The Giants are casting a wide net as they search for outfield help, and they’re prepared to move Hunter Pence to a part-time role if their other acquisitions necessitate such a transition, GM Bobby Evans tells Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.
Evans tells Crasnick that the team’s “focus is center field” and upgrading the defense, though San Francisco has, of course, been widely linked to Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton in trade talks as well. The acquisition of a center fielder wouldn’t appear to force Pence into a timeshare at first glance, though John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted this afternoon that if the Giants are successful in adding both a center fielder and a right fielder such as Stanton, the team could put Pence and Denard Span into a left-field platoon.
Landing Stanton and an established center fielder would be a lofty goal, though Shea also tweets that a short-term fix could be an option in center field. The organization is high on 24-year-old Steven Duggar and believes he could eventually be an internal candidate to man center on a long-term basis. The 2015 sixth-rounder is likely to open next year in Triple-A, per Shea.
Of course, it remains to be seen just how the Giants will remedy their outfield situation. Joel Sherman of the New York Post also chatted with Evans, and the GM acknowledged that the poor reputation of San Francisco’s farm system makes trading with other organizations more difficult. Evans also plainly stated that the Giants would “prefer not to go over [the luxury tax barrier] for the fourth straight year.”
Adding Stanton’s $25MM average annual value to the luxury tax ledger would almost certainly put the Giants right up against that threshold. Between the average annual values of Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Mark Melancon, Denard Span, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Moore and Pence (plus $13.9MM in arbitration projections), the Giants already have nearly $154MM on the luxury tax ledger. That’s not even including a potential center-field addition, pre-arbitration players or the roughly $13MM of player benefits that is included in luxury tax calculations. Nevertheless, Sherman characterizes them as a legitimate suitor for the 2017 home run king.
[Related: San Francisco Giants payroll outlook]
As Crasnick notes, the Giants have been tied to virtually every outfielder on the free-agent or trade market. In addition to Stanton, San Francisco has been linked to Lorenzo Cain (link), Jackie Bradley Jr. (link), Billy Hamilton (link) and Jay Bruce (link) in the past week alone.
San Francisco outfielders were far and away the least productive unit in all of Major League Baseball last season, hitting just .255/.309/.375 while also posting the fifth-worst Defensive Runs Saved total in the game (-42). Pence, 35 next April, played no small role in those struggles. The former All-Star hit .260/.315/.385 with passable but unspectacular defense in right field. He’s owed $18.5MM next season — the final year of a five-year, $90MM contract with the Giants.
As he should be.
Pitching and defense were by far there biggest problems last year. A healthy Pence can still provide offense on a part time basis. Duggar will be the starting CF by mid-season. Hamilton would be a great acquisition.
The defense made the pitching a lot worse though, so position players (defensively and offensively) were the major problem.
IF defense was passable but the OF was horrible and the pen was great/awful/great/awful with no idea what you were getting that day……..
This team needs to tear it down. Won’t happen this year. An accelerated rebuild by mass exodus and huge payroll every year means an entirely new team in two years is attainable. I think that the large pitching contracts will be moveable at the trade deadline.
Let’s wait and see what happens after 2018, when they have guys back from injuries (Bumgarner, Smith, Belt, Cueto—if he can fix the blister issue). And when we see how the new coaches help. Let’s also see who they bring in as upgrades.
If they lose 90+ games in 2018, then let’s call for a rebuild. But until then, you have to see if the team can rebound.
If this is the final year of Pence’s five-year $90MM contract, and this is just happening now, then all in all, I consider that contract a success. (Even though, I hear complaints from many Giants fans here, Giants are too loyal to FA signings )
Always been a Hunter Pence fan. Great Signing. Classy guy!
Agree. Pence is a classy guy for sure. I know he was injured last couple of years but he seemed to be really susceptible to the breaking ball off the plate away this last year especially. Two strike count every RH pitcher threw him sliders that broke off the plate and he would K. If Pence could pick that pitch up and drive it the other way. I think we would see a different Pence at the plate. Towards the end of the season he seemed to be better. So I’m hoping he will turn things around.
That was his issue early in his career in Houston.
He couldnt lay off a high fastball either last year. Watching Dodgers vs Giants they kept going upstairs to him and he kept chasing. Swung through it or popped up
A Span/Pence platoon in LF makes sense, even if they don’t acquire Cain, Hamilton or whomever. I would rather see some combination of Parker, Slater, Hernandez, Williamson, etc. in CF and RF. If at least 2 aren’t working out, bring up Duggar or acquire someone at the deadline. That’s assuming they don’t get Stanton. Also hoping Bruce is not a consideration.
This was SFs plan last year. Kind. Hoping that Parker or Williamson stepped up. Neither of them did. Sure they both were injured but really not one prospect looked half decent last year.
Not saying it’s ideal, but I would still rather see the prospects with a LF platoon, than Span and Pence at the corners. But last year Parker was just starting to figure it out when he ran into the wall and broke his collar bone. Slater was putting up good numbers when he was injured.
Ideally they get Stanton, and Duggar gets promoted in May and rakes, but neither of those things can be counted on. And what are the alternatives? Not sure a 4 year commitment to Cain makes sense. Bruce makes no sense. Maybe Jon Jay, but he’s not going to be enough on his own. Hamilton and JBJ aren’t FAs.
Slater looked pretty good
Austin Slater looked good before he got injured.
108ops+ First half.
Wonder if there is a 3 way trade between BOS / MIA / SF to move Belt to BOS, prospects from BOS to MIA and Stanton to SF? BOS is in the market for 1B. After that maybe the Giants can cobble something together with Jarrod Dyson to CF and maybe something like Howie Kendrick or Adam Lind for the vacancy at 1B?
Span is owed $9M for 2018. If he were shipped out with $8M of cash (hypothetically) would the Giants count him as $9M against their luxury tax figure? Or $1M? Or something different?
BOS would be unlikely to trade anything close to what it would take SF to get Stanton in such a scenario, especially when the Red Sox themselves appear interested in acquiring Stanton themselves.
Red Sox can be interested till the cows come home cause Stanton won’t go there. Why keep beating this dead horse?
Don’t think he’ll go to San Fran either…….Double Dead Horse…..waste of time.
I don’t care that SF is a “west coast team”. Stanton wants to go somewhere that he can “win now”. He’s tired of empty promises and patiently waiting for a ring. Not sure where he’ll end up, but I’d bet the House that it Won’t Be San Fran.
Speaking of beating a dead horse: the lame, lazy argument of “the Giants lost 90+ games, therefore they won’t compete” is just as bad.
We literally saw two 90+ loss teams from 2016 make it to the playoffs (Diamondbacks & Twins), and two high-80 loss teams (Angels with 88, Brewers with 89) be competitive til the very end.
3 of those 4 have exciting young players and are on an upward trajectory…
Along with the other factors that’ll most likely make the Giants better in 2018 (healthy players, better coaches), couldn’t Stanton and a few other acquisitions make the Giants better?
I don’t think Stanton and his agent are this dumb to look at the standings and think, “Hmm, the Giants were terrible in 2017 and they’ll never, ever, ever be good again.”
There were so many factors that led to the miserably bad season that was 2017. But this is a team that knows how to win and with some tweaks, could be back on track. I would be willing to bet that if the Giants put forth a package that the Marlins would accept, Stanton would accept a trade.
Exactly. Giants were every bit as bad as the 98 loses suggests. And the farm is barren. SF is not the place to come if you want to win anytime soon.
Belt is a worse move than just siging santana/morrison or even duda.
The numbers say differently, not to mention defense and how Belt makes the entire IF better. Baseball is more than just hitting, but even if it were Belt would still be better than Morrison and Duda. I’ll take Belt’s career 126 OPS+ and 19.9 WAR over Morrison’s 109 OPS+ and 5.2 WAR. And I certainly wouldn’t want a guy that can’t hit LHPs like Duda. The guy has a career .218 BA, and a .659 OPS against lefties. Taking Duda over Belt would be completely nonsensical.
I believe his point was that neither of Morrison or Duda would require prospect capitol so it would be a more sensible move for the Red Sox.
Yeah, I got that, but the Sox would get more production from the position by acquiring Belt than they would with the other guys. Not sure the budget approach is the best if the team wants to win.
Don’t u know by now that you are not allowed to put your ideas or any thoughts whatsoever in a comment section without ridicule! This evidently is not a forum for fans opinions.
I read an article on McCovey Chrinicals that mentions a potential match up with Boston for Jackie Bradley Jr. The Red Sox need a 1B and the article compares Belt and Hosmer, which Belt actually performs better than Hosmer and would be quite a bit cheaper. Belt for JBJ could be some sort of foundation for a trade.
Then if the Giants were to get creative, they could really separate themselves from the competition. Stanton AND Prado for Span, Arroyo, Beede, And Strickland. Take on all of the money from Miami.
That would get the SF 2018 Payroll to roughly $176mm on 16 players. $30mm would be coming off the books in 2019 and all are pretty much replaceable players.
Wow, take on ALL of Stanton and Prado’s contract, only dumping Span’s, and giving up prospects and a reliever? Are you bleeding Giants or Marlins orange?!
It’s easy to spend….. “Someone Else’s Money”…..
I think most Giants Fans know that there’s very little chance that they can acquire Stanton…..so they post “Incredibly Ludicrous Deals” that should entice the Marlins FO. Problem is, But…..Stanton has the Final Say.
Theoretically…….If the Mets offered Synderguaard, deGrom, and Rosario…….but Stanton hates NY……There’s No Deal.
Geez, dude. Give it a rest. We all know, Stanton has a full no trade clause.
Why is bad for Giants fans, or any fans for that matter, to post theoretical trade ideas? There is no “Final Say” if there is no reasonable deal. A team has to put an offer together that intrigues Miami before Stanton can even approve any such deal.
Stanton doesn’t have the “final say”. He simply approves or declines. His approval, or lack thereof, doesn’t change who goes back to Miami in a trade. Those conversations have to take place before Stanton gets his “final say.”
Such is the nature of posts like this.
Thanks for injecting some logic and reason. It’s getting kind of lame on here that every thought is met with negativity. I understand the ridicule when Casey’s Partner indicates the Phillies management are all bigots but I can’t understand why mediocre proposals or opinions by your average poster get lambasted continually. Not every thought is a winner, no reason to call the guy a moron
Belt to BOS for Bradley Jr makes a lot of sense for both sides as long as the Red Sox see Belt as a long term solution at 1B. They’ll probably kick the tires on Hosmer and Santana first, check in on CWS wants for Abreu, and if none of those options pan out they may consider Belt.
I think it makes sense for both teams as well. I see Belt as a better version of Moreland. Belt would benefit a lot hitting in Boston, New York, Toronto, and Baltimore
Were he traded to Boston, Belt would benefit from hitting in the AL East except at home. He would need to change his swing to benefit from the monster for hitting there to be an advantage. But as things are right now, the park effect of AT&T, which hurts Belt’s numbers significantly, are the similar to those in Boston.
Actually Belt can hit it out to any part of the park, over the last 3 seasons just over a 1/3 of his HR have been left of center.
DFA him. All he seems to be interested in is making stupid YouTube videos with his coattail riding wife. He has been a shell of his former self ever since he got married. That chick took his head out of the game.
Pence hasn’t been healthy and he’s getting older. To blame his wife is just stupid.
I don’t know about stupid. Not saying it is what happened to Pence but we’ve seen it happen to plenty of players. Call it the Kris Benson treatment
Haha I thought u were talking about Stanton. If you’ve seen his girlfriend dance you could easily understand him being slightly distracted. I don’t know if Pence’s wife dances.
Not a Giants fan but a straight trade on Pence for Ellsbury. Yankees throwing in some money might work
Why would Pence waive his no-trade clause to go from a part-time role in San Francisco to a part-time role in New York?
Pence likes SF, has rings with SF. Better chance to win in NY, but I doubt Pence would approve any trade.
SF has only a 1 year commitment to Pence. No way they’re interested in trading that for a 3 year commitment to Ellsbury no matter how much money NY kicks in (unless it was enough to be able to just painlessly release him, and that’s not happening either).
Ells and Pence both have no trade clauses.
Which 5 teams had the worst defensive OF in 2017?
Trade Pence for Choo. That will help both teams. The Rangers and Giants