Giants Raise Payroll: Mahle, Posey, Greg Johnson and 2026 Outlook

The San Francisco Giants’ projected Baseball Operations spending for 2026 looks set to hit the highest mark in franchise history. But that headline number? It doesn’t really signal some huge philosophical shift.

When you include all costs — not just the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) payroll — you see a picture built on obligation, timing, and, frankly, inflation. It’s not like the ownership group is suddenly betting the whole farm.

Giants’ 2026 Payroll: More Than Just CBT

The Giants’ 2026 payroll jumps out as pretty hefty at first glance. Cot’s MLB Contracts puts their projected major-league payroll at about $175.69 million.

That number alone lands San Francisco comfortably in MLB’s upper half. Still, it doesn’t show the full financial commitment.

Once you factor in mandatory CBT components — things most fans probably never think about — the number climbs higher. These include league-required player health care costs, the club’s $1.667 million contribution to the pre-arbitration bonus pool, and some lingering retained salaries from old player deals.

Mandatory Costs Add Up Quickly

Those extra CBT-related expenses total roughly $20.08 million. That pushes the CBT figure well beyond the basic payroll.

And honestly, that’s still not the whole story of what the Giants are really spending.

Expenses That Don’t Count Toward CBT

Some of the biggest checks the franchise writes never touch the CBT calculator. The Giants’ international bonus pool for 2026 sits at about $5.44 million.

Their amateur draft bonus pool shot up after snagging the #4 overall pick, rising to around $13.67 million.

These costs hit the organization directly. The Giants can’t really avoid them if they want to keep up in talent acquisition at every level.

The Hidden Weight of the Past

Deferred payments and buyouts hang over the books, too. Obligations tied to Buster Posey’s departure, coaching staff buyouts, and deferred money still owed to Mark Melancon add up to about $25 million.

These are legacy costs. They say more about past decisions than future ambitions, if you ask me.

The Full Baseball Operations Total

Add it all up — payroll, mandatory fees, bonus pools, deferrals, buyouts, and even Tony Vitello’s reported $3.5 million salary — and the Giants’ total Baseball Operations spend for 2026 lands at roughly $243.38 million.

That’s about 3.2% higher than the Giants’ public Baseball Ops spending in 2024, which was $235.66 million. Honestly, that increase just about matches inflation.

What This Means for the Giants’ Future

The Giants have always tried to balance fiscal restraint with a bit of risk-taking. That mindset doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Maybe the club will chase a big-name free agent, or swing for a headline-grabbing trade. Still, there’s not much to suggest ownership plans to push payroll far past what’s already expected.

The payroll spike in 2026? It really just looks like a blip — something that makes sense to investors and on paper, but not the start of a wild spending spree.

Fans hoping for big moves might feel let down. From where the front office sits, though, the Giants clearly favor flexibility and caution over splashy, emotional spending—even if the final number ends up being a franchise record.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Surprise! The Giants have increased their budget