It’s up in the air whether the Giants are in for a big-spending offseason, though it appears arguably the game’s top soon-to-be free agent would be open to playing for them. Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole has interest in the Giants, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. While Cole’s brother-in-law, shortstop Brandon Crawford, plays for the Giants, Schulman notes he’s not the source of this information. A Cole signing, which could require a commitment in the neighborhood of $200MM, would give a San Francisco team that could lose pending free agent Madison Bumgarner a much-needed ace. Considering the cost, it would also be somewhat of an out-of-character transaction for Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. Back when Zaidi was the general manager of the ultra-rich Dodgers, they never even inked anyone to a nine-figure guarantee. However, in Zaidi’s first offseason with the Giants last winter, they did make an effort to reel in free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper. The Giants reportedly discussed a decade-long pact with Harper before he signed a 13-year, $330MM contract with the Phillies.
Here’s more on a couple other NL teams…
- Retired right-hander and current YES Network announcer David Cone told Joel Sherman of the New York Post he’s interested in becoming a major league manager or pitching coach, though he’s not “actively campaigning” for a job. Specifically, Cone would like to take over for the fired Mickey Callaway as the manager of the Mets, with whom Cone starred from 1987-1992 and finished his playing career in 2003. “If someone asks you for an interview with the Yankees or Mets, it is simple, you say, ‘yes,’” said Cone, who did have a phone conversation with general manager Brian Cashman in regards to the Yankees’ then-vacant managerial position in 2017. That was not a formal interview, though, and the role ultimately went to Aaron Boone. Cone has since remained in the YES booth, where he regularly incorporates analytics into his work. The 56-year-old’s modern approach to the game could potentially put him on teams’ radars, though his lack of coaching and front office experience may give clubs pause. As of now, there’s no indication any team is considering Cone for one of his desired roles.
- Rockies reliever Bryan Shaw just wrapped up his second straight disappointing season, but there was “some deadline interest” in him over the summer, Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes. Just as no trade came together then, it seems doubtful to happen going forward. For one, Shaw has logged a brutal 5.61 ERA/5.07 FIP with 7.96 K/9 and 4.05 BB/9 in his two-season, 126 2/3-inning Rockies tenure. He’s owed another $9MM in 2020 on top of it, and there’s an incentive in his deal that could turn a $9MM club option for 2021 into a guarantee. That’ll happen if Shaw appears in 40 games next year and finishes the season healthy. The 31-year-old racked up 70 appearances in 2019, so it would take a drastic fall in usage to prevent his ’21 option from vesting.
I didn’t realize how bad the Shaw deal really Was. !!!
Thank god shaw chose the rockies and not the mets.
Yeah thank god they signed Familia instead for more money and more term
Correction, same term but more money
While I’m of the opinion that Aaron Boone has done a fantastic job thus far, I was always a proponent of David Cone getting a managerial opportunity. He’s regularly impressive in the YES network booth, and I’d love to see what he could do as a skipper.
David Cone will be a great manager if he is hired by a team with a winning culture. He doesn’t seem like the guy who can create culture or bring it over the top, like a Francona or Leyland.
Why not?
Former pitchers and pitching coaches rarely make good managers.
I forgot that Brandon Crawford is Gerrit Cole’s brother in law, but that also means he is Rick Hahn’s number one priority this offseason!!! Which is to get a relative of Gerrit Cole so they can fail again at signing a premier free agent.
lol!
I can see the haters are out early this year! Smh
Crawford is a fringe mlb player lol, pretty sure cole will factor in going to a winning team rather than a rebuild like the giants. They arent just a pitcher away from contending.
Cole will calculate dollars offered. That will be the extent of his math. This is his one chance to make generational wealth and I’m sure he’d be more than willing to cash checks at the bottom of the standings. Plus he has a champions pedigree so he’ll believe his joining a team will turn it into a winner.
Cole has earned roughly $26 million during his career. He is already set for life. Money being relatively equal, he’ll choose to sign where he feels it’s best for his family and being on a perennial contender.
While $26 million is more than most of us could dream of, it’s not enough to accumulate “generational wealth.” And the comment before was saying Cole will be looking for just that. If your implying money will not play a factor, I would have to disagree. A family with $26 million with multiple adult kids could blow through that quick. Put 2 kids through college & 1 or 2 more with a drug addiction & 1 generation will go through that quick. Cole stands to make $200 million plus. With a good financial expert, he could set up his kids, their kids, & their kids. Plus people spend what they make. Most NFL players are broke and/or bankrupt within a few years of retiring. I agree with you in that Cole will take many things into consideration, but I promise, money will be a major one. One of main reasons Harper didn’t sign with SF was due to the millions he would lose paying state taxes in California.
Bottom line is Cole will be after the money and a place he can etch his name in the books. Harper last year had two offers, in the end you know those decisions ended with money and where he can hit bombs.
Oh how I can’t wait for the Giants to get their young crew up to the show, it’s going to be fun bashing on you Doyers!
Just want to ask but are the Giants in a position to start contending though?
Team full of guys who can’t hit, who can’t pitch,
and their top prospects are in the lower minors.
If Cole want’s to go there that’s his call but they don’t look like contenders to me. (for now)
Not in 2020. But I could definitely see the Giants competing in 2021. A whole ton of money comes off the books, and by then Ramos, Bart, Hjelle, and maybe Corry will be major league ready. Also, hopefully by 2021 the Giants have figured out which of Menez, Webb, Anderson, and Drod are major league starters.
Webb could be the real deal. Anderson looks more like a reliever, no opinion on Menez yet. Drod looks like a 1 year wonder.
Can you really bank on all of them delivering though? Some prospects don’t pan out at times.
If the Giants continue to shed payroll and get the promise out of these young kids coming up. 2021 can be pretty realistic for them to start contending.
The worst thing that happened for the rest of the NL West when Zaidi took over was his revitalization of their minor league and player development department. He pulled a couple rabbits out of his hat with the Yaz and Dickerson trades, but they’re really just stopgaps to fill the lineup until the youngsters are ready. It’s going to be a few years, but Giants fans will be patient if they show progress.
@Greenbaygiants, The majority of talent in the Giants minor league system came from the last regime, Zaidi has one draft and one international signing period under his belt. The guys he traded for throughout the year are all questionable other than Yaz and it looks like Dubon could be a great trade. Dickerson brought a spark, but the way Zaidi likes to run ball teams, changing out players each game instead of keeping a regular starting lineup doesn’t work. One or two position players can fill the role player character, but when you have 5 or 6 guys consistently switching out it hurts the team.
Interesting for Cole
Interesting for Cole
You can say that again.
Why would the Giants attempt to sign Gerrit Cole? He’s an elite pitcher, but he’s also the only elite pitcher (Unless you’re generous enough to call Bumgarner or Wheeler elite) on the open-market which likely inflates his already costly demand. I see them going after cheaper alternatives or even resigning Bumgarner as he will be much less pricey.
Wheeler is not elite. He has spent most of his career on the IL.
I think he spent it on the DL. He’s done a pretty good job of staying off the IL
Wheeler has been healthy the last 2+ seasons. Really minor shoulder fatigue last month. He is an stud, he hasnt even put it all together. When hes on he is very good and when hes not so good you still get 6 innings 2 runs allowed. So he is a difference maker.
He is a number 3 starter at best.
Strasburg
well they have one more year of Shark, Bum may walk, no telling if Cueto holds up after surgery, Webb looks very promising but totally unproven, Beede is a complete mystery, Anderson may well end up in the pen, no idea what they will get from Menez, DRod has a huge hill to climb to get back in the game, Hjelle is probably at least a year out and Corry at least 2 out. They need a proven ace. They have the $, question is will they spend it. They also could back end some of a Cole contract to allow them to bring back Bum as well. Cole, Cueto, Shark, and Bum would be solid; and eat up a lot of innings taking the pressure off a bullpen that pretty much as to be rebuilt
@Eric P, I would have written pretty much the exact same comment.
Personally I’m not sold on Hjelle, at beat I see him as a #4 starter, hopefully he can at least develop into that, maybe a Kirk Rueter type. I think they’ll give Anderson another shot at starting, that may mean he starts 2020 at AAA. Who knows which Beede will show up each game, if he could just be consistent he’d make a solid 3 maybe even a 2 with some of his pitches. Webb had been successful everywhere he has pitched so far, and he showed a bit in the majors to make you think he can be successful in the show as well. I’d like to see them push Corry a little bit, get him up to AA by midseason next year if he is still pitching like he did this year.
That starting rotation if Bum and Cole were to sign would keep them in almost every game.
Why does every ex player think they would be the next great Mgr? David you are in the booth for a reason.
And you are voicing your opinion here for a reason.
He is in the booth for a reason? Sure the reason is he is good at it. Not that he could not be a manager
Side giants note, the bullpens were removed from the side of the field and they are moving forward with the plan to place them in triples alley along with bringing the fence in. Saw some photos of them digging them up on the first I think.
They dig them up every year but you are correct the bullpens are being relocated to the outfield. It’s not confirmed to be in triples alley.
Wish they’d put them in that useless section in center. Make it a two tiered bullpen that would look nice, be safer with them out of the way, and not take away the contours of the outfield we have grown accustomed to.
A Gerrit Cole Giants match is highly dependent on who the next Manager is. The Crawford Cole match is dependent on the direction of the club. Cole will probably be around longer than Crawford. If they go internal, I could see it happening.
I would loooovvee to see coney in a yankee unit again.. as a pitching coach. I think Rothschild is done.. as we’ve seen a lot of ex Yankees thrive on other teams. We need new blood and Coney is it
Rothschild has been done for years. He is nothing special as a pitching coach
Rothschild is a Martian lizard person, according to that tubby Texan with the megaphone.
The Incredible Adventures of Tubby Texan and the Martian Lizard People
he doesn’t want to go the giants,all the writers from S.F.belirbe everyone wants to play there why, the team stinks won’t be good for at least three years. Stanton nixed a trade there last year Harper said no too.
Can we please stop thinking people with zero managing experience will provide quick fixes? The Mets need a manager that can handle his roster, plan ahead and not cater to ownership at the expense of wins.
The Mets missed the playoffs by three games. Cano hit third for 231 at bats, knocking in 19 runs and scoring 18. He plated 13 runners in the first half (65 games) on something other than a homerun. They went 22-37 with him starting. In 29 of those 65 games he went hitless, yet Callaway kept batting him third.
Diaz blew game after game and yet they kept running him out there when it mattered. He allowed 80 baserunners and a whopping 15 long balls in just 58 innings. His 7 losses and 7 blown saves don’t even indicate just how hard he got hit pitch after pitch.
Syndergaard blames Ramos for his 5.00 era at home and 42 stolen bases allowed.
Somehow deGrom only has 21 wins in TWO full, dominant seasons.
…yeah, somewhere in there you have to blame the manager for missing the playoffs by 3 games when you have the talent the Mets do. You also have to blame those responsible for not adding the players necessary when you have 4 infielders playing outfield, no bullpen consistency (other than Lugo) and no depth what so ever.
We need a manager that believes every game matters, every day.
do you think playing Cano regularly and running out Diaz home run after home run was actually Calloway and Riggleman’s call? that call was from the front office as were a lot of other in game decisions. I’m not saying that Callaway is the second coming of Miller Huggins,but I’d venture to say that a lot of those awful decisions weren’t made in the dugout.