Five Reasons George Springer Won’t Sign With the SF Giants
Reason George Springer Won’t Sign With The SF Giants:
5. Qualifying Offer
The Collective Bargaining Agreement’s impending expiration throws a wrench into an already complicated free-agency. While it’s very likely that the landscape of free agency in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 offseasons will look entirely different, at the moment, players can still be subjected to the qualifying offer. The Astros will definitely submit one to Springer.
Sources: the qualifying offer for MLB players in 2020 is $18.9 million. Last year’s was $17.8.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 8, 2020
The Giants took advantage of the qualifying offer last offseason, offering both Will Smith and Madison Bumgarner qualifying offers before they departed in free agency. Doing so allowed them to recoup a pair of draft picks that they used to select Nick Swiney and Jimmy Glowenke this June.
By offering Springer a one-year, $18.9 million qualifying offer, the Astros will be able to recoup draft pick compensation if he leaves. With a qualifying offer attached to him, any signing team will be forced to forfeit some amount of draft capital. The Giants may be aiming for a postseason birth in 2021, but is Springer a good enough asset for Farhan Zaidi to be willing to pay that price?
Probably not.
During Zaidi’s tenure with the Giants, Bryce Harper remains the lone player the Giants have pursued with a qualifying offer attached. Sure, they are both middle-of-the-lineup outfielders, but there’s one key difference that will likely keep the Giants from making as aggressive a play for Springer.