Giants free agency: Three power hitters to target this offseason

1B Mark Reynolds

Over the course of 13 MLB seasons, Mark Reynolds has established himself as a guy who will hit a lot of home runs and rack up a lot of strikeouts.

The 36-year-old is certainly not the first name that comes to mind when thinking of power bats the San Francisco Giants could pursue this offseason, but he is just the kind of under-the-radar target that the team could actually nab.

The 2019 season was not his best, as he hit just .170/.290/.311 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 162 plate appearances with the Colorado Rockies before he was released in July.

However, he’s just two years removed from a 30-homer season with the Rockies, and he was still quite productive in a part-time role in 2018 when he batted .248/.328/.476 with 13 home runs in 235 plate appearances with the Washington Nationals.

If the Giants are looking to add some off-the-bench pop, Reynolds could fill a role similar to the one that Michael Morse did during the 2014 season.

Plus, if Brandon Belt is traded, he would be an option to platoon at first base with someone like Chris Shaw or Austin Slater, provided the team doesn’t upgrade via free agency or trade.

After he was forced to settle for a minor league deal each of the past three offseasons, there’s no doubt Reynolds would come cheap. At the very least, he would be an intriguing flier as a non-roster invitee to spring training.

He’s not the only under-the-radar target the Giants could pursue in an effort to add some depth on the infield and some pop to the lineup.