One of the most successful players in Major League Baseball was born in Jefferson County. Willie Mays, "The Say Hey Kid," started his career with the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field in 1948. Following his high school graduation, Mays was quickly picked up by the San Francisco Giants (then the New York Giants). Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Glove.

With pitchers and catchers set to report soon for the San Francisco Giants, the anticipated 2025 campaign is nearly here. Coming into the offseason, the number one goal for the Giants was to improve an offense that has been struggling for years. Partially due to the ballpark that they play 81 games in, scoring runs sometimes can be a challenge for San Francisco. The franchise hasn't had a 30-home run hitter since 2004 when Barry Bonds was able to reach that mark.

MLB Network is currently in the midst of unveiling its Top 100 Right Now rankings ahead of the start of the 2025 season, and Wednesday night's new batch of rankings showed the respect that San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb has built up in league circles. After a season in which he hurled 204.2 innings pitched while allowing only a 3.47 ERA across 33 starts, MLB Network ranked Webb as the No. 50 overall player in the league today. Webb has spent the past half decade establishing himself as one of the most reliable starting pitchers in the game. With that elite level of availability, Webb has also generated results that place him among the elite ranks of the game's hurlers.

The San Francisco Giants missed the postseason for the seventh time in the last eight years after finishing 80-82 in 2024. Last week, the Giants shipped veteran relief pitcher Taylor Rogers to the Cincinnati Reds, weakening an already thin bullpen. Now the team is taking a cost-effective flier on a former New York Yankees hurler. The Giants reached an agreement with Lou Trivino, signing him to a minor-league deal, per FanSided's Robert Murray on X. The contract includes a spring training invite.

There is no doubt he'll help in the power department. During an appearance on Foul Territory, former Giants fan favorite and current KNBR personality F.P. Santangelo was asked if the transition for Adames would be harder than some Giants fans expect.

The latest known addition to the Giants' non-roster invitee list has a long-running connection to their manager. The Giants agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Lou Trivino, per Robert Murray of FanSided, opening up an opportunity for a veteran who broke into the big leagues with the Athletics when Bob Melvin was their manager.

The San Francisco Giants addressed a major need this winter by signing Willy Adames. Locking him down with a seven-year deal that happened to be the most lucrative contract in franchise history gives the Giants one of the best left sides of the infield with Matt Chapman manning the hot corner. Adames also adds much-needed pop to the lineup, ideally becoming the first player to reach the 30-home run plateau since Barry Bonds donned this jersey.

The New York Yankees could not bring back a key relief pitcher, as Fansided’s Robert Murray reported on Thursday that

San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed that Feb. 5, 2025 will be known as Barry Bonds Day, honoring the greatest force of nature the San Francisco Giants have ever seen. Bonds etched his legacy with the city after an extraordinary career at the plate.

In his first offseason as the San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations, Buster Posey has shown he is willing to spend money to upgrade areas of the roster. After identifying shortstop as a need, he went right to the top of the market and snagged the No. 1 player available in free agency; Willy Adames. Adames will provide the Giants with impact performance immediately and into the future, combining with third baseman Matt Chapman to create one of the strongest left-sided infields in baseball. Unfortunately, that was the only splash the team had made thus far under Posey, as their other pursuits were not successful.

Weekdays always are special at City Hall, and Wednesday morning was no different. On 2/5/25, new mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed the day to be Barry Bonds Day. The all-time home run leader joined Lurie and broadcaster Jon Miller for a ceremony that took place one year and one day after a similar one for Willie Mays, who wore No. 24. In a short speech, Bonds went over his history growing up in the region and staring first at Candlestick Park and then Oracle Park.

Weekdays always are special at City Hall, and Wednesday morning was no different. On 2/5/25, new mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed the day to be Barry Bonds Day. The all-time home run leader joined Lurie and broadcaster Jon Miller for a ceremony that took place one year and one day after a similar one for Willie Mays, who wore No. 24. In a short speech, Bonds went over his history growing up in the region and staring first at Candlestick Park and then Oracle Park.

Weekdays always are special at City Hall, and Wednesday morning was no different. On 2/5/25, new mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed the day to be Barry Bonds Day. The all-time home run leader joined Lurie and broadcaster Jon Miller for a ceremony that took place one year and one day after a similar one for Willie Mays, who wore No. 24. In a short speech, Bonds went over his history growing up in the region and staring first at Candlestick Park and then Oracle Park.

Weekdays always are special at City Hall, and Wednesday morning was no different. On 2/5/25, new mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed the day to be Barry Bonds Day. The all-time home run leader joined Lurie and broadcaster Jon Miller for a ceremony that took place one year and one day after a similar one for Willie Mays, who wore No. 24. In a short speech, Bonds went over his history growing up in the region and staring first at Candlestick Park and then Oracle Park.

Weekdays always are special at City Hall, and Wednesday morning was no different. On 2/5/25, new mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed the day to be Barry Bonds Day. The all-time home run leader joined Lurie and broadcaster Jon Miller for a ceremony that took place one year and one day after a similar one for Willie Mays, who wore No. 24. In a short speech, Bonds went over his history growing up in the region and staring first at Candlestick Park and then Oracle Park.

The San Francisco Giants have a history of great pitchers. Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are just a few of the names on the list. Kyle Harrison could be the next pitcher to join those ranks. As it stands right now, the Giants top three pitchers in the rotation seem set.

With Spring Training right around the corner for the San Francisco Giants, the team is likely still looking to make some upgrades before the start of the season. It has been a mediocre offseason so far for the Giants. Currently, it's a bit hard to figure out what direction San Francisco is going in as a franchise. With money to spend, they were able to bring in two potential impact free agents Willy Adames and Justin Verlander.

San Francisco Giants legendary catcher Buster Posey knows what it takes for a team to reach the mountain top in baseball. Posey was named president of baseball operations in the Giants first major move of the offseason. It signaled the dawn of a new era, as he was replacing Farhan Zaidi, who held the position for seven years. In his seven years leading San Francisco, the team managed to make the playoffs only once and their stay was short; they were eliminated by the rival Dodgers in the NLDS in five games.

Umpire Pat Hoberg is the latest professional sports figure caught in a betting scandal.

The San Francisco Giants have made a few key moves this offseason. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report proposed the idea of San Francisco trading for Spencer Torkelson and buying low on the Detroit Tigers' former top prospect.