D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
It took a long while to unfurl, both in the process from agreement to announcement and this late in the offseason, but the Giants have signed the longest contract of Farhan Zaidi’s tenure.
Infielder Tommy La Stella is officially a Giant, signing a backloaded three-year deal worth $18.75 million Thursday that exceeds Wilmer Flores (two years plus a club option) as the longest commitment of this regime. Assuming the Giants decline Evan Longoria’s 2023 option, La Stella is the only member of the club due money in 2023, which makes the next two offseasons wide open.
La Stella’s contract is an interesting one following a season in which the Giants did not have fans in Oracle Park stands. He will make $2 million this season, $5.25 million in 2022 and $11.5 million in 2023. He also will make an annual donation to the Giants Community Fund. ($10,000 in ’21, $26,250 in ’22 and $57,500 in ’23.) The Giants laid off about 10 percent of full-time employees and have not conducted another trade like the Will Wilson one last season, when they ate $13 million to obtain a solid prospect; they, too, have not spent as much as they could have amid the pandemic.
But they found money for La Stella, who could not fit more perfectly. They needed a flexible, lefty-hitting infielder to see at-bats against righties and give Evan Longoria, Donovan Solano and Flores days off. La Stella also can spell Brandon Belt or fill in at first if Belt goes down. He is not an excellent fielder but is surehanded and diverse.
And he can hit. The 32-year-old is unmatched in terms of putting the bat on the ball, posting the best strikeout rate in baseball last season, when he walked 27 times and was punched out just 12 times with the Angels and A’s. It’s a skill he’s always possessed, but especially impressive is that he has improved contact rates while also adding power to his game. He hammered 16 homers during his All-Star 2019 season, then had five in 196 plate appearances last year, when he posted a .819 OPS. He’s a Zaidi player through and through.
To make space on the 40-man roster, the Giants designated outfielder Luis Basabe for assignment. The 24-year-old former top prospect was picked up last season and showed raw tools both at the plate and in the field. He does not have any options, though, which may have been crucial for a team that likes the freedom to send players up and down depending on the big-league need.
Adding La Stella fills one hole but still leaves the Giants another in center field, where Steven Duggar is behind Mauricio Dubon. They are seeking a lefty hitter to fit that space, with Jackie Bradley Jr. the best on the market.