Farhan Zaidi may have gifted SF Giants their center fielder of the future

Farhan Zaidi has a complicated legacy among SF Giants fans. Some really resented the analytics-oriented brand of baseball he ushered in for San Francisco while others feel he did good things and was a smart executive who was ultimately a scapegoat who doesn’t look all that bad given the team’s current struggles with Buster Posey as president of baseball operations. 

Like most things, there is some truth in both views. The Giants didn’t have many stars during Zaidi's tenure especially after Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt left and the team was stuck in a rut of mediocrity after the miraculous 2021 season. Yet, he deserves credit for some savvy moves like the Robbie Ray trade or finding diamonds in the rough like Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Thairo Estrada.

One more diamond in the rough may have to be added to the list as Jonah Cox is looking more and more like he could be San Francisco’s center fielder of the future. At the very least he seems very likely to form a platoon in center field with Drew Gilbert next season. Plus, he's viewed as the team's breakout prospect of the year by MLB Pipeline.

If he does end up being a valuable piece for the Giants, Zaidi definitely deserves credit because the Giants acquired Cox from the Athletics in a trade for Ross Stripling and some cash back in 2024. Keep in mind Zaidi acquired Robbie Ray from the Seattle Mariners for Anthony DeSclafani and Mitch Haniger in January of that year so he was on an absolute heater in terms of fleecing other teams that winter.

Stripling had a 6.01 ERA in 2024 for the A’s before retiring while the Giants got a guy who may very well be the fastest player they have had in years. Cox has 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts. He’s played in just 54 games so over the course of a full season it’s not crazy to think he could reach 30 steals in a season. The last Giant to have 30 stolen bases in a season was Dave Roberts in 2007.

Cox has enough skills to be a valuable player even if he comes back to earth at the plate

Not only is he quick, but he’s proven he can hit too. He’s hitting .295/.333/.443 with four home runs and 14 runs batted in. There are some definite warning signs like his 50 strikeouts in 122 at-bats compared to just seven walks, but even if he is never a guy who walks a ton his speed makes him a threat.

While Zaidi deserves credit for acquiring Cox, Posey and his front office deserve credit for having the confidence to call him up straight from Double-A. It was a risky move at the time and definitely seemed like a desperate attempt to infuse some life into the club. He has certainly looked outmatched at times but overall he looks like a guy who belongs in the big leagues and should have a place on the 2027 roster.

Not everyone will want to give Zaidi credit for landing Cox and that’s understandable, but it’s another reminder that Zaidi made some savvy finds that the Giants are still benefiting from.

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