LHG
Former Californian. Hesitant Tennessean.
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- Aug 1, 2015
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- Somewhere in the middle of nowhere
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Part 4:
Fitzgerald could move across the bag to cover second. Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt will be around for depth. Wilmer Flores will be around as a bench bat as he’s sure to trigger his $3.5MM player option after a brutal season that saw him finish on the injured list due to a knee injury.
In the outfield, Jung Hoo Lee should be back in center field after an injury-marred debut. He only got into 37 games before he hurt himself crashing into the wall, ultimately requiring season-ending labrum surgery. Heliot Ramos earned himself a job next year by hitting 22 homers in 2024.
They will have to make a call on Mike Yastrzemski, who has been a solid player but his age and salary have been climbing to the point where he’s not a lock to be back. He’s now 34 years old and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $9.5MM salary in 2025.
It’s not an outrageous overpay, as guys like Joc Pederson, J.D. Martinez, Kevin Kiermaier, Harrison Bader and Jason Heyward got $9-13MM on one-year deals next winter, but the Giants could consider a non-tender or a trade if they want to keep that money free for other pursuits. Guys like Luis Matos, Jerar Encarnación or Grant McCray could fill in or the club could look to external additions.
Juan Soto is the top prize on the outfield market and perhaps there will be some desire to get involved with the club’s aforementioned track record with big-name free agents. But even if they can’t get Soto out of New York, free agents like Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández and Tyler O’Neill could get some consideration.
Behind the plate, Patrick Bailey had another year of elite defense and passable offense, so he’ll undoubtedly be back next year. The question will be who is backing him up. The Giants signed Tom Murphy to a two-year deal last offseason but he only played 13 games in 2024 due to a left knee sprain. Back in August, he told Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle that he was still in pain and didn’t really know what was next for him.
Given that uncertainty, adding another option would make sense. Blake Sabol is also on the 40-man but has options and could be kept as a depth piece in Triple-A. If the Giants look to free agency, guys like Kyle Higashioka, Danny Jansen, Carson Kelly and Gary Sánchez will be the top of the market and none of them should require a massive deal to be signed.
The bullpen should also be a focus, as the club’s relievers were middle-of-the-pack in 2024. Collectively, they had a 3.96 ERA that was 15th in the majors. Camilo Doval struggled badly enough in the closer’s role that he was sent down to the minors for a spell, with Ryan Walker talking over the closer job. Doval returned for 16 appearances down the stretch but posted a 5.40 ERA with a 14.7% walk rate after his return.
He will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter with a projected salary of $4.6MM. Given his past success and two extra years of control, he will probably be tendered a contract but it will depend on how much faith the Giants have in getting him back on track. Even if they’re hesitant, it’s likely that Doval will have some interest on the trade market.
Regardless of how that plays out, some investment in the bullpen is sensible and there are many ways that can go. The relief market will be highlighted by guys like Jeff Hoffman and Tanner Scott but there are dozens of options.
Ultimately, the Giants are a black box until we get more information on how Posey intends to operate, but the franchise has presumably made this big change for a reason. Perhaps the Chapman deal is a sign that other such splashy signings are over the horizon. Time will tell. Even if that does come to pass, the Giants will have to spend their money wisely. The division is very strong, with the Dodgers an annual powerhouse and the Padres and Diamondbacks frequent upstarts. Hitting on some free agents could help the Giants gain ground, if they pick the right ones.
Fitzgerald could move across the bag to cover second. Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt will be around for depth. Wilmer Flores will be around as a bench bat as he’s sure to trigger his $3.5MM player option after a brutal season that saw him finish on the injured list due to a knee injury.
In the outfield, Jung Hoo Lee should be back in center field after an injury-marred debut. He only got into 37 games before he hurt himself crashing into the wall, ultimately requiring season-ending labrum surgery. Heliot Ramos earned himself a job next year by hitting 22 homers in 2024.
They will have to make a call on Mike Yastrzemski, who has been a solid player but his age and salary have been climbing to the point where he’s not a lock to be back. He’s now 34 years old and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $9.5MM salary in 2025.
It’s not an outrageous overpay, as guys like Joc Pederson, J.D. Martinez, Kevin Kiermaier, Harrison Bader and Jason Heyward got $9-13MM on one-year deals next winter, but the Giants could consider a non-tender or a trade if they want to keep that money free for other pursuits. Guys like Luis Matos, Jerar Encarnación or Grant McCray could fill in or the club could look to external additions.
Juan Soto is the top prize on the outfield market and perhaps there will be some desire to get involved with the club’s aforementioned track record with big-name free agents. But even if they can’t get Soto out of New York, free agents like Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández and Tyler O’Neill could get some consideration.
Behind the plate, Patrick Bailey had another year of elite defense and passable offense, so he’ll undoubtedly be back next year. The question will be who is backing him up. The Giants signed Tom Murphy to a two-year deal last offseason but he only played 13 games in 2024 due to a left knee sprain. Back in August, he told Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle that he was still in pain and didn’t really know what was next for him.
Given that uncertainty, adding another option would make sense. Blake Sabol is also on the 40-man but has options and could be kept as a depth piece in Triple-A. If the Giants look to free agency, guys like Kyle Higashioka, Danny Jansen, Carson Kelly and Gary Sánchez will be the top of the market and none of them should require a massive deal to be signed.
The bullpen should also be a focus, as the club’s relievers were middle-of-the-pack in 2024. Collectively, they had a 3.96 ERA that was 15th in the majors. Camilo Doval struggled badly enough in the closer’s role that he was sent down to the minors for a spell, with Ryan Walker talking over the closer job. Doval returned for 16 appearances down the stretch but posted a 5.40 ERA with a 14.7% walk rate after his return.
He will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter with a projected salary of $4.6MM. Given his past success and two extra years of control, he will probably be tendered a contract but it will depend on how much faith the Giants have in getting him back on track. Even if they’re hesitant, it’s likely that Doval will have some interest on the trade market.
Regardless of how that plays out, some investment in the bullpen is sensible and there are many ways that can go. The relief market will be highlighted by guys like Jeff Hoffman and Tanner Scott but there are dozens of options.
Ultimately, the Giants are a black box until we get more information on how Posey intends to operate, but the franchise has presumably made this big change for a reason. Perhaps the Chapman deal is a sign that other such splashy signings are over the horizon. Time will tell. Even if that does come to pass, the Giants will have to spend their money wisely. The division is very strong, with the Dodgers an annual powerhouse and the Padres and Diamondbacks frequent upstarts. Hitting on some free agents could help the Giants gain ground, if they pick the right ones.
