Farhan Zaidi and the Giants Have Major Decisions Ahead
Bobby Evans, the GM of the San Francisco Giants since 2015, was fired in September and as of today, the position is still vacant. Farhan Zaidi served as General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the 2014 season but was recently hired by San Fran to take on the role of President of Baseball Operations. Zaidi has a tall task ahead of him as the once vaunted Giants have been basement dwellers the past couple of seasons and expectations are high.
A couple of recent examples of team architects taking over tough situations might provide some good insight into how Zaidi might approach his new task. The general managers for the San Diego Padres (A.J. Preller) and the Atlanta Braves (Alex Anthopoulos) took two very different routes. First hired in 2015, AJ Preller had a good San Diego team on paper, but began a complete rebuild when he didn’t see any real shot to take the division. Today, only five players remain from the 2015 roster. In contrast, Anthopolous went with a more deflective approach.
In just his first year in Atlanta, Anthopoulos thought it was smart to stick with the cards he was dealt and react as the season went on. Like the Padres in 2015, the Braves are a team with some talented veterans and exciting young players that came from a dominant farm system. Preller chose to sell his big name stars as Anthopoulos chose to keep status quo and let them continue to lead the team.
There are many questions floating around the Giants team after finishing almost dead last in some important offensive categories. Somehow with those numbers, the team has some big name stars in the infield. But, in a modern game dominated by the home run and strikeout, the offense doesn’t really produce enough homers and the pitching doesn’t strike enough batters out.
San Francisco’s biggest Achilles’ heel was health and depth. This team is far from being a competitor with just one big trade or contract signing this off-season. Zaidi and company need to make big decisions on whether or not to be buyers or sellers now and before the 2019 trade deadlines.
With the third highest payroll in the majors, it makes sense for the Giants to try and compete in 2019. Team captain catcher Buster Posey is still under contract through 2022 with a team option making roughly $21 million a year. Third baseman Evan Longoria is under contract through 2023 to finish up the 15 year-$145 million contract he originally signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. Starting pitcher Johnny Cueto is receiving around $21 million through the 2022 season. The list goes on and on. Jeff Samardzija, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Mark Melancon etc. Melancon, a relief pitcher who was paid as a closer but later lost that role, is well overpaid for just another arm in the bullpen. And the team led the MLB in blown saves last year too! Some of these big names aren’t too much to worry about, fans are just patiently waiting on the production to show.
Looking forward in 2019, the Giants haven’t lost too much to free agency. Starting pitcher Derek Holland, backup catcher Nick Hundley, and outfielders Gregor Blanco and Hunter Pence highlight the list who are looking for new contracts. If they chose to be sellers, San Francisco would have to hunt not for players, but for teams that are potentially the best fit in hopes of making deals that will benefit the Giants for the future. Assuming that is not the case and Zaidi along with the front office are all-in on making a playoff-ready team in 2019, San Francisco should be looking for three things: game-changing outfielders, a dependable backup catcher and most importantly, big arms in the bullpen.
This off-season’s free agent class is a good one. Lots of hungry and hopeful players looking to test the free agent market and see where they can fit. Going after Bryce Harper is not the answer. The Giants are in need of some depth and players who can nicely mesh together on and off the field. Outfielders like A. J. Pollock, Michael Brantley and Adam Jones easily could change the dynamic of a lineup. Marwin Gonzalez, Freddy Galvis and Adeiny Hechavarria can provide depth and versatility. Martin Maldonaldo Kurt Suzuki and Robinson Chirinos are well-experienced and well-respected catchers that can lessen the workload for Buster Posey. Relievers like Andrew Miller, Cody Allen and Zach Britton are desperately looking for a change of scenery. Other game changers in the bullpen could consist of Adam Ottavino, Jeurys Familia and Joakim Soria. The list of free agents in the 2019 of-season is a strong one and the Giants could be looking to pounce at the opportunities in front of them. The possibilities are endless.
-Kyle Unger
