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San Francisco Giants 2018 Free Agency Preview: Five Corner Outfielders to Target

By Taylor Wirth

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 23: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals gets ready to bat against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on April 23, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 23: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals gets ready to bat against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on April 23, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 08: Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians hits a sacrifice fly ball in the third inning to score Yan Gomes #7 (not pictured) against the Houston Astros during Game Three of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 08: Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians hits a sacrifice fly ball in the third inning to score Yan Gomes #7 (not pictured) against the Houston Astros during Game Three of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Michael Brantley

Michael Brantley is a name that will not be tossed around much in regards to the Giants. Brantley is a 31 year-old outfielder who has spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians. On the surface some people may not know that Michael Brantley was an MVP candidate in 2014.

A season in which he hit .327/.385/.506 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI’s, Brantley quietly has put together some nice seasons for the Indians and could be a nice fit in the outfield for the Giants.

This past season, Brantley put together another solid season for Cleveland. Hitting .309/.364/.468 with 17 home runs and 76 RBI’s, Brantley was an All-Star for the third time in his career. Michael Brantley could be a nice depth piece for the Giants next season if they go all in on re-tooling that outfield.

If the price is right, the Giants should indeed look into a player like Brantley, but after their recent history of acquiring aging talent and over-paying, he may not fit the new regime’s mold for this team moving forward. A contract for Michael Brantley will probably be somewhere in the ballpark of $15 million AAV coming off another All-Star caliber year.

If i were the Giants front office, i would steer clear of giving a guy like Brantley a big contract entering his age 32 season. He’s been good his entire career, sporting a career .295 batting average, but switching to AT&T Park could leave him looking like a slightly better Denard Span. On the flip-side, if the price is right, maybe he could be a nice little piece for a new Giants team.

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