A guide to the Giants' pivotal offseason

This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The 2023 Fall Classic is in the books, with Bruce Bochy clinching his fourth championship title after guiding the Rangers to their first World Series win in franchise history.

As Bochy savors his return to the summit, the Giants will attempt to retool under newly hired manager Bob Melvin, who will be tasked with steering the club back to contention following back-to-back underwhelming seasons.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of San Francisco’s pivotal offseason:

What are the key dates?
Nov. 2: Clubs can resume trading Major League players, and eligible players become free agents. This begins a “quiet period” in which free agents may negotiate only with their own teams.

Nov. 6: This is the deadline for teams and players to decide on contract options and for clubs to tender qualifying offers. It’s also the end of the “quiet period,” meaning free agents will be eligible to sign with any club beginning at 2 p.m. PT.

Nov. 7-9: GM Meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Nov. 14: The deadline for players to accept a qualifying offer is 1 p.m. PT. The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft is 3 p.m. PT.

Nov. 17: Teams will have until 5 p.m. PT to formally tender 2024 contracts to unsigned players, including their arbitration-eligible players. If a player is non-tendered, he becomes a free agent.

Dec. 4-6: Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., including the MLB Draft lottery on Dec. 5 and the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 6.

Jan. 12, 2024: Eligible players and their teams exchange arbitration figures.

Who are the Giants’ free agents?
OF Joc Pederson, SS Brandon Crawford, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP John Brebbia, LHP Scott Alexander and C Roberto Pérez.

Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers?
No. This year’s figure is $20.325 million, the average of the top 125 salaries in MLB.

Which players have contract options?
RHP Alex Cobb ($10 million club option, $2 million buyout).

Cobb’s option seemed like a lock to be picked up at the beginning of the offseason, though that decision might not be so clear-cut now that the 36-year-old veteran is expected to miss six months after undergoing left hip surgery on Tuesday. Cobb likely won’t be available to pitch until May 2024 at the earliest, though he’s shown that he can be a reliable presence at the top of the rotation when he’s healthy, so it would be a surprise if the Giants decide not to bring him back in some capacity.

What about opt-out clauses?
OF Michael Conforto (1 year, $18 million remaining on deal)
LHP Sean Manaea (1 year, $12.5 million remaining on deal)
RHP Ross Stripling (1 year, $12.5 million remaining on deal)

Stripling has already said he intends to remain with the Giants in 2024, though Conforto and Manaea haven’t tipped their hands either way. Manaea played under Melvin in Oakland and San Diego, though he spent most of the 2023 season in the bullpen and might prefer to look elsewhere if he wants a guaranteed chance to start next year. Conforto was inconsistent in his first season back from right shoulder surgery, but he could still attract multiyear offers from teams willing to bet on his previous track record with the Mets.

Who might be a non-tender candidate?
The Giants have six arbitration-eligible players this year -- OF Austin Slater, INF J.D. Davis, OF Mike Yastrzemski, 1B/OF LaMonte Wade Jr., RHP Tyler Rogers and 2B Thairo Estrada -- all of whom seem likely to return in 2024. Some pre-arbitration players could still be non-tendered, including left-hander Thomas Szapucki, who missed the entire 2023 campaign after undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in May.

Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft?
Seven members of MLB Pipeline’s Giants Top 30 Prospects list will be Rule 5 Draft-eligible if they’re not added to the 40-man roster this offseason: OF Grant McCray (No. 7), SS Aeverson Arteaga (No. 12), OF Jairo Pomares (No. 17), RHP Trevor McDonald (No. 22), C Onil Perez (No. 24), C Adrian Sugastey (No. 25) and LHP Erik Miller (No. 29).

McCray, 22, likely has the highest ceiling of the group, but he hasn’t played above High-A Eugene and batted .255 with a .777 OPS, 14 home runs, 52 stolen bases and 171 strikeouts over 127 games with the Emeralds in 2023. Miller, 25, could have the strongest case to be added to the 40-man, as he logged a 2.45 ERA over 54 relief appearances between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento this past season.