A’s, Giants reach deals to keep key players in fold
Dickerson, Gott and Peralta re-sign with 1-year deals
Major League Baseball’s free agent class grew substantially at Wednesday’s non- tender deadline as more than 50 players were let go by their former teams.
None of the players cut will immediately join the ranks of Trevor Bauer, J.T. Realmuto and George Springer as the most coveted free agents this winter, but there are several who have impressive track records and could easily be plugged into starting lineups, starting rotations or key bullpen roles around the league.
The Giants front office took care of three of their own, agreeing to one-year deals with outfielder Alex Dickerson and pitchers Trevor Gott and Wandy Peralta to avoid arbitration.
Dickerson agreed to a $2.1 million, one-year contract, while Gott reached a $700,000 deal, and Peralta received a $925,000 contract.
The team reportedly non-tendered left-handed starter Tyler Anderson, who was projected to earn between $2.4-$4.3 million this year after posting a 4.37 ERA in 13 appearances (11 starts) in 2020.
A left- handed hitter, Dickerson batted .298 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 52 games for the Giants. Gott was 1-2 with a 10.03 ERA and four saves in 15 outings and 11 2/3 innings. Peralta went 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA over 25 games, spanning 27 1/3 innings
With a desire to add veteran starting pitchers, a right-handed bullpen arm and a versatile left-handed hitter to their lineup this of fsea son, the Gia nt s
were monitoring Wednesday’s deadline closely to see which new free agents could fill holes on their roster.
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and GM Scott Harris have indicated the pace of the offseason could be slow, but the Giants have been linked to an increasing number of available players in recent weeks and may be inching closer to adding to a club that has its sights set on a 2021 playoff berth.
With the Giants’ offseason checklist in mind, here’s a look at five new free agents who should find themselves on the team’s radar.
EDDIE ROSARIO >> One of the highest-profile non-tenders of the offseason, Rosario was placed on waivers earlier in the week by the Minnesota Twins and went unclaimed. The power-hitting Puerto Rico native has received American League MVP votes in each of the last two seasons, but isn’t a strong defender and rarely draws walks.
Finding a regular spot for Rosario would be challenging for the Giants unless
they were willing to play him and Alex Dickerson in the corner outfield spots and send Mike Yastrzemski into center, but he’s a name worth watching because he slugs the ball from the left side of the plate, which is an area the franchise is looking to improve.
If the Giants (and every other National League team) had received clarity on whether the designated hitter will remain in the NL in 2020, it would be much easier to call Rosario a logical target for San Francisco. KYLE SCHWARBER >> Similar to Rosario, Schwarber is limited defensively and can’t realistically be expected to play anywhere other than left field.
Un like Rosario, Schwarber does draw walks and he tends to draw a lot of them. His strikeout numbers are astronomical and his batting average has never topped .250, but the former Chicago Cubs slugger is valuable because he drives the ball in the air and works the count.
Is Schwarber a good fit for the Giants without knowing whether the NL
will bring back the DH? Probably not. However, it’s clear he’d fit in really well in a lineup in which he’d be surrounded by patient hitters and allowed to leave his glove back in the clubhouse. DAVID DAHL >> A year after the Colorado Rockies parted with Anderson and watched him sign with the Giants, Dahl might be the best fit for San Francisco of any player non-tendered. The 26-year- old plays all three outfield positions, is an above- average runner and carries a career .857 OPS against right-handed pitchers. That the Rockies let him go is par for the course for a front office that doesn’t understand how to build a winner, but Colorado’s loss could easily be the Giants’ gain.
For the right price, the Giants would probably be willing to overlook Dahl’s high strikeout numbers because he walks a lot and can form a platoon with Mauricio Dubón in center field.
One cause for concern: Dahl’s home/road splits, like many players who have spent the early parts of their careers at Coors
Field, are drastic.
NOMAR MAZARA >> To be clear, the Giants would be taking a gamble in signing a player such as Mazara, a career right fielder with high strikeout numbers who has never posted a league average OPS+. With that caveat in mind, it’s reasonable to think Mazara’s market won’t include many suitors and he could be amenable to working on swing changes with the Giants coaching staff that might turn him into a more consistent hitter. The Giants’ staff worked wonders to improve the offense under first-year manager Gabe Kapler.
With Yastrzemski and Dickerson on the roster, any left- handed hitting outfielder who doesn’t have the skill set to play center field would be competing for a part-time role. Perhaps that will be appealing to Mazara, but it might take a long and quiet winter for the two sides to see the benefits here.
DANNY SANTANA >> During a 2019 season in which Santana played every position except for pitcher and catcher, the former Texas R a n ger s sw it ch- hit t er racked up 57 extra-base hits and set a career-high with a .534 slugging percentage.
Santana didn’t hold down a regular starting spot at one position, but he was so versatile that it’s easy to see why he would appeal to a team such as the Giants that isn’t looking for a true everyday starting position player.
Of course, there’s also a few reasons why Santana wasn’t tendered a contract Wednesday. The 30-yearold Dominican Republic native almost never walks and in 2020, he was a Hunter Pence-like 8 for 55. After suffering an elbow injury in September that will reportedly require eight months to heal, Santana probably wouldn’t be able to help during the first half.