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

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.

More from Around the Foghorn

• SF Giants: Reliever Reyes Moronta clears outright waivers
• SF Giants sign veteran 1B John Nogowski to minor league deal
• SF Giants call on veteran LHP Scott Kazmir for big start against Padres
• SF Giants: Update on Alex Dickerson’s rehab assignment
• Atlanta claims SF Giants C Chadwick Tromp off waivers

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