As the MLB free agent market begins to take shape, the Giants will likely be more aggressive in acquiring potential players they haven’t had the past few seasons.
On the latest episode of the “Giants Talk” podcast, MLB Network’s John Morosi explains why having a bevy of high-end hitters on the market bodes well for a team like San Francisco in desperate need of offensive stimulation. I explained what it is.
“In a lot of ways, this is a continuation of what they tried to accomplish last offseason with the addition of a real impact bat,” Morosi told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt. “A year ago this week, they were right there with Aaron Judge. Of course, he went back to the New York Yankees. Now whether it’s Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, maybe Juan Soto. It would be a trade.
“There are some important hitters there. I would mention J.D. Martinez and another possibility. Of course, he only played along the coast with the Dodgers. Justin Turner, Considering what he can do, of course he’s been playing for a long time.” Time Dodger agrees.
“We’ve got the right players there. I think now we have to look at a roster that’s malleable enough that we can move some players around. Of course, Brandon Crawford has been with the Giants for a long time. Everything he’s done and his standards.” “I’ve been playing varsity for a very long time, and we have to find a way to keep the roster coming back, a little bit younger, a little bit more athletic.” I think the center will be a little more productive.”
“What I want to know is, who’s going to be the face of this offense since Buster Posey retired? Who’s going to hit 100 RBIs? Who’s going to hit 30 home runs? I love LaMonte Wade. Junior: I think it’s important to have a peripheral cast around him. That way they don’t ask Wade to be a different player than he’s shown he can be. ”
Britt asked Morosi if he envisioned the Giants making a complementary move toward additional splash signs, but Morosi said he had no final thoughts on the two Japanese stars with ties to San Francisco. It is likely that the matter will be postponed until a final resolution is reached.
“I think so. I think we’ll probably have to wait until later to meet Laura.” [Shohei] With Mr. Otani [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto made his decision because he knew the Giants were heavily involved. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has won the Sawamura Award for three years in a row, but by the way, in Nippon Professional Baseball, the Best Pitcher Award is only given once, not twice like in our league. [the] MLB. And he has won three years in a row. That’s how great he is.
Otani didn’t even do that, and he didn’t. [Yu] Darvish and Daisuke [Matsuzaka]I didn’t either [Masahiro] Tanaka, there have been many pitchers over the past 60 years. We know how badly the Giants want to sign him, so I think we’ll have to wait until that decision is made.”
Yamamoto had a sensational performance with the Orix Buffaloes in 2023, starting 24 games in the Japan Pacific League and Japan Western League, posting a record of 17 wins, 6 losses, and a 1.21 ERA.
Morosi detailed that if the Giants miss out on Ohtani and Yamamoto, their focus could quickly shift to finding a high-end starting pitcher elsewhere.
“If they can’t get him, I think the Giants probably need to put their starting pitcher on the market completely from a trade standpoint,” Morosi explained. “Blake Snell would probably be the one we would consider in free agency. But if we can’t get Snell or Yamamoto, we’ll probably go to the Dylan Cies marketplace. I guess I’ll end up going to Tyler Glasnow’s Marketplace.
”[Brewers starting pitcher] Corbin Burns himself has roots in California. So, Laura, I think there’s enough supply that they can get the players they want, the players they want. Obviously, the players they want to sign at the moment are Ohtani and Yamamoto, and we’re still waiting on their decisions.”
With MLB’s winter meetings underway, news that Ohtani and Yamamoto agree to terms with potential suitors could quickly lead to a domino effect.
Considering the Giants reportedly have close ties with both, there are no significant changes to San Francisco’s roster until there is some clarity with the Japanese sensation leading the top of the free agent market. It would be natural to expect that what will happen will be put on hold.
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