SF Giants: Three Potential Left-Handed Hitting Infield Targets

The SF Giants remain in the market for a left-handed hitting infielder, and there are plenty of attractive targets.

When the offseason began, SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi identified adding a left-handed bat as one of the priorities this winter. To an extent, they have filled that void when they signed Jason Vosler to a major league contract.

With that being said, Vosler is an unknown commodity as he has no experience at the major league level yet, so they will want to add some depth behind him. The Giants have some stability on their roster and will be targeting complementary players. With that in mind, players like Didi Gregorius and Tommy La Stella might not be an option. However, there are plenty of complementary players available.

Three Left-Handed Hitting Infield Targets for the SF Giants

1. Brad Miller

If you looked up the definition of a complementary player, there would be a picture of outfielder Matt Joyce holding up a picture of Brad Miller. That is not a knock on either player as both have carved out nice careers as the left side of a productive timeshare.

Miller, who was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the second round of the 2011 draft, has bounced around the league in recent years. Since the start of 2018, the 31-year-old has made stops with the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals.

Despite the frequent flyer miles, Miller has turned in a nice career. In eight seasons, he has slashed .240/.316/.421 (103 OPS+) with 95 home runs and 318 RBI. His best year came in 2016 where he registered a .786 OPS (113 OPS+) with 30 home runs and 81 RBI across 601 plate appearances.

Since then, teams have leveraged his value as a player who can contribute against right-handed pitchers. Against righties, the left-handed bat has slashed .245/.326/.447 with 84 home runs and 255 RBI. This comes with a strong 23.5 percent strikeout rate against a 10.5 percent walk rate as well.

Miller has experience all around the field. That said, he is best suited to play second base and third base as well as some left field. Given that the Giants have right-handed bats in Donovan Solano and Evan Longoria as the incumbents to second base and third base, respectively, they could use a left-handed bat to bring a little more balance to the lineup. That is a role Miller could assume.

Plus, given Miller’s status as a platoon player, he is very affordable. The former second-round pick made $2 million in 2020 and probably earned a bit of a raise, but one that the Giants could easily afford.

Three Left-Handed Hitting Infield Targets for the SF Giants

3. Brock Holt

Brock Holt has seemingly been a Giants target for a couple of years now. On the heels of a rough 2020 campaign, he might be easier to reel in for 2021.

Holt has carved out a very nice career after being drafted in the 9th round of the 2009 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. This includes one all-star selection and two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox.

Since debuting in 2012, the left-handed bat has slashed .268/.337/.369 (91 OPS+) with 114 doubles, 23 home runs, and 211 RBI. While the power numbers are not that impressive, Holt does grind out at-bats as he has posted an 8.7 percent walk rate against a 19.1 percent strikeout rate.

Unlike Brad Miller and Jason Kipnis, Holt has not demonstrated extreme platoon splits (.710 OPS against RHP, .697 OPS against LHP) throughout his career.

The 2020 season was a forgettable one for the 32-year-old, but his performance could be a product of small sample randomness. Holt latched on with the Milwaukee Brewers on a one-year, $2.5 million pact but only collected 36 plate appearances where he generated a .322 OPS before being released.

He caught on with the Washington Nationals to finish out the season where he posted a .668 OPS in 70 plate appearances.

In the field, Holt is extremely versatile. He has played every position except for catcher and the advanced metrics generally have a favorable view of his work at most positions. Yes, he even has 1.1 innings to his ledger on a major league mound.

With a player like Holt, it is not to find a role for him on a major league roster. He can fill in at every position, gives you good at-bats, and can be had on a reasonable contract. He might even be in the market for a minor league deal, so he is well within the Giants’ budget.