The San Francisco Giants are entering one of the most important offseasons in the team’s history. Buster Posey, the team’s new President of Baseball Operations, has the chance to choose the new direction the franchise will take, whether this Giants team will build for the future and develop its farm system or become a contending team. Here I outline five free-agent targets that can help the Giants become a playoff team and potentially a World Series contender.
Top 5 Free Agent Targets for the SF Giants This Offseason
5. Tanner Scott
Tanner Scott has been one of baseball’s best relievers over the past two years. He boasted a 1.75 earned run average with the San Diego Padres. Scott would improve the Giants bullpen that was middle of the pack last season ranking 15th in bullpen earned run average. The biggest reason the Giants would need Scott is that they moved their best reliever Ryan Walker to the closing role. With Walker as the closer the Giant’s relief pitching suffered. With a move for Scott the Giants would have one of the better bullpens in baseball. According to Spotrac, the expected contract for Scott would be four years and $65 million, which would make him a top-five paid reliever. It’s a move that would show the Giants are serious about trying to compete at the highest level once again.
4. Ha-Seong Kim
Ha-Seong Kim is a player the Giants have been connected with ever since they signed Jung-Hoo Lee, a good friend of Kim. Kim has played the last few years with the Padres but started his career in the Korean Baseball Leagues playing with Lee for some years. The Giants have an in for a player that brings solid production to the middle infield which is what the Giants desperately need. Kim is an extremely versatile defender who can play all across the infield. For the Padres Kim played over 500 innings at third base and 1000+ innings at both shortstop and second base. He has finished with positive defensive runs saved in every position he’s played in the Major Leagues. Kim offers legit defense for these positions that the Giants need along with great baserunning. The Giants finished second to last in the MLB in steals, which is horrible. Kim offers a solution to this problem as he stole over 20 bases twice in the past two seasons. His speed is needed on a Giants team that has constantly shown its slow old age. According to Spotrac Kim’s market value is around four years and $50 million, which is very doable for this Giants front office. Kim is a must-have player if they can’t get another shortstop later on this list.
3. Blake Snell
There’s not much I need to say about Blake Snell, he’s a superstar pitcher who delivered a fantastic year for the team. It’s a no-brainer to want to bring him back to the rotation on a solid contract. Snell finished the year with a 3.12 earned run average and had a 1.12 earned run average in the second half of this past season. He also had his first career no-hitter in a Giants uniform. The Guy is on track to be one of the best Giants pitchers ever, it all depends on if Posey wants to bring him back on a large contract. Spotrac predicts Snell’s market value is around five years and $131 million. This is a lot of money for a pitcher heading into his 30s, but he plays at such a high level that this kind of money can be justified, especially if you’re trying to win a World Series. The option for Snell to come back all depends on the front office and ownership deciding if they’re willing to give out a huge contract to an older pitcher. It hasn’t been something they’ve done over the past few years, but maybe under Posey this changes.
2. Willy Adames
Willy Adames was one of the best hitters at shortstop in all of baseball. He finished with 32 home runs which would have finished first on the Giants and been their first 30-home run season since 2004. Adames is the power hitter the Giants need to fight against the explosive-hitting teams the Giants face in their division. Adames also brings some baserunning as he stole 21 bags this past season, which as previously mentioned is a missing piece for this Giants squad in the modern day. He struggled defensively this season finishing with -16 defensive runs saved which is awful, but seemingly an outlier as last year he finished with eight defensive runs saved. Hopefully, if the Giants sign him with Chapman next to him he’ll return to his solid defensive level. Spotrac says his market value is around six years and $152 million. It would be a great signing for Posey to bring in his first big fish for the Giants.
1. Juan Soto
Now the number one target would be Juan Soto. A top-ten player in baseball who is on pace to be one of the greatest hitters of all time at the age of 26. There’s not much that needs to be said as to why this would be a great signing for the Giants, it’s just a discussion of if it’s even possible. Soto is going to command a contract of around 14 years and $513 million. This is the estimate and he probably will get $100 million more than that. Soto is an all-time great player who would elevate the Giants back to greatness. Most likely Soto will resign with the Yankees or go to another team willing to shell out the money to him. Posey and the Giants would need to do a lot to bring in this big fish and it should be their priority to try their absolute best to bring in a generational talent.
Main Image: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
