SF Giants: Three Left-Handed Power Hitting Targets

SF Giants’ brass has said they still would like to add a left-handed hitter this offseason. Nick San Miguel finds three potential under-the-radar targets.

The SF Giants have a number of needs they are seeking to address this offseason. President of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, has said that even as the team looks to upgrade their starting rotation and bullpen, they would like to add a left-handed bench bat. While the team has suggested that Jason Vosler could be the answer, it’s fair to wonder if they would like a more proven option.

The Giants have a number of proven left-handed bats on the roster like Mike Yastrzemski, Brandon Belt, Alex Dickerson, and Brandon Crawford. However, all, with the exception of Dickerson, are everyday players unlikely to be platooned consistently. On their bench, the Giants have right-handed hitters like Wilmer Flores and Darin Ruf available to fill in where necessary.

To give manager Gabe Kapler some more balanced flexibility the Giants could pursue several left-handed power bats who could start for the team or come off the bench in a late-inning situation where a home run could change the dynamic of the game.

If the early activity of the Giants offseason is any indication, the Giants are not intent on making any splashy signings. Instead, they are operating on Zaidi’s standard modus operandi since he has been with the Giants by acquiring strategic role players who may not electrify the fanbase but will assist the team in key spots.

Let’s take a look at three power-hitting left-handed hitters who may not have the flashiest names, but have proven big-league track records, and could still play an important strategic role for the Giants in the 2021 season.

SF Giants Under The Radar Targets
1. Travis Shaw

Travis Shaw is a 30-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder who spent last season playing for the Toronto Blue Jays. Before that, he was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Boston Red Sox.

Focusing on his numbers though, he did not set the world on fire in 2020, hitting .239/.306/.411 with 6 home runs and 17 RBI. However, 2020 was a stark improvement from 2019, his last season with the Brewers in which he hit a dismal .157/.281/.270. Those numbers should inspire caution. At the same time, he is not far removed from incredible 2017 and 2018 seasons, where he looked like one of the best third basemen in baseball.

In 2017 he hit .273/.349/.513 with 31 home runs and 101 RBI. He backed up that great year with another solid one in 2018, hitting .241/.345/.480 with 32 home runs and 86 RBI. Now, it is doubtful that Shaw would put up the kind of numbers he did in 2017 and 2018 if the SF Giants ended up signing him. But his return to competence in 2020 suggests he’s heading in that direction.

Even if his true talent level is below his 2017 and 2018 play, it’s also probably better than what he has done over the past two seasons. He can play first base, second base, and third base, and, knowing Farhan Zaidi, with a little work he could probably play the corner outfield spots if need be.

In all, Shaw would be a low-risk, high-reward acquisition for the Giants. They could give him a chance to compete in Spring Training in 2021 as they did with Darin Ruf and see if he can rekindle some of that hitting he displayed in 2017 and 2018.

SF Giants Under The Radar Targets
3. Jay Bruce

Another familiar face to SF Giants, most famous for his towering home runs with the Cincinnati Reds, Jay Bruce is a wily veteran who could provide a little pop for the Giants.

In his last few seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, Bruce has not been exceptional. In 2019, which he spent both with the Seattle Mariners and the Phillies, he hit .216/.261/.523 with 26 home runs and 59 RBI. In 2020, he hit .198/.252/.469 with 6 home runs and 14 RBI in 32 games.

Entering a season in which he will be 34 years old, it is obvious that Bruce is not the hitter that he once was. That does not mean he could not help the Giants out though. Having a powerful lefty that can come off the bench late in the game is a valuable asset, especially after we saw how much different right field at Oracle Park played last year.

Traditionally, it has been difficult for the Giants to attract left-handed free agents to play in Oracle Park for half the year, but Zaidi believes that the pitcher-friendly park has become less of a hindrance for free agents after many players experienced career years with the team in 2020.

Bruce has always had severe platoon splits, and that was still the case over the last two seasons. In 2020, he posted a .821 OPS against righties. Once a solid everyday right fielder, he is more fringe at the position now, especially if he had to play at Oracle Park. However, he has been consistently above-average in left field and solid at first base, something that cannot be said for Adams.

Ultimately, the SF Giants could sign any one of these three free-agent left-handed power hitters with virtually no risk. Given some of their struggles in 2020 and lack of exceptional defensive versatility, they may not even command MLB deals on the open market. They would be making a low-risk acquisition who in a best-case scenario would help the Giants win games in 2021 and in a worst-case scenario could be cut after Spring Training.