San Francisco Giants: Top 5 free agent options to fill the rotation

Sep 26, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher David Price (14) pitches against Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

David Price – LHP

If this seems like deja vu, it isn’t. The Giants have gambled before on a Cy Young lefty who was coming off of an All-Star appearance. And for all the negative clamoring about the Barry Zito signing, let’s face it, it still paid off in the end.

Zito was going to be twenty-nine when he signed his deal, Price will be thirty. Some of the numbers are very similar. Zito was 102-63 in 1437 inning pitched before joining the team. Price is 104-56 in 1441 innings. But that is where the statistical similarities end.

Zito was a finesse pitcher. He relied on a hitter getting themselves out by chasing. Price is a power pitcher who can blow it right by you, even if you guess right. Zito also walked nearly 200 batters in his Oakland A’s tenure, and struck out nearly 300 less. Most importantly, Price has an ERA almost a half a point lower (3.09) to Zito’s at that point (3.58).

Price is also known as a good teammate, as Zito was.

The real question would be about need. In 2007 the Giants were desperate for a transitional star as Barry Bonds was in his last days as an iconic player. The team had to have a pitcher in the rotation that would eat up innings and mentor the young crop coming up.

As of now, the team’s needs are a little different. A pitcher coming in would have Madison Bumgarner as the main attraction in the rotation, and thus, absorbing a little less pressure than would be felt by joining another organization. Price was also traded last season, so the team would retain its draft pick if he were to sign.

For the Giants, they must have some type of a limit as to what they are going to spend on the rotation. If that number is, let’s say $30 million, are they willing to give all of that to one guy? Does that mean that they trust a rotation with both Matt Cain and Chris Heston in it?

Or do they have the same idea and go after…