San Francisco Giants Have to Stop Rewarding Past Success

As the new regime takes over for the San Francisco Giants, hopefully they understand that past success doesn’t guarantee future success.

In the past the San Francisco Giants have gotten in trouble by re-signing or extending players who won for them.

This was great when the Giants were winning championships every other year, but that can’t always be the case going forward.

This is already a team that is stuck in a lot of bad contracts with aging players, so this front office has to be smarter about who they sign going forward, both in-house players and free agents.

That includes the likes of Madison Bumgarner. If you don’t feel like he is going to be an ace level pitcher for the next five years, then don’t re-sign him for ace-level money and years.

In my opinion, the San Francisco Giants have already hurt themselves by extending Buster Posey and Brandon Belt.

I know this could create anarchy, but Posey is no longer a $22 million a year player, and Belt has never been worth the $17 million he makes annually in my opinion.

The Brandon Crawford extension I can deal with because he gives you excellent defense every year at a premium position. All around he’s a top five shortstop in the National League. Belt is maybe in the top eight among first baseman in the NL.

But either way, the San Francisco Giants have to be smarter about rewarding their own guys in the future.

And as for free agent signings this offseason, I think you only sign guys who are going to help you over the next two or three years.

If you still think this nucleus is good enough to bring home a trophy, then you go out and sign guys who fit that timeframe.

I don’t really want to see the Giants give big dollars and years to players this offseason. It really doesn’t make sense for a team that, in my opinion, should be focused on rebuilding the farm system.

But I understand this is San Francisco, where fans have become accustomed to winning. I just ask that if the front office feels like they can win this year, they make moves that won’t hamper the future of this ballclub.