level defender and has power at the plate. He missed half of 2026 due to a core muscle injury and is expected to be ready for 2027. But he has four years left on a $151 million contract and with several other high dollar players on their roster the Giants might way to try and move him.
That won't be easy given the financials. But if Harber puts together a great start at Sacramento and the MLB season lags it gives Posey and his team an opportunity to decide about Chapman's future. It might not be a trade between the ratification of the CBA and the start of the season. It could be a trade deadline move that ships Chapman to a contender that can handle his deal, with the Giants taking on some of the money.
There is also Casey Schmitt, who can play third base and ended the season on the IL. If Harber emboldens the Giants to move Chapman, Schmitt can be that super utility player that made him so valuable to the Giants last season.
There are a lot of ifs in there. But Harber is the player that could give the Giants the latitude they need to move one of their biggest contracts, get out from under the financial commitment and the inevitable decline of Chapman's numbers.
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