Although the Giants’ outfield ended the 2019 campaign a lowly 22nd in WAR and 28th in wRC+, the club hasn’t made any notable moves to upgrade the area since then. But president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi believes that will change before spring training opens, as he told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I would still expect us to add one or two players to the outfield mix before we get to camp,” Zaidi said. “Whether by trade or free agency, whether it’s the NRI (non-roster invitee) route or the major-league roster, there are still guys out there we think will be good additions for us. That would still be our expectation.”
Zaidi was unwilling to comment on specific players who are available, but he revealed that the team’s “evaluating every guy.” While free agency is low on potentially impactful players at this stage, it’s worth noting that at least a few of the top outfielders remaining do have Giants connections. The best outfielder left, Yasiel Puig, played for the archrival Dodgers when Zaidi was their GM. Kevin Pillar was a well-respected Giant during his time there last season, but the team non-tendered him in November instead of paying him a projected $9.7MM in arbitration (however, perhaps San Francisco will circle back to him at a cheaper cost). Cameron Maybin‘s also still unsigned – he was a Giant last spring, though they released him before the start of the season.
Elsewhere on the market, another ex-Giant, Hunter Pence, as well as Domingo Santana, Jarrod Dyson, Billy Hamilton, Jacoby Ellsbury and Juan Lagares represent other notable outfield-capable players looking for jobs. As you’d expect at this stage of the offseason, though, all come with their share of warts. Pence and Santana are likely better suited for DH roles; Dyson, Hamilton and Lagares bring little to the table offensively; and the injury-riddled Ellsbury hasn’t taken the field since 2017.
As things stand, the Giants are projected to enter 2020 with a fairly unproven outfield, which was also the case last year before they acquired Pillar from Toronto at the start of April. Now, Mike Yastrzemski looks like the most promising member of the group, having enjoyed a strong rookie season in 2019. Alex Dickerson also put up good overall offensive numbers, but the lefty hitter did all of his damage versus righties and saw his production plummet as the season progressed. Meanwhile, the Giants’ other projected starting outfielder, Steven Duggar, endured a rough year while dealing with injuries.
Beyond Yastrzemski, Dickerson and Duggar, the Giants have Jaylin Davis – whom FanGraphs calls “a potential low-end regular” – as well as Austin Slater, Joey Rickard and Drew Robinson, among others, as possibilities to begin the year on the roster. Judging by Zaidi’s comments, though, they and the rest of San Francisco’s in-house outfield candidates could have more company when camp opens.
Is time for dumpster diving
Fantasy if everything goes well for the giants. This is a 1/200 chance btw.
1. Cueto 3.30 ERA 160 IP 130Ks 1.11 WHIP
2. Jeff Samardzija 3.80 ERA 200IP 160K 1.13 WHIP
3. Kevin Gausman 3.60 ERA 180IP 180K 1.21 WHIP
4. Drew Smyley 3.40 ERA 180IP 185K 1.14 WHIP
5. Tyler Beede 4.05 ERA 170IP 175K 1.24 WHIP
1B. Brandon Belt .280 .360 18 844 OPS
2B. Yolmer Sanchez .250 .310 8 685 OPS
3B Evan Longoria .260 .325 25 790 OPS
SS Mauricio Dubon .260 .330 14 720 OPS
C Buster Posey .290 .370 15 850 OPS
LF Dickerson .290 .350 17 810 OPS
RF Darin Ruf .230 .340 26 800 OPS
CF Mike Yastrzemski .280 .350 30 860 OPS
Darin ruf is not playing right field. he’s bengie fast. I’ve been saying all winter it’ll be Santana. but the one guy not mentioned here is the one I think they might grab. the grandyman could be another piece you hope to never a trade piece.
Bold predictions for everybody. I’d be surprised if Gausman is in the rotation though. As for Beede, he turned it around his last few starts of 2019. Fangraphs and a lot of the baseball geeks are high on Beede.
I’d be shocked if Gausman wasn’t in the rotation. The Giants didn’t give him 9 million bucks to be a long man.
Giants fans need to wake the heck up
Here . I mean, the pitching is going to be awful.
How do you know? Judging by your name, you only know one side of the plate!
Maybe one of those projections come true….two would be a stretch….Smyly will not come close to 185 Ks….this team sucks and is in the middle of a rebuild or retooling whatever u want to call it….but these projections place them in 3rd place maybe even 2nd place in their division and that is not happening….sorry
180 IP would also be a career high for Smyly, which is to say projecting him for that type of production is, to your point, a stretch
Clearly, These predictions are the work of a madman.
They can only hit those projected IPs if Dusty was the manager.
Your Gausman prediction indicates mental instability.
Who cares, team is garbage
Giants fans care. it’s about getting players that can attain value to prove the future. if you don’t care, why comment?
Considering the Giants are a top 3 MLB team in terms of revenue and history and msrket, more people care about the Giants in a bad year than care about your team in a good year. Children these days I swear.
The Giants.lol
Dude, why do you have such a hard on for the Giants? I swear, Yankee fans have to be the dumbest fans in baseball.
Thinks I’m a Yankee fan, and I’M the moron?
You might not be a Yankee fan, but you are absoutely a moron. and an idiot.
Senzel is the perfect add and we’ve got nothing to lose by adding Puig…
1) Senzel – CF
2) Dubon – 2b
3) Yaz – LF
4) Puig – RF
5) Belt – 1b
6) Posey – C
7) Crawford/Solano – SS
8) Longoria – 3b
Not great but would provide a glimmer of future hope and the dead wood in the lineup is obvious.
Near Future hole-fillers: Joey Bart, Heliot Ramos, Marco Luciano and/or Will Wilson and Hunter Bishop.
you’re right. but we have nothing to make that happen.
“Near Future hole-fillers: Joey Bart, Heliot Ramos, Marco Luciano and/or Will Wilson and Hunter Bishop.”
You’re right…. near, but not this year. I think you’ll see a cup of coffee from one or two in September, but otherwise 2021 and 2022..
Who are they going to trade for Senzel? Reds would want good players, and the Giants don’t have those outside of the minor leaguers you mentioned who they shouldn’t trade.
Wil Myers is available… Cheap!
Knowing the Padres they’ll trade away the next Rizzo or Kluber alongside Myers to get rid of the salary… so I’m all for it.
As long as the Fathers give up their top pitching prospect the Giants will take on ALL of Myers contract.
ItsGonnaBePuigMeme.jpg
Not a fan of Puig, but if he doesn’t get any decent offers wouldn’t be the worst signing. Pillar coming back would be good, even as a defensive replacement. Nothing asset wise to trade for anyone, as the Giants aren’t interested in trading any of their prospects. Could see a bunch of guys like Kemp signed for spring training, or a trade for a guy whose blocked from playing time. Giants are firmly focused on being good 1-2 years from the start of this season.
The Giants are going to be terrible. You’re trying to polish a turd here
Domingo Santana Or Yasiel Puig please. Or trade for Nick Senzel if he doesn’t cost a top prospect. He probably will though.
Senzel is basically a top prospect. He’ll cost at least Bart and Corry.
Lol He’d require some top prospects, but not that high of prospects. Giants wouldn’t give up Bart for Bryant, mich less Senzel.
Denzel for Joey Bart? I got some ocean front property in Arizona for you.
Sorry I typed wrong that’s Senzel. I’m afraid Joey Bart is NOT available.
Sorry I typed wrong that’s Senzel. I’m afraid Joey Bart is NOT available.
How about Crawford and Luciano for Senzel?
We aren’t trading Luciano or Bart
To all the know it all’s, Get a fricken clue and know your facts before you look like morons over and over again.
1.) Crawford has a NO TRADE CLAUSE IN HIS CONTRACT.
2.) The Reds GM said that Senzel is no available and won’t be traded.
I like to read all the comments, but when all the DUMB ASSES make DUMB ASS comments it drives me nuts.
It was just a hypothetical…take it easy Einstein…geez.
And if you knew anything about baseball…nobody is off limits…EVERYBODY could be traded for the right price if agreed upon.
Maybe quit the childish name calling and provide something constructive to the conversation.
Ok chill
Yeah
Not exactly. The Padres traded Luis Urias for Trent Grisham.
But Preller is really dumb so that’s kind of a bad point.
They could probably have Pillar back for 3M.
Bring back Pence!
I think Santana is a no brainer. He can platoon in LF with Dickerson. It would give us a legit chance to have 35+ HRs come from LF. Next, it would be nice to see Pillar back on a 1 year $4mm-$5mm deal and share the CF duties with Duggar. That means Yaz in RF with Davis on the bench. 3 Left Handed bats and 3 Right Handed Bats.
When it comes to the infield, barring a trade, I think we are set. Posey, Belt, Dubon, Crawford, Longoria are the likely starters, with Solano, Sanchez, and one of the catchers on the bench.
I agree except for Pillar. Pillar at something like $3MM or less would be okay, but I’m not sure he could be signed for that. Some other team would probably offer more. I think they’d like someone younger like Santana, so I doubt that neither Pence nor Maybin, are in the cards either. It would be good to add Santana plus one more guy to look at in ST.
Pillar and Santana are not the options. Santana’s D is not too great. They missed out on S. Marte, he would of been perfect for them. Jaylin Davis Duggar and Slater should get a chance to prove them self in Spring. Bishop will be up late 21 season anyways. So one of the 3 will do just fine until. Not like there gonna sniff anything other than last this year.
Trading for Marte would not have been smart for a rebuilding team like the Giants
Anyone recall or have archival articles stating if Puig’s off-field troubles in LA led to any trouble with Zaidi; or Zaidi will be open to signing him, if they can hammer out a deal??
Zaidi and more specifically Kapler is trying to build a New culture around young players. He will never sign Puig. No way. Puig is a well documented ‘Me guy’ . He’s the last guy Zaidi would sign.
SF needs a fleet footed guy to cover CF and that right-center gap. Few are better covering ground than Billy Hamilton. Plus he’ll come super cheap.
Giants aren’t set up to score a lot of runs, so they’ll have to steal a few each week to have any chance of winning. No one better at stealing than Hamilton (Please! No “you can’t steal first” comments.)
To be effective, all Billy has to do is make a lot of contact and then run his ass off. If he can hit .260, he’ll steal 70+ bases. And if he puts a few into triples alley, he’ll circle the bases.
Sign Billy and add Puig. Whatever, Giants are gonna have a tough time winning 70 games this year especially if Zaido sells off a bunch of vets at the trade deadline.
But no worries. Your new coconut manger will keep thing interesting for a month until his droning on about utter nonsense begins to bore you.
At this point, Hamilton makes sense so long as you keep him in CF for his glove and he hits 8th. He’s spent the past decade not learning how to distinguish strikes from balls and how not to hit line drives and take advantage of his speed. But he can cover ground in the OF, and that’s what the Giants need.
Having watched Billy from AA ball through his time with the Reds – have him quit hitting from the left side on the plate and focus on his natural side as a righty. he had never even tried to SH until the Reds had him do it in AA ball. Was so dumb beyond words. He cano’t do it. If they had left him alone as a righty and worked on his swing and approach he would be hitting north of .270 with a .330+ OBP. At one time he was scoring when on base over 35% of the time.
Sandoval will play CF.
Would it be too embarrassing for Ellsbury to sign with the Pirates?
Or does redemption come with any opportunity?
Cherington connection + the reality that Pillar and Hamilton are complete jokes.
Tack on that playing this season helps his grievance with the Yankees bigly
Is that you, Donald? Don’t you have more important things to do?
I think I read this same article like 3 months ago with a few more names sprinkled in. Just grab Pillar or Santana and call it an off-season. Let the 100 losses start piling up.
How about Jackie Bradley Jr patrolling CF? Not many out there with a better glove and Sox likely to move him for pennies on the dollar
In Zahdi I trust!
How about not sign any of them? I keep reading about a “rebuild” but I don’t see how the Giants are accomplishing this by signing cheap players whose careers are coming to an end. The transactions they have made this offseason have been mediocre at best. If they are rebuilding why not get a young star player to build around. At least build some fan interest in the team.
They managed to turn a mediocre pick up into their medium term future second baseman. That mediocre pick up them got a ridiculous four year contract, by the end of which he’ll look like an all time bust. Mediocre baseball players can be turned into prospects if handled well.
It’s fairly obvious that Zaidi has a plan for the Giants – unlike, say, Baltimore. For all the naysayers going “lol Giants”, they’re going to have a very talented roster in a couple of years. For now, not so much, but that’s baseball.
Swipe in and take mookie