The San Francisco Giants were one of the most enigmatic teams throughout the off-season. Coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in league history, many saw it as a sign it was time for the Giants to throw in the towel and rebuild. Instead, General Manager Bobby Evans brought in upgrades at every position of need and made it clear the Giants had plans to contend in the NL West. Many around baseball were critical of Evans. The Giants filled major holes in the outfield and at third base by acquiring Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria, which cost the team some of their most valuable prospects. The Giants already had a thin-system cut into its depth even further. However, Evans did utilize the slow-moving free-agent market to lock up outfielder Austin Jackson and set-up man Tony Watson to reasonable multi-year deals.
Evans' choices have garnered him a label as a go-for-it GM, but I think many misjudged what the Giants options really were. A rebuild was not an option for the Giants, in part because their assets had no real value. The molasses paced free-agency market for position players meant solid starters like Brandon Belt and Joe Panik would not have been able to bring much back in a trade and the driving force for the Giants' 2017 struggles was under-performance from previously good players. A large portion of the Giants had the worst year of their careers and that would have been reflected in the offers they received. The best move in a Giants rebuild was to hold onto players like Johnny Cueto and hope for a 2018 bounce-back that would increase their trade value. But, if you have reason expect a rebound from your core than adding pieces like McCutchen and Longoria becomes much more enticing. The Giants were going to be an interesting team to watch out of the gate, but then when their ace Madison Bumgarner was hit on the hand with a line drive in his last spring training appearance, the energy was at risk of being sucked away. Bumgarner suffered a fractured left hand and is not expected back until at least May (and that's being optimistic). The two other best starters on the Giants' roster (Cueto and Jeff Samardzija) have already spent time on the DL, but their system depth has risen to the challenge has kept them close. Offense has been hit and miss for the Giants through the first few weeks of the season, going between offensive explosions and looking lost for extended periods. The team has won 3 out of their last 4 and stands 3.5 games back of the second wild-card spot at 10-12. But, really the team just needs to stay above water until June. If they can stay around .500 until Bumgarner returns they will be in prime position to make a second-half surge. However, if the team has fallen well below .500 by the end of June the Giants will face another trade deadline as seller. Unlike last season, when they only moved infielder Eduardo Nunez, I would expect them to be much more active. I don't expect the Giants to change their approach at the deadline, but I expect them to have some more desirable assets. They will have to listen to offers on Madison Bumgarner, but that presumes Bumgarner returns from his injury and looks like his old self, which is still weeks away. Johnny Cueto's incredible start to the season, though, will make him another target for contenders looking for top-end starting pitching. Cueto has 3 years and $68m guaranteed on his 6 year/$130m contract, but the Giants could chip in a few million dollars and that would give teams a legitimate long-term asset. Brandon Belt is also off to a strong start and he, similarly to Cueto, is locked up on a long-term contract that would make teams more willing to give up a high-end prospect. This article isn't making some bold statement. If the Giants are good, or really just staying above water, they won't sell anyone under long-term control, but if the Giants are bad don't think the only avenue to rebuilding the farm-system is by moving Bumgarner. Cueto and Belt's hot start (moreso Cueto than Belt) has given them a potential path to unload future financial commitments and get back top end talent, while still keeping their core together as they try retooling once again.
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About MeI have been a die-hard fan of the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Golden State Warriors my entire life. Following them (and the surrounding leagues) have given me a lot of strong opinions on sports. Links to some of Marc's Articles around the Web:
Articles for GSC Articles for ATF Ramos & Allen Selloff Series: Giants Giants Trade Deadline Kenyon Baseball Preview Archives
August 2019
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