Giants free agency: Three power hitters to target this offseason

The San Francisco Giants have made it know that they will be looking to add power to the lineup this offseason. Which free agents would fill that need?

As the San Francisco Giants continue to search for a manager to replace Bruce Bochy, they will also be looking for players to bolster their roster for the 2020 season.

Team president Farhan Zaidi has already made it clear he will look to add some power to the lineup this offseason.

Even after Mike Yastrzemski (21), Kevin Pillar (21) and Evan Longoria (20) all eclipsed the 20-homer mark last season, there is still plenty of room to add more thunder to an offense that ranked 26th in the majors with 167 home runs as a team.

There has been some talk of moving in the fences at Oracle Park.

That could help convince free-agent power hitters who had previously thought of Oracle Park as a place where home runs go to die that signing with the Giants isn’t the worst idea.

The Giants have been without a true slugger since Barry Bonds was still patrolling left field, and with no homegrown options on the immediate horizon, they will have to turn to free agency and the trade market if they want to add a big bat.

There is certainly room to add a big bat at one of the corner outfield spots, opposite Yastrzemski.

In the event that Brandon Belt is traded, they could also pursue a more traditional power hitter to man first base. With Brandon Crawford struggling offensively and Mauricio Dubon‘s skinny frame not inspiring much confidence in regular 20-homer seasons, the team could also look for a powerful middle infielder.

Ahead we’ve highlighted three very different players who are all capable of adding some pop to the lineup, should the San Francisco Giants decide to target them this winter.

OF Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna is undoubtedly one of the premier free-agent outfielders on the market this offseason. He has been an effective hitter since his time in Miami, where he earned back-to-back All-Star nods in 2016 and 2017.

The 2017 season was his best to date, as he hit .312/.376/.548 with 37 home runs and 124 RBI. That level of production is what made the St. Louis Cardinals eager to trade for him prior to the 2018 season.

He didn’t quite match those numbers during his two seasons with the Cardinals, but he remained an above-average offensive producer. This past season, he hit .241/.328/.472 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI. His batting average wasn’t ideal, but if he is able to hit 20-plus home runs in a Giants uniform, that would go a long way for the often power-starved lineup.

He would slot in as the team’s left fielder, and if the Giants choose to retain Kevin Pillar or replace him with someone of equal talent, they would have a rock-solid outfield with Mike Yastrzemski penciled in as the right fielder.

Ozuna will not come cheap and the Giants will not be the only team vying for his services.

That doesn’t mean the Giants shouldn’t inquire, though. If the price is right, he could be the power bat they’ve been searching for to anchor the middle of the lineup.

However, since it has historically been difficult for the Giants to bring in big-time free agents, let’s examine some other free agents who the Giants may actually have a better chance at acquiring.

IF Jedd Gyorko

Jedd Gyorko is very much in the same camp as Mark Reynolds.

Both are coming off disappointing 2019 seasons, but both have proven that they can regularly hit the ball out of the park in the past.

Gyorko, 31, hit just .174/.248/.250 with two home runs in 101 plate appearances last season while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers. He dealt with back, calf and wrist injuries in 2019 and was limited to just 62 games as a result.

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If he can put those injuries behind him, he’s capable of being a productive player.

Gyorko slugged 30 home runs in his first season with the Cardinals in 2016, and he was a 2.0 WAR player as recently as 2018 when he filled a super-utility role and played all four infield spots.

At his best, he’s been a Donovan Solano type, only with legitimate power.

A versatile guy who can come off the bench and hit a dinger or get a big hit in a key situation can be a real difference-maker over the course of a season.

Farhan Zaidi understands as well as anyone that the offseason is not all about big-name acquisitions. Searching for diamonds in the rough is how he unearthed guys like Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, and Max Muncy during his time in the Los Angeles Dodgers front office.

Just look at what Howie Kendrick is doing for the Washington Nationals this postseason. He’s not the flashiest, youngest, or most powerful player, but he has been clutch and is a big reason why that the Nationals have a chance to win the World Series.

In a dream world, Marcell Ozuna lands in San Francisco and is penciled into the middle of the batting order for the foreseeable future. Recent history says that probably won’t happen, though, so targeting players like Mark Reynolds and Jedd Gyorko may be the team’s best bet to add some power to the roster this offseason.