In the past week in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers agreed to a record-breaking extension to stay with the Green Bay Packers, the Seattle Seahawks traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver and cut future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner and the Indianapolis Colts sent Carson Wentz to Washington for two third-round picks.
It all happened as Major League Baseball remained shut down, with its owners and players union haggling over the luxury tax and an international draft while other leagues dominated the headlines.
But that type of player movement — fueled by the fast-approaching season — is likely to come to baseball as soon as tonight, when the new collective bargaining agreement is ratified.
A mad rush of transactions with the fervor of an NBA Trade Deadline on steroids may be on display as all league activity has been frozen for the past 99 days of the work stoppage.
Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Story and Japanese phenom Seiya Suzuki highlight available free agents who will be scrambling to find a home with spring training set to open imminently.
The Giants, fresh off their franchise-record 107-win season, are expected to be interested in a number of potential game-changers. San Francisco currently has roughly $112 million committed to its 2022 payroll — about $20 million shy of last year’s spending and roughly $115 million less than the newly bargained luxury tax threshold.
Here are some names Giants fans should keep an eye on as transactions resume.
Seiya Suzuki, 27, OF
The Giants have been linked to the Japanese outfielder all winter and were one of the teams to pitch the superstar via Zoom. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, Suzuki still intends to play in the states in 2022 despite the pains of the lockout.
Suzuki is a rare Japanese posting because he’s still in his prime and has skills that project to translate well to MLB. The athletic, all-around outfielder hit .317 with 38 home runs in 138 Nippon Professional Baseball games last year.
With Buster Posey’s retirement and the likely departure of Kris Bryant, the Giants have a need for a right-handed hitter and additional outfield depth. Suzuki certainly fits the bill, though expectations should be tempered if he does sign with SF given the difficulties of traveling across the world and getting acclimated with a new team and culture — all within an extremely short period of time.
Kris Bryant, 30, 3B/OF
San Francisco’s flashy trade deadline acquisition homered in his first game with the Giants, then sputtered toward the end of the regular season. His positional versatility was on display, as he played third base and every outfield position — though he struggled defensively at each spot. But in the NLDS, Bryant went 8-for-17 (.471) as much of the Giants lineup went silent.
Bryant’s 51-game tenure with the Giants was uneven, but he showed enough to remind everyone why he’s still one of the most coveted free agents. He’s still a well-above average hitter with defensive — and lineup — flexibility. Bryant will likely earn a long term contract somewhere worth about $25 million annually.
The tea leaves have pointed to Bryant seeking a new team, but the four-time All-Star enjoyed his time in the Bay and a possible return shouldn’t be completely ruled out.
Carlos Rodón, 29, SP
Rodón is coming off his first All-Star season in which he went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA. He finished fifth in American League Cy Young voting.
But Rodón comes with plenty of risk. The former third overall pick has experienced a sprained wrist, bicep bursitis, shoulder inflammation and Tommy John surgery. He made 24 starts in 2021 but a shoulder injury shelved him for three weeks in August.
Rodón’s injury history makes a one or two-year deal likely. That’s also the type of deal the Giants’ front office has been keen on for starters.
With a rotation that features Logan Webb, Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Cobb, the Giants could certainly use another top-line arm. And especially given Cobb and Wood’s own injury histories — plus a potentially shortened spring training — the more depth, the better. Rodón has a high ceiling and a low floor, but could be the most exciting arm to add.
Nelson Cruz, 41, DH
One of three avenues the Giants could drive down when it comes to the universal designated hitter is a short-term, stopgap solution. This option would allow SF to play around with the rule for a year, see what they like and don’t like with lineup and positional flexibility, and still get some value out of the position.
Cruz could be the best bat to fill that role, if the Giants opt for it.
Cruz was an All-Star last year. He hit 32 total home runs with the Rays and Twins. While playing the 17-year veteran in the field is out of the question, he still brings value as a right-handed power hitter.
Signing Cruz and giving him the lion’s share of designated hitter at-bats would give SF some pop while also affording players like Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria more days off than normal (albeit fewer than if SF decides to go total DH-by-committee).
Nick Castellanos, 30, OF
Career-bests in home runs, strikeout rate, wins above replacement player and deserved runs created plus — Baseball Prospectus’ catch-all hitting metric — set up Castellanos for a big pay day. He could get a long-term contract worth upwards of $20 million per year.
For the Giants, he’d fill the void of right-handed slugger. He’s also a more proven commodity than a player like Suzuki. The Miami native has been linked to the Marlins, but Derek Jeter’s departure from the organization could complicate things.
Jorge Soler, 30, DH
The Nelson Cruz model, but younger. That means the Giants would be making a bigger — and longer — commitment, but for a potentially more potent bat.
Soler became an October hero by crushing three home runs in six games to secure World Series MVP for the Braves. The raw power he displayed throughout the playoffs would help any ballclub.
Soler broke out in 2019 by hitting an AL-leading 48 home runs for the Royals. He hasn’t historically hit for contact, but there’s no doubt his power plays. Adding his bat to the team that led the NL in home runs last year could be scary.
Yusei Kikuchi, 30, SP
A former Japanese star, Kikuchi earned his first All-Star selection in his third major league season last year for the Mariners. Then he surprisingly declined his $13 million player option to test the open market.
Some point to the crackdown on sticky stuff as an inflexion point on Kikuchi’s season; he posted a 3.48 ERA in the first half compared to a 5.98 in the second half. Still, the southpaw recorded a strong 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings and made 29 starts.
In signing Kikuchi, the Giants would be betting on a high-variance starter with strong velocity and big upside. Some outsiders have assumed the promotion of longtime bullpen catcher Taira Uematsu to assistant coach has been connected to Seiya Suzuki. Could it help lure Kikuchi, too?
Brock Holt, 33 , UTIL
Baseball Prospectus projects Brock Holt to be the third best defensive third baseman in baseball in 2022, according to Fielding Runs Above Average. In his career, he’s played third, second, shortstop, third base, left field, right field, first base and designated hitter. Things would have gone real south if it comes to this, but he’s also pitched 2.1 career innings.
Holt is a super utility player. For a team that may not re-sign Donovan Solano, second base depth helps. So does third base depth. And, really, any depth when you think about how the Giants value versatility.
The bat hasn’t been there for Holt since 2019, but perhaps the Giants see something in his swing they can tweak. And the veteran’s been a fantastic clubhouse presence his entire career.
A bonus: Holt’s five-year-old son Griff would also instantly become a fan favorite in the Bay. He hits big bombs.
Andrew McCutchen, 35, OF/DH
A McCutchen reunion would represent a cheap stopgap solution to the designated hitter situation with a player who could also help in the outfield in a pinch.
McCutchen has hit over .260 just once since 2016, but has always crushed left-handed pitchers. Even last year, he hit .293 with a 1.027 OPS against southpaws.
Gabe Kapler loves to mix-and-match based on matchups, and McCutchen would give him quite a weapon to do so.
Mitch Moreland, 36, 1B/DH
A plus defender and platoon hitter, Moreland would give San Francisco flexibility at an affordable price. Moreland is coming off his worst season in the past eight seasons, so the lefty likely could be had for quarters on the dollar.
Even so, Moreland has pop from the right side of the plate that could produce Splash HRs. He was solid against right-handed pitchers last year despite his struggles, hitting eight of his 10 homers off righties. The gold glover was an All-Star in 2018, then posted back-to-back .800-plus OPS years in 2019 and 2020 before heading to Oakland.
If Moreland is San Francisco’s big signing post-lockout, that would obviously be an issue. If he’s counted on as a part-time backup to Brandon Belt, that would be a win. A bounce-back season is certainly possible.
Carlos Correa, 27, SS
The Giants already have a shortstop. His name is Brandon Crawford. He finished fourth in National League MVP voting last year.
But when a player of Carlos Correa’s caliber is available, you take the talent and worry about fit later.
Crawford’s extension expires in two seasons. If Correa is comfortable playing third base or outfield or second base or corner outfield — a big if — the Giants could spend the next decade with a guaranteed A-list shortstop.
Correa is a prodigal fielder. He’s hit at least 20 home runs in five of his six full seasons. His Baseball Savant profile says he saves more runs than everyone, hits the ball harder than everyone, and is expected to reach base more than almost everyone and hardly strikes out.
When healthy, Correa is the most A-Rod player since A-Rod. The special combination of elite glove and bat comes around once a generation for shortstops. And he’s entering free agency at the same time he’s entering his prime. For those reasons, he should easily earn a $300 million deal. That kind of money from the Giants? Probably not. But maybe!
Matthew Boyd, 31, SP
He’s not the splashiest of names, but Boyd has a deep bag of pitches that the Giants’ pitching coaches could help him deploy. Boyd’s last season — by far his best in terms of ERA and FIP — coincided with an increased usage in his changeup. The lefty also throws a slider, curve and sinker.
Boyd is in the Anthony DeSclafani class of pitchers whom the Giants may look at and believe they could help maximize their potential. A Seattle native, Boyd could be looking to get back to the West Coast. And injuries limited him to just 15 starts in 2021, which may suppress his market.
The free agent market for starters is thin. The Giants could always try the trade avenue, with Oakland’s Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea potentially available for the right price of prospects.
