San Francisco Giants free-agent target: Speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson

Even with improved production from their in-house options as the 2019 season progressed, the San Francisco Giants could still look to add another outfielder this offseason. Is speedy Jarrod Dyson a fit?

The San Francisco Giants head into 2020 with an improved outlook in the outfield. A solid year from veteran Kevin Pillar and a breakout season from Mike Yastrzemski have them set in center field and at one of the corner spots, unless Pillar winds up non-tendered.

Meanwhile, Alex Dickerson is probably the early favorite for the other corner outfield spot, but that one is far from locked down. There are in-house options such as Chris Shaw, Steven Duggar, and Jaylin Davis who may be serviceable, but they have not yet proven to be reliable starters.

With that in mind, perhaps the Giants could look to the free-agent market to add some depth to their outfield. One free-agent option who could draw some attention is the speedy Jarrod Dyson.

Now, Dyson is not exactly what we would call a “big bat”.

Last year for the Arizona Diamondbacks, he hit .230/.320/.633 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. The year before, he hit .189/.257/.539 with two home runs and 12 RBI. Those numbers do not inspire much confidence, but Dyson’s main assets are his speed and defensive ability.

In 2019, he stole 30 bases, only getting caught four times in the process. The Giants have not had speed like that on the base paths in quite a while.

With a team that does not have any established base stealers, that kind of weapon could be attractive, especially with an offense that is wont to shut down every so often.

There are a few red flags with Dyson, though.

The first is his age. He is 35 years old, and while he is still quick, the Giants, in general, figure to be targeting younger options with a team that is still semi-rebuilding.

Also working against him is the fact that team president Farhan Zaidi has already made it clear that the team is looking to add power bat this offseason, just like every other Giants executive since Barry Bonds retired. Dyson does not fit that big bat mold.

The only way I see the Giants going after him is if they choose to not retain Kevin Pillar and trade Steven Duggar. Otherwise, Duggar is essentially just a cheaper version of Dyson and they already have an established center fielder in Pillar.

Maybe at another point in time, Dyson would have made sense. But this version of the San Francisco Giants wants to hit more home runs and wants to get younger, so the light-hitting 35-year-old doesn’t really fit the blueprint.