San Francisco Giants: 5 Under the Radar Acquisitions

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Okay, maybe McCutchen isn’t as “under the radar” as the other names listed here, but there still hasn’t been much talk of where he could end up for next season.

A more recently familiar face, many fans may think Andrew McCutchen’s time with the San Francisco Giants was over. The Giants originally acquired the former MVP last offseason from the Pirates, then dealt him away in August to the Yankees for infielder Abiatal Avelino and right-handed pitcher Juan De Paula.

Despite being on a team that played its way out of playoff contention, McCutchen was one of the Giants best hitters during his tenure in the Bay. While he’s no longer the athlete or hitter he was at his peak, he still was an above average offensive contributor playing in the corner outfield.

He slashed .255/.368/.424 and finished quite strongly for the Yankees. Entering 2019, he’ll be just 32 years old, so his production hopefully should not fall off a cliff.

Since entering the league, he’s been a consistent, highly durable outfielder, having eight straight seasons of 20-plus homers and 145 games played. The Giants still should need that type of production and will seek it in free agency.

MLBTR projects him to make $30 million over three years, and that’s about the most I would spend to bring him back to San Francisco. It seemed like Cutch enjoyed his time with the Giants, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he gives them a little favoritism in free agency as well, despite the current state of the team.

Last year, the market often spurned veterans who were limited to corners defensively and did not provide top-tier offensive production. If that happens again, McCutchen may well become a victim. If the price is right, the San Francisco Giants shouldn’t hesitate to scoop him up again.