3 free agents Buster Posey is probably out on, 3 still in play for SF Giants

The SF Giants have been very quiet in free agency thus far. They made a modest signing of starting pitcher Adrian Houser, but it is a good time to take a look at who the Giants are probably out on and who they may still be in on.

Let's start with the names the Giants can probably cross off their Christmas wish list. Maybe at the start of the offseason fans had hope for these names, but at this point it seems unlikely that the president of baseball operations Buster Posey will seriously pursue them.

3 free agents SF Giants are likely out on

Tatsuya Imai

Much to the chagrin of Giants fans, the team seems to be out on the big-name free agent pitchers on the market. We know how Giants chairman Greg Johnson feels about nine-figure contracts for starters, and Tatsuya Imai seems all but certain to earn a massive deal.

The Giants have reportedly been out on Imai for some time based on reporting from both national and local reports. This was such a frustrating development because Imai has been open about his desire to take on the Dodgers rather than join him, but barring something unforeseen he will not take on LA as a member of the Giants.

Bo Bichette

The Giants clearly have interest in making an upgrade at second base, but their reported interest has linked them to trade candidates rather than free agents. Bichette may be willing to play second base rather that shortstop, but he is going to earn a massive contract that the Giants seem unlikely to commit to.

Kyle Tucker

San Francisco has a hole in right field, but it is unlikely they will fill it with Kyle Tucker. He is the premier offensive player on the market and while he has been connected to the Giants at times, the biggest left-handed power-hitting outfielder the Giants have landed in free agency since Barry Bonds is probably Michael Conforto, and that seems unlikely to change this offseason.

Those are the three free agents fans can probably say goodbye to, but what about three targets who they may still be entertaining?

3 free agents SF Giants could realistically still land

Chris Bassitt

A similar pitcher to Adrian Houser still available in free agency is Chris Bassitt. He is a solid pitcher who posted a 3.96 ERA last season. He could probably be had on a two-year contract in the $30-35 million range which seems to be the price range the Giants are more comfortable with.

Harrison Bader

If the Giants want to upgrade in the outfield, Harrison Bader makes a ton of sense. He is very strong defensively and while he likely will not replicate a career year offensively, he does enough with the bat to make him a valuable player overall.

Evan Phillips

The Giants seem to be making a habit of signing relievers coming off injury and Evan Phillips would fit that bill as he is coming off Tommy John surgery. He was a solid reliever for years with the Los Angeles Dodgers so maybe he could develop into a solid late-inning arm.

We will see if Posey has any surprises up his sleeve the rest of the offseason, but it seems like fans should set their sights lower than the top end of the market in free agency.