Newly-christened Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi enters his first offseason by the bay with a difficult task at hand: overhaul a hole-ridden roster littered with fallen stars still cashing huge paychecks. His work may begin in the outfield, where the team expects to add “at least two more” players before pitchers and catchers report in late February, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. The current group, headlined by the defense-first, strikeout-prone prospect Steven Duggar, has won most of its accolades in Triple-A or below, though 26-year-old (on Thursday) Austin Slater and longtime up-and-down man Mac Williamson have certainly had their moments. Still, it’s arguably the weakest current crop at the three spots across baseball, sorely in need of track-record infusion throughout. Pavlovic does take care to note that there’s “no indication” the Giants are currently pursuing Bryce Harper.
In other news from the orange and black . . .
- Per Pavlovic, reliever Hunter Strickland’s chances of a reunion with San Francisco appear to be nil, though it’s possible — albeit “unlikely” — outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, non-tendered by the club just before the Nov. 30 deadline, could be back. Zaidi offered some window into his decision to let the 30-year-old Strickland go, noting that right-handed relief is “an area of surplus for the club” and that the team couldn’t “find a fit” in trade talks surrounding the volatile right-hander. If his work with Los Angeles is any indication, the former Dodger GM seems to place a premium on command when acquiring relief arms, and despite early-career stinginess in the area, Strickland’s walk rate has eclipsed the 4.0 BB/9 mark in each of the last two seasons.
- Per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, the team has not given Zaidi any directive to move one of its big contracts, nor has he been informed of a payroll threshold. The free-spending club already has nearly $162MM in projected salaries on hand for the 2019 season, with six players owed $39.5MM or more over the life of their remaining deals. Earlier today, Bob Nightengale of the USA Today reported that first baseman Brandon Belt, owed $48MM through 2021 season, is available and has been drawing significant interest across the league. Other depreciating assets, like Mark Melancon, Evan Longoria, and righty Jeff Samardzija, may be more difficult to move.
I had no idea Strickland was non tendered, or waived, or whatever. I thought he was still on the team. Anyways, Giants need to trade MadBum. They can afford to have an OF of Duggar, Williamson, Slater, and Shaw. I don’t see any one free agent (Harper) that would put them over the hump and above the Rockies, let alone the Dodgers… and it’s a damn dog fight in the East… Rockies, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Nationals, Brewers, Cubs, and Cardinals will all be in it until September. And the Pirates, Reds, and Padres believe they are ready to start competing. I just don’t think the Giants can compete… they would need to sign 2 of the top 3 free agent outfielders, one or two of the top 5 free agent relievers, and I’d say 1-2 of the top 5 free agent starters, just for this team to claim they are legitimately going to compete. And they do not have the payroll space for that, no team has that kind of payroll space lol. If I’m the Giants, I’m trading Posey, Belt, MadBum, Watson, Smith… and then I’d trade Cueto, Panik, Longo, and Samardzija as soon as any of them build up their trade value. The giants are gonna finish 3rd 4th or 5th in that division no matter if Garcia or Posey Catches, no matter if Ryder Jones or Belt plays first. If Hanson or Panik play second, or if their OF is Duggar, Shaw, Williamson, and Slater… Maybe even trade Crawford… this team will finish above Miami, that’s the only thing I’m certain about.
But I’m not a GM, what do I know? Zaidi will figure it out.
Well, we know what you didn’t know. About does it for me.
Yup the lack of knowledge is clear
His syntax may be awkward, but I’d not only suggest that andrewgauldin is spot on, I believe that dumping and/or waiting out those veteran salaries will be Mr. Zaidi’s prime focus the next 2 years. Simultaneously he’ll slowly be adding under-the-radar building blocks.
Teams have to be more constrained about giving out ridiculous long-term contracts. Almost none of them are worth it. The fact that a big-money large-market team like the Giants could get themselves in this position (one they’ve been in for a few years now), should be a lesson. This year we see the Mariners extricating themselves from that web, while the Phillies are furiously spinning theirs.
At some point the league becomes saturated with bad contracts, and there are no longer other teams with the resources to take them on in a salary dump. Teams that can produce young, cheap, physically resilient players will be the winners.
Speaking of syntax…. Massachusetts wants to charge 20% tax on weed.
That’s all?
California’s tax is so high, that black market’s continue to thrive as they don’t file or pay taxes.
True.
well this is the way that mlb is built. teams in large markets are always at a disadvantage when it comes to building and stockpiling young talent. the draft is structured to give small market teams a huge advantage in the draft. big market teams are expected to spend on the contracts. the things that the giants did in this situation that created the issue are: signing Samardzija which cost them a pick (the giants head a crazy few picks that year) and signing long term contracts for fan favorites as a reward.
Yea.. I think it’s better if we choose to ignore this comment.
I stopped reading your comment after you said SF could afford to have an OF of Duggar Williamson Slater and Shaw. Actually I read one more sentence just to make sure there wasn’t a “just kidding, that would be foolish”
I literally did the same thing lol
your self-avowed declaration of ignorance is convincing, sir. now, back to your nap…
Arizona is taking steps backwards. Colorado is always a flux team. If they can stay hot going into the last quarter season. Dodgers are cream of the crop. San Diego is a no go for now. . . Brewers are playoff contenders. Cards always. Cubs will be in it. Pirates Reds Eh. . . Atlanta Phillie Washington. Mets trying to go big. . . . . Point Being, It would take a Miracle to make a Giants Run. They’d have to kill in the West. Including Dodgers. . . At least .500. They’re Offense would have to travel. Especially in the Midwest Swing. . . And they’d have to Pitch fantastically out east. And throughout. . . . . . . I think with our ballpark. Offense is the key. As has been the case for several seasons now. Two Openings in the Outfield. Bring in the Cheap Sluggers….. And Trade Bait if we’re out of it by August… Trade Belt too.? I’d say you kind of have to, considering the injuries… Can get another first basemen. Or Shaw later can play. Another Cheap Slugger. Pick Him Up……. Then maybe Boom. . . Band of Misfits Part Duex……. Cutting Strikland was a chemistry thing too… Glad he’s gone. And a lot of the robotic type guys they’d had for a while. . . Bring on the personality and fire… And show us the money…….
The historic problem with Colorado is pitching
Hitters have never been an issue
Lately, Colorado has been seeking power arms on their rotation via draft but yeah
If they can ever consistently lock down pitching they would run the west
Just my opinion
Colorado’s pitching was great last season. Freeland is a stud. Their problem was consistent offense.
FYI;
When MLB decided to expand in the late 50’s, Denver was one of over a dozen cities that were possibilities. They were rejected for decades because of their high-altitude thin-air component.
MLB teams long worked around the hitting and pitching statistics of players that not only played for the AAA Denver Bears, but even those of visiting players. Batted balls carried; breaking pitches didn’t break.
Science hasn’t helped level the field since the Rockies were formed. Frozen baseballs were tried; an expensive airtight enclosed stadium with chemically treated air was proposed. Nothing changes.
The fact is that pitchers will continue to suffer in that park, while batters will always hit better there then anywhere else in MLB cities.
Imagine if they ever tried to get a team in Mexico City, which has been suggested. They have something like 2000 more feet elevation over Denver. They could bring back Dante Bichette and Vinnie Castillo and they’d hit 50 bombs each.
I guess I don’t understand your rant. They play 81 games on the road, too.
Right, but teams strategically play to their home advantage. Also, I can assume there would be frustrations when you get shelled at home, then pitch well on the road. Same goes for the offense when you’re crackin’ homers out of the park then can’t reach the warning track when you’re in St. Louis.
The problem with Denver is not that the field is at 5200 ft, it that you live and play at 5200 ft and it’s much, much harder for your body to recover at that elevation. Regardless of playing road games too, they return to Denver and their bodies are unable to recover as fast as that guy that plays at sea level.
LMAO. The Rockies had one of the worst offenses in baseball last season and one of the best pitching staffs. Are you paying attention?
Colorado has been to the playoffs two straight years and took the Dodgers to a 163rd game last year. The Brewers and Cubs played in a tougher division and had better records. The Dodgers haven’t won a WS since 1988. The Giants have 3 this century. Seems the Dodgers are NOT the cream of the crop.
Fowler for Melancon
Then you’re just repeating the same thing as Bobby Evans. If anything you want to clear some payroll not add Fowler’s age 35 season at 17m. Plus Melancon and Fowler both have no trade clauses
Considering Fowler’s mentor is Barry Bomds, I’m pretty sure he’d okay a trade.
Oh look another media source devoting a whole article about the Giants and nothing about the A’s. We have the better record, we have the better team, we have the real fans. Oakland is a real baseball city and no one pays attention to us. What a joke, just like that city across the bay.
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The world doesn’t revolve around my team
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
All 500 of your fans are pretty hardcore, I’ll give you that.
Seriously, A’s fans need to focus on their team and stop crying about the Giants
Wait… Oakland has a Baseball team??
You know the joke…….
Q – What does Oakland have that San Francisco doesn’t?
A – A charming, gleaming, elegant, world class city……….across the Bay.
Of course that joke was from 15-20 years ago. It may no longer be valid today.
Apparently you haven’t been to SF recently
Wait…. they also have 9 rings, one more than the giants???
for now they do…
We in the same boat. SF is a dump, east bay is where its at. Lets go Oakland!
Oakland has the lower crime rate. More world class landmarks. And two things that city doesn’t. A football and basketball team. #rootedinoakland #cityofchampions
World class landmarks? Like what? Seriously, I can’t think of one world-class landmark, except maybe Jack London Square, which is essentially the only decent place in Oakland to take your family and is just a poorer attempt at Pier 39.
I’m a Giants fan that abhors the city of San Francisco, but if you asked me where I want to go for a weekend Oakland would be about three steps lower than Detroit.
And you’re preaching about a football team and basketball team that are jumping at the opportunity to leave your city for actual venues. Heck, San Francisco is taking the Warriors back and you guys couldn’t even keep the Raiders for the SECOND time.
As a person who was born and raised in the Bay Area, I can tell you San Francisco is the last place I want to go in the Bay Area. Maybe for tourists visiting for the weekend it is something to see but it has turned into a dump and is one of the most overrated cities in the U.S. I’m glad the warriors are moving to create less traffic and give more chaos to SF then it already has.
I’m with you there, dude. I have lived in the South Bay my whole life. That city has allowed itself to become a cesspool of homeless and hipsters and it’s only getting worse. The only time I go up there now is for work or Giants games.
However, I’d rather go walk around that place any day of the week over downtown Oakland. Maybe after 10 or 20 more years of gentrification can your city say it’s a place to visit, but…
I agree, but there’s other spots around Oakland that are nicer areas to visit such as Berkeley and Walnut Creek that I’d rather visit then SF, that’s just me as a local though, but as someone coming to the Bay Area for the first time I can understand why San Francisco would be first on their bucket list.
Oakland has actually changed a lot recently. with the over gentrification of sf,a lot of people (myself included) escaped to the east bay over the last decade or so and it really has changed things. arguably Oakland outs actually more diverse and has more going on than sf does.
I reside in Walnut Creek. It is not a part of Oakland for sure. Good 45 minutes away from Oakland.
If you’re talking West Oakland, it’s a disaster, but there are nice parts of Oakland. I’m a Giants fan and even id agree that there are parts of Oakland that are much better than Sanfrancisco. Still, I don’t understand how you consider Walnut Creek part of Oakland.
you should go there sometime. Oakland feels like 100% different than it did like, a year ago. i say that as someone who lives in alameda and has watched the change from an arm’s length. id you look today there are even new skyscrapers going up….
I’m talking east bay in general, walnut creek is like a 30 minute drive without traffic from Oakland. Moraga is a nice area as well, I’m just stating there are areas around/outside Oakland that are nice even though like you said west Oakland isn’t the nicest.
Kole Calhoun straight up Melancon. What do you say Giants?
Calhoun owed $10.50 mil for 2019 plus $1 mil buyout.
Melancon owed $28 mil next two years plus $8 mil in deferred
signing bonus, Great deal for Giants, horrible deal for Angels.
So, is the SF outfield worse than Cleveland’s?
If I was asked what the Giants outfield was currently for the 2019 season, I’d shrug my shoulder and go, “pfffft.”
I’m sure they will grab a bat of some sort, but they are keeping their cards to their vest right now. I’ve read zero rumors on any outfielder meeting with the Giants. I’m hopeful Duggar, Slater and Mac get some sort of time together out there, but Zaidi hasn’t given any indication what he’s going to do.
Strickland release was made so that Bryce Harper wouldn’t have any obstacles in the way coming to the Giants. There is a lot of bad blood between the two.
Strickland has bad blood with doors too.