Last season was a tough pill to swallow for the San Francisco Giants.
After 2017, many Giants fans outside of the Bay Area couldn’t spend too much time wearing their team’s gear in public before inevitably being asked, “What happened to them last year?”
This offseason’s free agent class is full of players who could aid the Giants as they attempt to put their 98-loss season behind them next year. Yet, Giancarlo Stanton, once the potential savior the Giants hoped bring to San Francisco, likely hurt the team’s chances of trading their way to a promising 2018 outlook.
During his introductory press conference with the New York Yankees, Stanton unintentionally, or possibly intentionally, took jabs at several Major League clubs. Stanton called out the Miami Marlins for having “no structure and no direction”, and although he commended both the Giants and Cardinals front offices for their “great meetings”, he said “it just wasn’t a good fit.”
And it wasn’t a good fit because Stanton and his agent Joel Wolfe don’t believe the Giants are geared to improve immediately and the slugging outfielder wants to “win right now.” He also said “I would have been putting it over the hump rather than jumping into a team already prepared to be there.”
After hitting the fewest home runs as a team last season (128), the Giants placed Stanton atop their offseason wish list. With his Major League-leading 59 home runs in 2017, the reigning NL MVP was believed to be the missing piece the Giants needed to compete in their division.
Although the Giants were one of many interested teams, none of whom lost 90-plus games last season, they were believed to be the frontrunners among their fellow trade candidates. After drawing up an agreed upon deal with the Marlins, the Giants met with Stanton, hoping to persuade him to waive his no-trade clause.
Stanton ultimately waived his no-trade clause, not to go to San Francisco, but to New York City. On December 9, he allowed a trade to the New York Yankees, leaving the Giants searching for another answer and Brian Sabean with a feeling of “angst.”
Now, the Giants are left to pursue their backup plans, but their reputation in the eyes of top free agents possibly took a hit when the best power-hitter in the game passed them up. Many free agents; such as starting pitchers Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta, closer Wade Davis, and sluggers J.D. Martinez and Jay Bruce, might follow in Stanton’s footsteps and overlook the Giants for a true contending team.
After trading Matt Moore, the Giants could use another veteran starting pitcher, like Darvish or Arrieta, in their rotation, but so do the Chicago Cubs and Yankees, who were both one of the four teams left standing in last year’s postseason.
The Giants also need help in their bullpen and Davis provides a strong late-inning arm. Yet, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals are both in the market for relievers after their appearances in the postseason.
And although Martinez and Bruce would help the Giants add power to their lineup, the Red Sox are more motivated than ever to add power to their roster after the Yankees acquired Stanton. Not to mention, the short porch at Fenway looks much more appealing than the vast expanse of AT&T Park.
Money also plays a deterring role in the Giants’ case to attract free agent talent. Although the organization was once prepared to take on a majority of Stanton’s monster contract, their move to trade Moore and dump his guaranteed $9 million salary next season gives the indication they’re shifting toward bringing their payroll below the luxury tax threshold.
While many of these free agents are expected to receive sizable contracts this offseason, especially Martinez, who could sign for $200 million, the Giants might not be in a position to offer the same amount.
The Giants were just about as far away from the postseason as a team could be in 2017 and with several free agents striving for a World Series championship, they might steer clear of San Francisco, just like Stanton.