Giants target ace Corbin Burnes and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim in free agency

With MLB free agency in full swing ahead of next week’s winter meetings, the San Francisco Giants have been flying under the radar and busy filling vacancies in the front office and coaching staff.

New president of baseball operations Buster Posey is now focused on strengthening pitching and defense and working to address the team’s roster needs, including a starting pitcher, a shortstop and possibly improvement at the first base and Designated hitter.

The Giants have been in contact with right-handed starter Corbin Burnes this week, sources told the Chronicle. Burnes, a 2021 Cy Young Award winner with the Milwaukee Brewers, would slide into the vacancy created by Blake Snell’s departure as a potential co-ace with Logan Webb. Burnes will likely receive a similar contract to Snell with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 30-year-old made at least 32 starts in each of his final three seasons and posted a 2.92 ERA with 181 strikeouts in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles. What is notable is that its local ties are strong. New Giants general manager Zack Minasian was with the Brewers when the team drafted the California native out of St. Mary’s in 2016.

Signing Burnes would come at an additional cost to the Giants. Because he declined his qualifying offer from Baltimore, his signing means forgoing second-round and fifth-round picks in the 2025 MLB Draft as well as $1 million from the Giants’ international signing bonus pool next season.

Starting pitching will have a high priority in the market. Snell moved to the reigning World Series champion Dodgers, signing a five-year, $182 million contract with a deferment. The Giants haven’t dealt with Snell, who joins a growing list of pitchers including Luis Severino, Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas and Matthew Boyd to earn a big payday early in the offseason.

The Giants could seek a reunion with left-hander Sean Manaea – who had a standout year with the New York Mets – and have also been linked to California native Jack Flaherty, the long-time right-hander from St. Louis who spent last season with the Dodgers finished. Lefty Max Fried, another California native, is a top free agent who also projects as a front-end starter in the rotation; He had a 3.25 ERA in 29 starts with Atlanta in 2024. The Giants could also acquire reclamation projects in Walker Buehler or Michael Soroka.

As far as potential additions at shortstop go, Ha-Seong Kim is a target for the Giants. Kim won the NL Gold Glove in 2021 and is one of manager Bob Melvin’s favorites from the two seasons (2022-23) with the Padres. Kim is also close friends with Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee.

Kim, 29, is expected to miss the first few months of 2025 as she recovers from shoulder surgery in October. Should the Giants sign Kim, Matt Chapman has volunteered to move from third base to shortstop in his absence, The Athletic first reported. That could open up Casey Schmitt reps at third base.

Free agency’s top shortstop, Willy Adames, could step in as the Giants’ long-term solution at the position. Adames fell short on defense last season with the Brewers, but he was a revelation at the plate during Milwaukee’s postseason chase with 32 homers, 33 doubles and 112 RBIs. Although he has a high strikeout rate (25.1% in 2024), he makes hard contact.

All signs point to the new regime not wanting to spend big on this. Organization officials did not meet with prominent free agent outfielder Juan Soto, who is likely to receive a $700 million contract over more than a decade.

Reach Shayna Rubin: [email protected]. Reach Susan Slusser: [email protected]; X: @susanslusser