5 predictions for the final weeks of Giants’ offseason
Under normal circumstances, San Francisco Giants fans would be counting down the days until pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale, Arizona for the team’s first spring training workout.
It’s been a long time since circumstances were normal.
It’s entirely possible the Giants are only about five weeks away from opening camp, but Major League Baseball has provided no clarity on whether spring training will start on time. With the coronavirus pandemic raging throughout the United States, especially in Arizona, it’s uncertain whether it will even be feasible for teams such as the Giants to begin practicing in Maricopa County without posing significant health and safety risks to players, coaches, staffers and the greater community.
Without any guidance from the league, we’ll continue to operate under the assumption the Giants will report to Arizona in midfebruary. And with time potentially running short for the Giants to make more changes to the roster, we’re bringing you five predictions on how the remainder of the offseason will unfold.
THO GIANTS ACQUIRE A PITCHER WITH MULTIPLE YEARS OF TEAM CONTROL
>> A quick glance at the Giants’ rotation suggests president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris have plenty of work left to ensure the unit is in better shape than it was a season ago. The Giants brought Kevin Gausman back on a qualifying offer and signed former Reds right-hander Anthony Desclafani to a one-year deal, but they lost lefty Drew Smyly in free agency to the Braves and non-tendered fellow southpaw Tyler Anderson.
The Giants are optimistic Tyler Beede will return from Tommy John surgery and regain a role in the rotation, but the team needs at least one more reliable starter with a proven track record to give the staff a chance to improve on a disappointing 2020 season.
Given the fact Gausman, Desclafani and veteran Johnny Cueto are slated to become free agents at the end of the 2021 season, it would make sense for the Giants to sign or trade for a pitcher who will remain under contract through at least 2022. The team has an extensive list of expiring contracts and it’s probably not a wise idea to expect to contend in 2022 with such massive turnover expected on the roster. Signing a starter such as James Paxton or trading for a proven arm such as Sonny Gray or Joe Musgrove would improve the current staff and provide the rotation with some much-needed continuity beyond this year.
THE GIANTS FINISH SECOND OR THIRD IN THE TREVOR BAUER SWEEPTAKES
>> The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner is a free agent and the Giants are one of the teams that have been consistently mentioned as a potential landing spot for Trevor Bauer throughout the offseason.
The connection makes sense. Bauer will command a massive contract, the Giants are one of the teams best positioned to pay high-profile free agents and the organization is in dire need of an elite starter. It all adds up, except Zaidi has never shown a tendency to want to sign starting pitchers to long-term deals.
The guess here is that Bauer will remain a free agent into February and the number of potential suitors eventually thins out. If the Giants think they can sign Bauer to contract they perceive as reasonable, my sense is they’d make an offer, but I also doubt they’d be willing to engage in a bidding war because they’d probably prefer to use the money they’d need to sign an ace and spread it out to three or four quality starters in future offseasons.
When many free agents sign contracts, we don’t end up finding out what teams finished second or third. In Bauer’s case, he might let the world in on the process, allowing us to find out exactly where the Giants stood.
THE LEFT-HANDED HITTER THE GIANTS ACQUIRE HAS CENTER FIELD EXPERIENCE
>> Both Zaidi and Harris have indicated the Giants want to add another left-handed bat to the mix this offseason, but neither has elaborated on the specific role another position player might fill.
The Giants seem willing to consider all kind of left-handed hitting players from those who project mostly as outfielders, others who are better suited to the infield and, of course, super utility options ready to play all over the diamond. From a roster construction perspective, however, it seems the club would benefit most from adding a lefthanded hitter with experience playing center field.
Whether that player is a true center fielder such as Jackie Bradley, Jr. or a part-timer who has made cameos in center such as former Rangers switch-hitter Danny Santana, manager Gabe Kapler would have more flexibility with creating lineups and sending in substitutions with a center field who hits from the left side.
The Giants have tried using Mike Yastrzemski in center field, but he’s clearly more comfortable in a corner. Alex Dickerson is exclusively a corner outfielder, so he’s not an option. Some in the organization still believe Steven Duggar has room to improve and take on a platoon role in center, but there are still questions about his plate discipline and durability.
With Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and utility player Jason Vosler all able to hit from the left side in the infield, the Giants’ next left-handed addition should be comfortable in center field.
ZAIDI SIGNS MULTIPLE PITCHERS WHO MAKE THE OPENING DAY BULLPEN, BUT NONE WILL RECEIVE MAJOR LEAGUE CONTRACTS
>> The Giants have overhauled the group of righthanded relievers on their 40-man roster this offseason, adding six pitchers who should have a chance to contribute to the 2021 bullpen. Free agents Matt Wisler and John Brebbia, Rule 5 draft choice Dedniel Núñez and prospects Gregory Santos, Camilo Doval and Kervin Castro are all candidates to pitch in relief for the Giants this year, but only Wisler is assured of a job in the Opening Day bullpen.
With Brebbia recovering from Tommy John surgery and four others never having thrown a pitch above High-a ball, it seems unlikely the Giants will thrust multiple rookies into the mix at the beginning of the season. Doval may have the best chance of helping immediately, but the thought here is that the Giants will sign a handful of veterans to minor league contracts and give them opportunities to secure jobs in spring training.
It’s the tactic Zaidi used last season to acquire Trevor Cahill, Tyson Ross and Andrew Triggs and while only Cahill turned into a productive contributor, we’ll likely see the Giants employ the same strategy with regard to low-risk, high-upside veteran additions as spring training approaches.
A POSITION PLAYER WHO PLAYED A KEY ROLE LAST SEASON IS TRADED
>> The boldest prediction is the final prediction, in part because it’s the most interesting one and the one that has the least likelihood of actually coming true.
The rationale behind this prediction is quite simple: The Giants need more starting pitching, and to acquire another arm, they would probably be better off trading a player who can help another team immediately as opposed to a prospect who can help the Giants down the road.
Who might the Giants trade? It doesn’t necessarily make sense to have Wilmer Flores and Donovan Solano penciled in at second base, particularly when both are productive major league players with somewhat redundant skill sets. Flores provides more power and Solano hits for a higher average, but they’re both affordable options who could help fill a hole in another team’s infield.
Parting with one in exchange for a pitcher would qualify as a “need-forneed” trade.
The other option, and this seems unlikely, is trading Joey Bart. The Giants are committed to Buster Posey behind the plate for the 2021 season and will groom 2020 first round draft choice Patrick Bailey as a catcher of the future. Bart struggled mightily in his debut season, but he still has tremendous trade value because of the position he plays and the potential he possesses.
It seems like the 2023 and 2024 Giants would be stacked at catcher if the organization hangs onto both Bart and Bailey, but it’s also possible another team loves Bart enough that it would be willing to give up a front-of-therotation starter with several years of team control left.