San Francisco Giants 2018 Free Agency Preview: Three Center Fielders to Target

Yeah, the center fielder group in this year’s free agency is not so strong. The 38-year-old Davis would represent an option for a veteran’s minimum contract or Spring Training invite, not anything more for the San Francisco Giants.

Last year, in a part-time role with the Cleveland Indians, Davis posted just a .559 OPS. Which is, uh, not very good. However, he did steal 21 bases and played solid defense in the outfield (mostly in center field).

His speed and defense would be the reasons the Giants would bring him on. He would paradoxically make the team more athletic and even older at the same time, so take that for what you will.

Honestly, giving a roster spot to a player like Davis could be a minimal, yet potentially fruitful risk to take this offseason. The Giants leader in stolen bases last year was Andrew McCutchen, who had 13 and finished the season with the New York Yankees. That can be improved upon.

Defensively, the veterans of the Giants outfield struggled pretty mightily to handle AT&T’s vast terrain. Davis would then represent an option with the range necessary to flag down balls more effectively than McCutchen, Jackson, Blanco, or Hunter Pence could do.

Signing Davis would basically mean having a true speed threat on the bench, which could make Bruce Bochy‘s life easier when close games enter the late innings. His right-handed bat could be some form of minimal insurance for Duggar if he struggles against lefties or he could play alongside Duggar if the Giants want to make their outfield defense shine.

His potential role on the 2019 Giants would basically be somewhere between last year’s Gregor Blanco and Gorkys Hernandez. In either case, eh.

Projected Contract: One Year/Veterans Minimum

Yeah. Adam Jones is perhaps the second best center fielder option on the open market. Which is funny, considering most teams and executives probably wouldn’t consider him as a full-time center fielder anymore.

But this is the market we were dealt and we will find a fit for Adam Jones somewhere on this already old and expensive roster. First things first, he’s not playing center field. He’s been getting progressively worse in the field over the past three years and history tells us not to bet on a 33 year old reversing that trend.

However, his potentially above average bat could play in the corner, and he could essentially take on the role of McCutchen in the lineup. For instance, last year he still hit .281/.313/.419 with 15 home runs despite being on a hapless Baltimore Orioles team.

While the OBP definitely leaves something to be desired, the Giants could still genuinely make use of that production, although AT&T Park may have something to say about it.

In terms of power, he hit 25 home runs each season from 2011 through 2017, so there may still be potential for improved offensive output if last year was an aberration. Strong chance there isn’t, but for the right price, there could be a fit. He’s also played in at least 137 games in each season since 2010, making him a highly durable addition to a team that struggled with injuries last year.

If the bidding exceeds one year, the Giants should bow out. On a one year deal though, he represents a nice buy low option for 2019. The Giants could even flip him during the season if they’re out of contention, much like they did with McCutchen.

Projected Contract: One Year/$10MM

The whale of the center fielders market, A.J. Pollock will have his pick of suitors to choose from. He’s really the only option that is both defensively and offensively sound going into 2019.

The soon-to-be 31 year old has been valuable for the Arizona Diamondbacks when healthy, but bidders should expect production in line with his two most recent seasons rather than his MVP-caliber 2015 year, when he looked like a future star.

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Nonetheless, he’s still been quite an effective player over the past two seasons.

Over those 225 games, Pollock had 926 at bats, over which he hit .261/.323/.477 with 35 home runs and 33 stolen bases. He has also produced roughly average defense over those two years, but shouldn’t be expected to be a center fielder for the full length of the contract he’ll get with his injury history.

For the Giants, Pollock would represent a quality complement to Duggar in the outfield, with either being capable in center field. He would also bring a dynamic skillset to a team that needs it, and he could hit anywhere in the lineup.

Last year he did post more strikeouts than he had ever before, but with it also came a career-high in home runs, as he follows the league-wide trend.

All told, he can be expected to put up something like a .260/.320/.480 line with 20 home runs and 15 steals over 115 games. There will be a team that outspends the others to secure the (only) available starting center fielder, but should that team be the Giants?

Projected Contract: 4 Years: $66MM