Big decisions loom for Giants, A’s this offseason
SAN FRANCISCO >> By Monday, the San Francisco Giants need to make big decisions on two of their pitchers — Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith — set to become free agents.
The status of a third pitcher, reliever Tony Watson, was resolved Saturday night when the 34-yearold left-hander, in something of a surprise, exercised his option to stay with the Giants.
The Giants have had more than a month to consider the decisions regarding Bumgarner and Smith, but a deadline is now set for president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to extend qualifying offers to the two aces.
What is a qualifying offer? In the simplest terms, it’s a oneyear contract worth $17.8 million, which is the mean salary of the league’s 125 highest-paid players. A player who accepts that offer agrees to return to a team on those terms. A player who rejects the offer enters free agency and gives his former club the chance to receive draft pick compensation when he signs elsewhere. If Bumgarner or Smith receive and reject qualifying offers, the Giants will be awarded draft picks following Competitive Balance Round B, which would give them the chance to pick around the No. 75-80 range in the 2020 draft.
What’s likely to take place within the next 24 hours or so? We examined each player’s status. MADISON BUMGARNER >> It’s a nobrainer for the Giants to extend a qualifying offer to Bumgarner, who has his sights set on entering free agency and will assuredly reject the offer.
If Bumgarner signs with another team before next year’s amateur draft, the Giants will receive draft pick compensation for losing their ace. If he rejects the offer but doesn’t sign until after the 2020 draft, which is what pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel did this year, then the Giants will miss out on the chance to secure a coveted draft pick.
It’s almost impossible to imagine Bumgarner’s free agency lingering into the season (and even into spring training), as the left-hander adheres to a strict throwing regimen and couldn’t stand missing games. Even if Bumgarner doesn’t receive the massive offer he’s anticipating in free agency, he’s the type of person who might theoretically sign a one- or two-year deal with a high average annual value late in the offseason with a team that has a legitimate shot of making a deep postseason run.
Bumgarner has said that pitching for a winning team is his top priority, but the Giants may be able to extend his tenure with a longterm offer this winter.
WILL SMITH >> It’s anyone’s guess as to whether the Giants will extend Smith a qualifying offer for 2020. The Giants would certainly love to have the left-hander back to lock down the ninth inning, but Zaidi isn’t keen on over-spending on relief help. It’s hard to imagine Zaidi being comfortable with paying one reliever nearly $18 million, but if Smith departs in free agency, the Giants could enter next season with far too many question marks in the bullpen.
Zaidi increased the chances of the Giants extending Smith a qualifying offer by moving Mark Melancon’s $14 million 2020 salary to Atlanta at the trade deadline, but that trade didn’t guarantee any decision regarding Smith.
Unlike Bumgarner, Smith may actually accept the offer and opt to delay his free agency by a year. The lefty doesn’t want to find himself in the same position Kimbrel was in last offseason and he knows he would rank among the highestpaid relievers in baseball by agreeing to remain in San Francisco.
A decision to extend Smith a qualifying offer could say a lot about how Zaidi views the Giants’ chances of contending next year. If the Giants do give Smith a chance to return, it could be a reflection of optimism from within. It’s hard to read too far into the decision, however, as it could also be an acknowledgment that Smith’s trade value will be high next summer.
TONY WATSON >> At the beginning of spring training in 2018, Watson signed a two-year deal with the Giants that included a player option for the 2020 season, which the reliever picked up, thereby avoiding free agency. The Giants made the addition with an eye on signing a valuable reliever while also staying under the luxury tax threshold in 2018, so the contract included several performance bonuses that triggered a substantial raise for Watson in 2019.
The bonuses allowed Watson to make more than $6 million in 2019, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, In 2020, Watson is expected to earn $7 million.