© Isaiah J. Downing | 2018 Sep 29
With each passing day, it seems less and less likely that the Giants will land Bryce Harper. Monday was no different, with news that the Dodgers have now re-entered the sweepstakes. This comes after last weekend’s news that negotiations with the Phillies could reach a conclusion with Harper by Tuesday.
While the Giants aren’t yet resigned to the fact that Harper is going to sign elsewhere according to Kerry Crowley of the San Jose Mercury News, there isn’t exactly a buzz around the clubhouse that he’ll soon be in Orange and Black.
“I don’t think that there is a feel that Harper is coming to Scottsdale anytime soon,” Crowley told Gary & Larry on Monday. “I think if the Dodgers were to jump in this and be really serious, which I’m not so sure they are yet, then the Giants might have to step up their game, because that’s a nightmare scenario. If you spend a month speculating about Harper in San Francisco and he signs in Los Angeles, but I don’t think we’re at that stage yet.”
If the Giants don’t land Harper, a series of moves will be expected considering the number of holes remaining on the roster, namely in the outfield. Crowley predicted how new VP of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi might look to fill them.
“I think you’ve got to pivot and trade out of this bullpen surplus that they’ve got right now,” Crowley said. “They’ve got a number of guys that could help them have one of the deepest bullpens in the league right now, but what good does a deep bullpen do if you only score two or three runs a game. It’s not going to turn this club into an above .500 team.
“I think that you do look to try and trade from that area of strength and acquire a starting left fielder or a starting right fielder who can go out and hit 20 to 25 home runs a year, or at least come to you, and be under club control for the next four years so you can hit the free agent market or the trade market again this summer and next winter.”
Veteran left-handers Will Smith and Tony Watson have reportedly been on the trading block all offseason, and are likely to command a decent return on the open market.
Listen to the full interview below.
