San Francisco Giants 2016 free agency: Top target list and likely SP/OF signings

Aug 27, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Starting pitchers: David Price, Zack Greinke, Scott Kazmir, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmerman, Mike Leake, Jeff Samardzija, Yovani Gallardo, Wei-Yin Chen

Outfielders: Jason Heyward, Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Ben Zobrist*, Gerardo Parra, Alejandro De Aza, Nori Aoki, Marlon Byrd (if he becomes a FA…more on that later)

*more of a utility guy, but an OF possibility nonetheless

Now, let’s eliminate a few of them. Greinke’s out, because why wouldn’t the Dodgers pay whatever they need to keep him? So is Cespedes, as the Mets or another perennial big spender are bound to overpay for him. Cueto gets the axe for his nightmarish second half with the Royals. Gerardo Parra does too, but more so because the Giants’ inability to snag him at this year’s deadline makes me question their interest level.

Now, the tricky part—ordering them by likelihood. Tricky because you can’t just tally them off in order. As we’ve seen year after year, MLB free agency is a game of dominoes, with the first big move setting off the rest. There are a few different ways things could pan out…

Next: SP & OF scenarios