OT: Giants 2021

[wco81]

Well Zaidi inherited a lot of big contracts and he's rid of all of them except Longoria's deal, which has two more years. Those are really going to be bad unless Longo has a renaissance of some type.

I guess he's not interested in keeping Belt so I don't know if there are catchers and first basemen in free agency that he could get for bargain, who are going to produce as well as Posey and Belt did this year.

I don't think he'd throw big money at them, though he was willing to exercise the team option of the $22 million salary that Posey would have earned next season.

[sonnyhill]

Well Zaidi inherited a lot of big contracts and he's rid of all of them except Longoria's deal, which has two more years. Those are really going to be bad unless Longo has a renaissance of some type.

I guess he's not interested in keeping Belt so I don't know if there are catchers and first basemen in free agency that he could get for bargain, who are going to produce as well as Posey and Belt did this year.

I don't think he'd throw big money at them, though he was willing to exercise the team option of the $22 million salary that Posey would have earned next season.

I could see the Giants plugging Wade at 1st Base, bringing up Bart to play catcher, and spending money on putting together a better starting rotation.

Zaidi seems to be able to play 3-dimensional chess as he puts together the roster, while most of the opposition is still "stuck" playing checkers.

[Samurai]

Well Zaidi inherited a lot of big contracts and he's rid of all of them except Longoria's deal, which has two more years. Those are really going to be bad unless Longo has a renaissance of some type.

I guess he's not interested in keeping Belt so I don't know if there are catchers and first basemen in free agency that he could get for bargain, who are going to produce as well as Posey and Belt did this year.

I don't think he'd throw big money at them, though he was willing to exercise the team option of the $22 million salary that Posey would have earned next season.

I could see the Giants plugging Wade at 1st Base, bringing up Bart to play catcher, and spending money on putting together a better starting rotation.

Zaidi seems to be able to play 3-dimensional chess as he puts together the roster, while most of the opposition is still "stuck" playing checkers.

Wade and Ruf make a solid 1B platoon....as long as they hit the way they did in 2021. And there is nothing in their histories that would suggest a repeat is likely.

[SFrush]

Belt got the QO. Pretty good chance he'll be back.

[wco81]

Belt got the QO. Pretty good chance he'll be back.

Oh I hadn't heard that.

He hit over 30 HRs at AT&T so some team may throw $20-25 million at him.

[sonnyhill]

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/giants/giants-will-sign-max-scherzer-justin-verlander-mlbcom-predicts

MLB.com predicts Giants will sign Scherzer and Verlander
BY DALTON JOHNSON

Buster Posey's retirement of course complicates things, plus the front office has a big decision to make regarding the future of Brandon Belt. But the biggest question mark is the starting rotation.

Logan Webb has established himself as a staff ace but it's unknown at this time who else will join him in the rotation. The Giants already have made Johnny Cueto a free agent, and Kevin Gausman, Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani could soon join him. So, who will the Giants target on the open market?

Two future Hall of Famers certainly would be an interesting start. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince predicts the Giants will sign both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander this offseason.

Scherzer, 37, went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA this past season. He struck out 236 batters in 179 1/3 innings. Even as he ages, he led the majors in WHIP (0.86) and hits per nine innings (6.0). His 1.8 walks per nine innings led the NL.

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Scherzer at the trade deadline last season and he went a perfect 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA for them in the regular season. He then allowed just one earned run in eight innings -- one start and one save -- against the Giants in the NLDS.

Verlander, who turns 39 in February, missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made just one start in 2020. In 2019, when he last pitched a complete season, he led the majors in wins (21), starts (34), innings (223), WHIP (0.80) and hits per nine innings (5.5) on his way to winning his second Cy Young award.

The Giants have the money, but it still would be eye-opening to see them make these two signings this offseason.

[tarantism]

I could see them going after one maybe, but both doesn't seem like a Zaidi move.

Sent from my SM-G975U using RealGM mobile app

[wco81]

Yeah they need help with the lineup too.

You can't count on them setting a team record for HRs again, with very low average.

Especially to rely so much on two old pitchers, depending on what kind of money they command of course.

[sonnyhill]

An interesting article from The Athletic about a potential Giant target acquisition:


San Francisco Giants notes: Hiroshima OF Seiya Suzuki ‘an unbelievable talent’, possible ideal lineup fit
By Andrew Baggarly Nov 8, 2021 29

The Giants scout the Pacific Rim like every other major-league team, and they no doubt have any number of evaluations on Seiya Suzuki, the 27-year-old superstar outfielder from Japan who became one of the biggest prizes of the offseason after the Hiroshima Carp decided to post his rights to MLB clubs.

One of those evaluations might mean more than the others. Giants right-hander Jay Jackson was Suzuki’s teammate in Hiroshima from 2016-18. And he views the athletic, right-handed hitter as a bona fide impact player.

“I think people need to see him,” Jackson said when asked about Suzuki in July. “He is an unbelievable talent. I got to play with him when he was younger and he wasn’t as mature as he is now. But even when he was so raw, you could see it: the arm, the quickness that he has, the power that he has, the stroke that he has. His eye was getting better and better and you saw just the plate discipline getting there.

“I feel like he needs to come over here. He’s a great athlete, a great guy. He’s funny. His personality, I think, would translate well over here. He’s a special guy.”

Suzuki, who also starred on the Samurai Japan team that won Olympic Gold this summer, batted .319/.436/.644 with 38 home runs for Hiroshima this past season. And that selectivity that Jackson mentioned? It’s gotten better and better. Over the past three seasons, Suzuki has more walks (262) than strikeouts (240). He’s considered a better-than-average right fielder — he won four Gold Gloves in Japan — with a plus arm. He’s being made available to MLB teams in the midst of his prime. And his golden K/BB ratio combined with his power potential make him an ideal fit for the Giants’ offensive template.

“With his swing and his plate discipline getting better, if he gets with the coaches over here, with the way they use analytics, I think he’ll be good,” Jackson said. “He’ll be really good.”

Once Hiroshima formally posts Suzuki, MLB teams will have 30 days to negotiate directly with him. The posting fee is no longer paid in the form of a blind bid for the negotiating rights. Instead, the fee is based on a percentage of guaranteed money in any contract that Suzuki signs: 20 percent of the contract’s first $25 million, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent of any money thereafter, including eventual salary earned through achieved incentives or options exercised. If Suzuki is unable to agree to terms with a major-league club, he would return to Hiroshima in 2022 and could be posted again; if he remains with the Carp beyond that, he would become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season.

The Giants had a compelling need for a right-handed hitter even before Buster Posey announced his retirement. Suzuki would represent an alternative to re-signing Kris Bryant, whose return is clouded by an expectation that he and agent Scott Boras will play out the market. Suzuki’s free agency could have a swifter resolution by nature of the posting system’s 30-day deadline.

The Giants haven’t employed a full-time position player from Japan since Tsuyoshi Shinjo was a glove-first center fielder in 2002. (Shinjo is staying busy; he was recently named manager of the Nippon-Ham Fighters.) But they were among the finalists to sign Shohei Ohtani, and they were said to be high on outfielder Yuki Yanagita before the Fukuoka star signed a seven-year contract following the 2019 season to remain with the Hawks.

But the Giants would appear to have plenty of attributes that would make them a prime destination. They are a West Coast team with a high volume of nonstop flights to Japan. The Bay Area has a thriving Japanese community. The Giants are a successful franchise coming off a 107-win season and an NL West title. They even have a respected staff member, longtime bullpen catcher Taira Uematsu, who was born in Chiba near Tokyo and is a native Japanese speaker.

Many teams have employed Japanese translators, but there hasn’t ever been a native Japanese speaker on a major-league coaching staff; Uematsu is as close as it gets.

And the Giants still have Jackson, whose option was picked up on Sunday. The club also exercised a $1.5 million option on left-hander José Álvarez and a $3.5 million option on infielder Wilmer Flores; the Giants declined a $22 million option on Johnny Cueto, instead choosing a $5 million buyout and ending the right-hander’s tenure with the club.

The Giants also extended a qualifying offer to first baseman Brandon Belt, who has 10 days to accept or reject an $18.4 million salary for next season. If he rejects, the two sides can continue to negotiate on the open market. But if Belt signs elsewhere, the Giants would receive a compensatory draft pick.

The club did not extend a qualifying offer to any other players, including starters Anthony DeSclafani or Alex Wood. The Giants could not make an offer to Bryant (because he was acquired midseason) or Kevin Gausman (because he was extended a qualifying offer last offseason).

But they are free to negotiate with any or all of those players as well.

As much as Suzuki would look good in orange and black, the Giants arrive at the GM Meetings in Carlsbad, Calif., with more pressing concerns. They must fill out a rotation that currently consists of Logan Webb and nobody else. And the market for starting pitching is expected to move rapidly. The Dodgers already jumped into the fray by signing left-hander Andrew Heaney.

The Giants’ job just got ever so slightly tougher this week. They can still make an effective recruiting pitch as a landing spot for pitchers seeking to rebuild their value. They can still play up a coaching staff that includes pitching director Brian Bannister and a ballpark that is no bandbox. But throwing to Posey is no longer part of the bargain.

Posey’s retirement might not be a deal breaker for most free-agent starting pitchers, who will let money do the talking. But it’s possible that it might ever so slightly dim the allure of re-signing for Gausman, Wood or DeSclafani.

The Giants don’t have to protect their eligible minor-league players from the Rule 5 draft until Nov. 20, and they are already busy utilizing the free space on their 40-man roster. They claimed three players off waivers over the weekend, adding outfielder Austin Dean from the Cardinals, right-hander Hunter Harvey from the Orioles and left-hander Joe Palumbo from the Rangers.

You’ve heard this song before. It’s likely that they will end up designating one or all three players when they have to add prospects to the 40-man roster, and then hope to get them through waivers and stash them in their system.

What, you thought a 107-win season would change Farhan Zaidi?

[wco81]

Thanks for posting that article.

[wco81]

Belt accepts $18.4 million qualifying offer for 2022 season.

He's only the 3rd player in the last two seasons to take the qualifying offer. Out of 20 players given the qualifying offer in the last two seasons, only 3 accepted and 2 of the 3 are Gaussman and now Belt.

Guess he and his agent didn't think they'd get longer-term offers. He will be 34 in April but he probably had one of his best seasons, with the highest OPS in his career other than 2020, when he played 51 out of the 60 games that season.


Supposedly the Giants are interested in Nick Castellanos, who's 29 and coming off his best season. Overall Kris Bryant has had the better career.

Though who knows, Cincy is probably a more batter-friendly park than Oracle Park.

Is Castellanos necessarily going to have lower salary demands than Bryant?

[Samurai]

Belt accepts $18.4 million qualifying offer for 2022 season.

He's only the 3rd player in the last two seasons to take the qualifying offer. Out of 20 players given the qualifying offer in the last two seasons, only 3 accepted and 2 of the 3 are Gaussman and now Belt.

Guess he and his agent didn't think they'd get longer-term offers. He will be 34 in April but he probably had one of his best seasons, with the highest OPS in his career other than 2020, when he played 51 out of the 60 games that season.


Supposedly the Giants are interested in Nick Castellanos, who's 29 and coming off his best season. Overall Kris Bryant has had the better career.

Though who knows, Cincy is probably a more batter-friendly park than Oracle Park.

Is Castellanos necessarily going to have lower salary demands than Bryant?

With the obvious caveat that I don't know what their salary demands will be, in a vacuum I'd rather have Bryant over Castellanos. While Bryant demonstrated that he will never win a Gold Glove, having that kind of defensive flexibility (in an emergency he can play any IF or OF position) seems very much like a Farhan/Kapler type of guy. And if he enjoyed the guys/comraderie in the clubhouse as much as has been rumored, maybe he agrees to take a few dollars less to have the type of atmosphere that makes playing more fun for him.

[wco81]

Castellanos is also listed as 3B and outfielder. Not sure if he's as good or versatile as Bryant though.

[wco81]

Giants sign DeSclafani to a 3-year, $36 million deal.

He had one playoffs start for the Giants, 1 and 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 2 ER.

So expectations are no higher than a #3 starter? He had 3.17 ERA last season.

Presumably they will sign more of a #1 or #2 starter.

[shazam_guy]

I think they're looking for one. Giants, both under Sabean and Zaidi, tend to wait for a long time, then snap up someone that isn't getting what they want on the market. They've done pretty well on that over the years.

[Samurai]

So our rotation looks like Webb as the ace, DeSclafini as a mid-rotation guy and Wood (rumored to be finalizing a 2 year/$20M deal) as a back-end guy. Curious to see who we can find to fill out the rotation, particularly that #2/co-ace spot.

Apparently we are one of six teams who are kicking the tires on Chris Taylor of the Dodgers, who presumably would be a cheaper version of Kris Bryant as a super utility guy. Better glove (can play SS) and faster wheels but weaker bat.

[wco81]

Suzuki officially posted, drawing a lot of interest. Giants are among the teams said to be interested. One appeal would be that they need OF production and they would sign him without any need to pay compensation.

https://www.mlb.com/news/seiya-suzuki-rumors


However, Zaidi may not want to get into a bidding war or really try to recruit him like they did with Ohtani a few years ago.

For one thing, they may need top starters more than an outfielder. Giants may not want to commit big money all at once, though coming off a surprisingly successful season, they could be tempted.

Well they don't have to pay Buster next year and they got Belt and Crawford at good salaries, relative to their production last year.

They also let Cueto go, so that's another big salary they won't have to pay.

Still have Longoria on the books though and unfortunately, they may still need someone for 3B.

[shazam_guy]

Longoria is still capable of playing a good, even excellent third base, I think. It's only a question of health. I'm not sure I'd like to see us throw a lot of money at third until Longo's off the books. I doubt we keep Bryant, but he can at least play a lot of places besides third.

[wco81]

Dodgers lose Scherzer and Seager to free agency.

That contract Seager got is crazy.

Looks like Zaidi is going to nibble at value free agents this year. That's fine, though I'm not sure if they can have the same kind of season again.

[wco81]

Giants signed some lower-level international free agents.


They're still in the running for Suzuki?

One could argue Suzuki’s landing spot is tougher to peg than any other free agent’s. For one, different teams might have disparate evaluations on his projection. The broad consensus MLBTR received when speaking with various team personnel at the outset of the winter was that Suzuki projected as a well-rounded, productive everyday right fielder. Yet there’s likely more team-to-team variance on Suzuki’s outlook than there would be on those of players like Kyle Schwarber or Nick Castellanos, both of whom have lengthy MLB track records to evaluate.

Suzuki is also uncommonly young for a free agent. Having turned 27 years old in August, he should have a few seasons of peak performance ahead of him.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/01/mlbtr-poll-where-will-seiya-suzuki-sign.html