Giants miss out on Stanton, but things could still turn out OK.
After being turned down by Stanton and Ohtani, the team will likely use its financial savings in an attempt to lure free agents
If nothing else, the Giants’ dismal news regarding Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani on Friday means the Giants can enter the winter meetings on Monday in Orlando, Florida with a more defined agenda.
That agenda is this: Execute Plan B. But what might that plan be?
Without question, the Giants may have to move swiftly and boldly to make any significant upgrades, but suddenly without having to commit $250 million to Stanton’s future contract, the club has some financial flexibility to potentially sign multiple free agents and perhaps make some significant trades as well.
In the final analysis, considering that the club has significant needs beyond just a right fielder, missing out on Stanton might actually turn out well for them. To be sure, it’s pretty easy to sort out the Giants myriad priorities, as well as the prime candidates to address some of those priorities in the wake of being turned down by their top two targets.
First and foremost, the Giants need a power-hitting outfielder, preferably a right-handed one. After Stanton, the pick of the offseason litter is clearly J.D. Martinez, who helped assure a playoff berth for the Arizona Diamondbacks after the D’backs acquired him from the Detroit Tigers. Martinez hit 45 homers with 104 RBIs last season between the two clubs.
Martinez, 30, figures to command a high free-agent price tag, however, and he could have numerous suitors at the winter meetings. Furthermore, it’s un-
clear whether the Giants would make as concerted a quest for Martinez as they did with Stanton in that he is considered an average defensive outfielder at best and probably restricted to left field. One of the Giants’ biggest issues this past season was the low quality of their outfield defense, and they yearn to improve it, not diminish it further.
With that in mind, free agent center fielder Lorenzo Cain might fit the bill a lot better as a top target. The veteran Kansas City Royals standout doesn’t bring the power Stanton or Martinez would, but he is a solid all-around offensive player and a superior center fielder, where the Giants need to dramatically to upgrade. Such a move would allow them to move Denard Span to left field.
The drawback on Cain may be age. He will turn 32 in early April, although he had one of his best seasons in 2017, hitting .300 with 47 extra-base hits, including 15 home runs. The Giants would also have to surrender second- and fifth-round picks in the 2018 June amateur draft by signing Cain. which could serve to be a deterrent.
Another strong outfield option is free agent veteran Jay Bruce, a rare lefthanded hitter who seems to enjoy batting at AT&T Park. Splitting time between the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians, Bruce hit 36 home runs and drove in 101 runs last year, and he’s a career .293 hitter at AT&T with seven home runs in 31 games there.
Outfield trade options could include longtime Pirates star Andrew McCutchen, who could be pried away in a trade considering he will be a free agent after this season. Boston center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton could be on the trade radar as well. Bradley and Hamilton do provide some youth — both are just 27.
The Giants have other problem areas to solve besides the outfield, however. Unless they plan on returning an aging Pablo Sandoval to the position, they need to find a third baseman, and also hope to make improvements to their bullpen.
Free agent Todd Frazier could be a top target at third base. Frazier could definitely ease some of the power issues, having slugged 102 home runs over the past three seasons for Cincinnati, New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox. On the downside, Frazier hit .225 in 2016 and just .213 last year. Another possibility could be Mike Moustakas, a free agent late of the Royals who hit 38 homers in 2017, but his glove work may be suspect.
The Giants could also look to bring back Eduardo Nunez, who general manager Bobby Evans acquired in trade during the team’s 2015 stretch run, then traded him to the Boston Red Sox last season once the Giants fell out of the race. Nunez was terrific for San Francisco last season, hitting .308 with 18 stolen bases and playing some outstanding defense at third. He was even better for the Red Sox but a severe hamstring injury ended his season in his first postseason at-bat.
It remains to be seen how the Giants might reshape their bullpen with the anticipated return of closer Mark Melancon and setup man Will Smith from injuries, but Evans has indicated the club would like to add at least one arm to fortify a bullpen that posted a 4.34 ERA in 2017.
One obvious target could be right-hander Brandon Morrow, who was electric for the Dodgers this past season with a 6-0 record and 2.06 ERA. Morrow grew up in Rohnert Park and played baseball at both Rancho Cotate High and Cal.