It was almost exactly a year ago that Buster Posey channeled his inner Nuke LaLoosh and announced his presence as president of baseball operations with authority.
On the cusp of MLB’s annual Winter Meetings, the Giants agreed with shortstop Willy Adames on a seven-year, $182 million contract. It was the largest deal in franchise history, usurping Posey’s own franchise-record eight-year, $167 million contract extension.
Posey’s second offseason has been much more tranquil so far, at least from a player acquisition standpoint.
The Giants shook up their managerial ranks by firing Bob Melvin and hiring Tony Vitello, but their 40-man roster additions consist of left-handers Sam Hentges (signing) and Reiver Sanmartin (waivers) and outfielders Joey Wiemer (trade) and Justin Dean (waivers). Left-hander Joey Lucchesi and catcher Andrew Knizner were also non-tendered while right-hander Mason Black was traded to the Royals for a minor-league pitcher.
These moves are not without some substance. Hentges and Wiemer, in particular, could be on the Opening Day roster. But Posey and company fly into Orlando for the Winter Meetings with several roster holes that need addressing.
This team’s needs are the same now as they were in October, the top priority remaining pitching. The Giants will add starting pitchers at some point this winter, but they won’t be breaking the bank to do so.
Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Tatsuya Imai remain unsigned going into the Winter Meetings, but Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported that the Giants will not make the nine-figure investments necessary to sign Imai or any other top pitchers. Giants chairman Greg Johnson has also talked this offseason about being cautious with long-term deals to pitchers.
The Giants’ aversion to major investments in a starter is not without basis. Every signing comes with risk, but pitchers are an especially volatile due to the potential for injury. Still, risks can be a necessary evil. Valdez, Suárez and Imai are top talents, and top talents require top-talent money.
“We’re going to continue to be active with players that have a chance to make the team better,” said general manager Zack Minasian on KNBR 680 on Thursday when asked about the report. “It’s on us as a front office to make good decisions, and we’re going to continue to push ourselves to do that. When it comes to how we do that, we have an ownership group that’s always been extremely supportive.
“A lot of those things as far as contract-wise, payroll-wise, it’s always been player specific. As a baseball operations group, we just have to take that responsibility of any particular player we’re signing (and ask), ‘Is this a good decision or not?’”
So, if not Imai or Valdez or Suárez, who could the Giants attain in free agency without making a long-term investment?
The list of options includes Zac Gallen, Nick Martinez, Patrick Corbin, Chris Bassitt, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Zack Littell and Zach Eflin, among many others. Cody Ponce, the reigning KBO MVP who previously pitched in the majors, signed with the Blue Jays on a three-year, $30 million deal following Dylan Cease reached a seven-year, $210 million pact with Toronto.
The trade market is also an option to acquire starters, the list of potentially available names including the Milwaukee Brewers’ Freddy Peralta and the Minnesota Twins’ Joe Ryan, among others. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge represents an enticing trade chip, but the Giants seem unlikely to trade the 21-year-old first baseman given his combination of youth, potential and years of team control.
“I think you try to enter all these things being open-minded,” Minasian said on Thursday. “I’m not one to say that there are untouchables in any scenario. … You try to stay open-minded as to not limit your player pool of who you can potentially access, but obviously, there are some players that are just very difficult to move because of the fit, because of their ability, what you think they will be at the major-league level. I’m not one that’s going to shut down any avenues, but the likelihood varies from player to player.”
Along with starters and relievers, the Giants should continue to explore the outfield market. San Francisco currently has 10 outfielders on its 40-man roster (not including Tyler Fitzgerald), but Wiemer is the only outfielder aside from Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee with a career WAR of at least 1.0.
Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are likely out of the Giants’ price range given the Giants’ primary need for pitching, and center field Cedric Mullins just signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. The list of available free-agent outfielders currently includes the likes of Harrison Bader, Mike Yastrzemski, Max Kepler and JJ Bleday.
San Francisco’s brass has done its part to surround Vitello with a variety of voices, whether it be Bruce Bochy as an advisor or Ron Washington was a coach. In Orlando, Posey and company will have an opportunity to continue supplying Vitello with players.
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