1 area that the SF Giants absolutely need to upgrade in the offseason

The SF Giants second base position has been one of the worst spots in baseball over the past two seasons. Whether they rely on internal options or look to free agency, that is one area that they need to upgrade.

1 area that the SF Giants absolutely need to upgrade in the offseason

We will highlight the offseason needs and what options they could pursue once the offseason officially begins. For the time being, we are just focusing on topics on a micro level.

For the past two seasons, Thairo Estrada has handled the bulk of the playing time at second base. In a bit of a surprise move, the Giants moved on from Estrada at the end of August. The decision was a reflection of his struggles that had spanned multiple seasons, but the timing of the move was puzzling.

The Giants did not need to make a move at that point in the season. If Estrada was a non-tender candidate, they could have waited until the offseason to do so. That decision has already been made, so it is time to look forward.

Since the start of 2023, Giants second basemen have slashed .220/.265/.349 (70 wRC+) with a 4.2 percent walk rate, 24.5 percent strikeout rate, and .129 ISO. Not surprisingly, the .265 on-base percentage is the lowest mark and the 70 wRC+ is the third-worst rate at that position during that two-year span.

The Giants are light on high-impact bats, but what they cannot have is an extreme soft spot like this in the lineup. Interestingly, that position's overall value has been mildly better than their offensive output as they have been worth +2.2 fWAR. This is due to strong defensive marks.

Nevertheless, the Giants need an upgrade. There is no doubt about that. Perhaps, the Giants already had an upgrade in the organization in Otto López before they shipped him to the Toronto Blue Jays early in the 2024 season. The right-handed bat went on to post a .270/.313/.377 line (91 wRC+) while being worth +2.5 fWAR in 434 plate appearances following the trade. Those are not groundbreaking numbers by any means, but a considerable improvement over what they got. Being too aggressive in churning out the back end of the 40-man roster can lead to suboptimal decisions like this.

The Giants have some internal options such as Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt. They have likely exhausted Fitzgerald's opportunity at shortstop. He can probably be a spot starter there, but his defense looked rough on an everyday basis.

The Giants have to determine what type of player Fitzgerald is. He went on a tear in July but cooled down considerably in the final six weeks of the year. Still, he put together a well above-average stat line. On the other hand, the Giants are set at third base for the foreseeable future with Matt Chapman, meaning that Schmitt likely needs to find a new position.

Second base feels like a logical move, even if it does not allow him to show off his strong arm. To his credit, he looked passable at the position despite a lack of experience. With more reps, it is fair to say that he can be an above-average glove at second base.

At the plate, the young infielder made a modest improvement in his swing decisisions, cutting his chase rate down to 35.5 percent in 2024. He finished the year on a strong note and posted a .252/.283/.477 line (109 wRC+) with six home runs and 16 RBI in 113 plate appearances. The low on-base percentage remains a concern, so he will need to offset that with above-average power.

In free agency, there are not many obvious upgrades unless the Giants see Ha-Seong Kim as a second baseman. However, Jorge Polanco's $12 million club option might not be exercised by the Seattle Mariners, so that could be a possible buy-low candidate.

Given how poorly Giants second basemen have performed over the past couple of years, it should not be all that difficult to find an upgrade. They still need to have a plan.