The MLB offseason has begun, and free agency officially begins on Monday. The Giants are kicking the tires hard and giving it their all in hopes of receiving a rose from one of the coveted players scheduled to hit the market this winter.
San Francisco is entering what could be the biggest offseason in franchise history, with the club expected to be a major player at the top of the free agent and trade markets.
The Giants have lacked star power in recent years and would like to add any key pieces they can get. President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi also said the team is looking to improve its youth and athleticism on defense and will target a starting pitcher at the top of the rotation.
These are positions the Giants could look to improve on and players they could eventually target.
Shohei Otani
Yes, he gets his own category.
He’ll get a lot more attention in the coming weeks as his market starts to heat up, but it’s clear that one name will dominate the offseason for the Giants and many other teams.
Ohtani underwent surgery on September 19 to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and is expected to be able to bat by Opening Day in 2024, but he is not scheduled to return to the mound until 2025.
The two-way superstar is expected to earn the largest contract in North American sports history ($450 million), surpassing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, even after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery. ing. Ohtani will be worth every penny, with a potential contract worth well over $500 million and even $600 million.
The front-runner for AL MVP is a unique unicorn, the most talented player to ever step on a baseball diamond. The Giants will pursue him hard, and he would be wise to hold out.
pitcher
With Coach Zaidi making it clear that the Giants will target front-line stars this offseason, it’s pretty clear where our focus should be.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Arguably the second biggest name on the free agent market after Ohtani is his compatriot. Yamamoto is considered one of, if not the best starting pitcher on the market, and some believe he could sign a contract worth more than $200 million with an MLB team. The Giants did their homework and scouted Yamamoto extensively. Expect them to do their best.
Blake Snell: The National League Cy Young prospect will be competing with Yamamoto for the biggest starting pitching contract this offseason, and for good reason. The 30-year-old pitched 180 innings with 234 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA. He is a true ace and should receive equal compensation. The Padres extended him a qualifying offer, which means signing him could mean losing a draft pick.
Aaron Nola: Although he is coming off a somewhat sluggish season, he still managed to maintain around 200 innings pitched, around 200 strikeouts, and a mediocre 4.46 ERA and 4.03 FIP. Nola still has ace potential and is exactly what the Giants are looking for. The Phillies also extended him a qualifying offer.
Sonny Gray: The 33-year-old Gray, who is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, will be the Minnesota Twins’ ace in 2023, playing over four seasons in Oakland under new Giants manager Bob Melvin. This will be a theme for some of the major free agent targets this offseason. He also received a qualifying offer from the Twins.
Eduardo Rodriguez: Rodriguez, rumored to be one of the Giants’ trade deadline targets this summer, is having a career season with the Tigers in 2023 and fits what San Francisco is looking for, but he probably isn’t considered an ace. Dew.
outfielder
The Giants will target a combination of youth, athleticism, good defense and a plus hitter in the outfield this offseason. Center field is likely to attract attention, but all three positions should be highly evaluated for the Giants.
Junghoo Lee: He is one of the best free agent outfielders this offseason and is probably the Giants’ top choice on the market. Lee, 25, is a superstar in South Korea and will be coming off an injury-shortened 2023 season. He is an excellent center fielder, hitting .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs and 113 RBIs in 2022. Also, his nickname is “Grandson of the Wind,” which might be the coolest thing about him.
Cody Bellinger: He made a bet on himself last offseason and it paid off in a big way. Bellinger put up MVP numbers in 2023 and is widely considered the best free agent outfielder on the market. He can play center field and first base, and while he checks a lot of boxes for the Giants, I don’t think he’ll be one of their top two or three offseason targets. I could see the Giants showing some interest early on and potentially bringing him back later in the offseason if he’s still available. Bellinger also received a qualifying offer from the Cubs.
Teoscar Hernandez: Glass was broken during an emergency move. Hernandez, 31, doesn’t fit the profile of a defender the Giants are targeting in the outfield, but he could slot into right field if needed. The draw here would be his bat. Hernandez has averaged 27 home runs and 95 RBI over the past three seasons. If the Giants strike out some free agent hitters this offseason, it’s obvious they’ll settle for Hernandez.
infielder
Infield is an interesting conundrum. The Giants have a young player who could potentially be ready to take over as an everyday player, but he hasn’t shown enough yet to reach a level where the organization feels completely comfortable handing over the keys to the car.
Matt Chapman: The Giants acquired David Villar as their starting third baseman last offseason, but he missed the first two months of the season. Fortunately for the Giants, J.D. Davis stepped up and he did a great job as their everyday third baseman. However, it’s time to consider upgrading if possible. Chapman is the top free agent infielder on the market, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and has the potential to hit 25 home runs. He’s also a former player for Melvin. He received a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays.
Tim Anderson: We’ll talk more about the shortstop position later, but this is purely an insurance move. The Giants will give Marco Luciano every opportunity to be the starting shortstop on Opening Day, but like the Villar situation, it would be wise to have veteran depth here as well. Barring a very disappointing 2023 season, Anderson is one of the best pure contact hitters in baseball and should be a relatively cheap addition this winter.
Rhys Hoskins: We know how much the Giants love their “local” kids. Perhaps there is some negligence. Hoskins is from Sacramento and has been a huge fan of the team since he was a young child. He tore his ACL during spring training and missed all of last season. After signing Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto last offseason, there’s a discount and upside factor from injury departures that Giants fans may roll their eyes at, but Hoskins as a first baseman and designated hitter is a reasonable compensation. That could bring about a lot of upside on the offensive end.
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