15 MILB Free-Agents That Could Help The SF Giants In 2021

Could the SF Giants find a substantial big-league contributor in 2021 from one of the hundreds of minor-league free agents?

Few franchises have had such consistent success finding MLB contributors through minor-league free agency as the SF Giants. While the franchise has had three top decision-makers over the past decade, Brian Sabean, Bobby Evans, and Farhan Zaidi’s regimes have all found players that made an impact after signing minor-league contracts. Andres Torres, Alen Hanson, Donovan Solano, and Darin Ruf are just a few of the contributors that were brought in on minor-league pacts.

While most fans are obviously thinking about which big-time free agents could be on the Giants wish-list, over 420 players on minor-league contracts in 2020 are now available too. Given Zaidi’s success on the margins of the roster, it could be one of those less-heralded names that make the biggest contributions next season.

Check out the 15 players best positioned to help San Francisco in 2021.

Infielders: Matt Duffy, Arismendy Alcantara

Former Giants fan-favorite Matt Duffy is available after injuries have stalled a once-promising young career. He’ll be 30 in January and hasn’t replicated his success in San Francisco since he was packaged in the Matt Moore trade, but Duffy is a competent hitter and really good defensive third baseman and shortstop. He could be an obvious upgrade over Daniel Robertson as a righthanded backup for Brandon Crawford.

Arismendy Alcantara was once a top prospect in the Chicago Cubs system that never found consistent success at the plate. Still, he has good speed (21 steals at Triple-A in 2019), no clear platoon splits, a great defensive profile (with big-league experience at every position but first base and catcher), and a strong minor-league hitting track-record. He could end up a strong swiss-army knife at the big-league level with another opportunity.

Top Target/Best Fit: Ronny Rodriguez

While Alcantara and Duffy both have a strong defensive profile, Ronny Rodriguez has played around the diamond as well but has big-time power. In 500 MLB plate appearances with the Tigers from 2018-19, Rodriguez blasted 19 home runs, slugged .455 against lefties, and only struck out in 25% of his plate appearances. His plate discipline is atrocious and he’s not going to generate a lot of line drives, but if the Giants consider him passable at shortstop and in the outfield, he’d be a great platoon option against southpaws.

Minor-League Free Agent Relievers That Could Help The SF Giants In 2021: Brendan McCurry, Pedro Strop, Preston Guilmet, Ryan Buchter

Pedro Strop is easily the most experienced big-leaguer included on this list. While he’s probably not the strong setup man he was as recently as 2018, he’s still been a competent reliever for nearly a decade. Set to turn 36 next June, he might not be a bad buy-low bounceback candidate to see if he has one more strong stretch of play in him.

Like Strop, Ryan Buchter is quite experienced against MLB hitters and actually had a respectable 2020 season. In 10 appearances with the Angels, he had a 4.50 ERA. A southpaw best deployed as a LOOGY, the three-batter minimum rule does complicate his market. The Giants are also already pretty deep with lefties so it’s not the easiest roster fit. Still, he’s averaged 53 games and 44 innings a season since 2016 and has an ERA of 2.92.

Preston Guilmet is a journeyman righty who’s had MLB stints with six different teams, spent a couple of years in Japan, and thrown 338 innings at Triple-A. He’s been effective at the upper minors for a number of years now, striking out over 10 batters per nine innings, while holding his walks to good numbers as well. He has some big-league experience but has yet to get a legitimate extended look.

Brandon McCurry is the youngest of the group (he’ll be 29 next July) and is the only one yet to make a big-league debut. He has a lot of similarities to Tyler Rogers. He’s spent four years in the incredibly hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and been effective every year. Admittedly, he’s never dominated the competition, but like Rogers, works off control and a deceptive delivery to be effective even without overpowering stuff.

Top Target/Best Fit: Jay Jackson

After a couple of strong seasons with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan (127 G, 130.1 IP, 144 K, 42 BB, 1.86 ERA), Jay Jackson signed a minor-league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2019 season. He absolutely dominated the Pacific Coast League (40.2 IP, 54 K, 10 BB, 1.33 ERA) before earning a big-league promotion.

With the Brewers, Jackson wasn’t dominant (4.45 ERA and 4.66 FIP) and suffered from some inflated walks (5.3 BB/9), but struck out 47 batters in 30.1 innings and showed top of the line stuff. It still remains one of the most confusing facets of last offseason that he did not receive more robust interest. Instead, he returned to Japan, pitched for Chiba Lotte before joining the Reds on a minor-league pact. If he has a big-league out in his contract, he’s worthy of an opportunity to be a power right-handed arm that the Giants pen needs.

Minor-League Free Agents That Could Help The SF Giants In 2021:
Outfielders: Mikie Mahtook, Michael Hermosillo

If Mikie Mahtook were a left-handed hitter, it would be the easiest fit in the book. Capable of playing all three outfield positions well defensively, the former top prospect is well equipped to be a solid fourth outfielder. His .758 OPS when he’s had the platoon advantage is obviously competent but doesn’t do the Giants much good in center field with Mauricio Dubón struggling against right-handed pitchers. Mahtook would still be a great depth piece, but it’s hard to see him joining the Giants with other organizations positioned to offer him a better chance at big-league at-bats.

Michael Hermosillo is also righthanded, so the fit’s not quite ideal. However, he’s a plus runner with excellent defensive abilities at all three outfield spots. He managed a solid .802 OPS at Triple-A in 2019 and made a few appearances for the Angels this season at the big-league level. He consistently ranked among the Angels top 30 prospects over the past few years and is still just 25-years old. Given his athletic tools, the Giants might want to gamble on their coaching staff to see if they can help his bat take another step.

Top Target/Best Fit: Rafael Ortega

It’s impossible to predict any player to break out late in their professional careers like Mike Yastrzemski or Donovan Solano. Yet, as I write that, it’s so tempting to look at Rafael Ortega and see a lot of similarities between his career arc and two of the Giants best players.

Signed out of Venezuela, Ortega worked his way through the minors as a soft-hitting slap hitter with good speed and strong outfield defense. Entering 2019, he’d never hit 10 home runs in a season combined between the major and minor-league levels. Then, all of a sudden, he hit 34 doubles, 21 home runs, and posted a .285/.373/.524 triple-slash line with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate.

Needless to say, it seems pretty clear that Ortega took a huge step forward at the plate. While he struggled in about a month of playing time with Atlanta, he performed better than his production suggested, according to expected batting average and expected slugging. His well below-average .250 BABIP seemed like another possible bad break that hampered his MLB production.

Ortega was considered a good prospect because of his above-average work on the basepaths and at every spot in the outfield. He has a strong arm that could handle right field at Oracle Park, while also having the range to play in center as well.

Following his swing change, Ortega’s strikeouts spiked noticeably but were at such a low level that they remained perfectly reasonable at the MLB level (22.9%). Furthermore, he maintained his strong plate discipline, posting a solid 8.3% walk rate. As a lefthanded batter, Ortega could make the perfect platoon option for manager Gabe Kapler as well.

Even if the power gains do not continue, that’s still the makings of a fourth outfielder. But, it’s easy to look at that 2019 performance and think a new late bloomer could be available for virtually nothing.

The SF Giants roster is far deeper than it has been in some time. With fewer roster spots up for competition, it may be harder for minor-league free agents to receive an opportunity. That won’t stop the team from scouring the market looking for the next diamond in the rough. Perhaps one of these 15 free-agents could be the next big contributor that nobody saw coming.