MLB insider believes the SF Giants are acting “curiously” this offseason

The SF Giants have yet to make a big splash this winter, which has left many people wondering what their plan is. Count Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic as among those who are confused, saying that they are acting “curiously.” 

MLB insider believes the SF Giants are acting “curiously” this offseason

Rosenthal joined the Foul Territory Podcast this week to discuss the Giants’ offseason thus far. He questions their approach, especially on the pitching side:

"It seems that they are not prepared to spend at the top of the market… Why they wouldn’t continue to spend on pitching is a little curious to me… I’m a little baffled by the Giants and their seeming retrenchment here when they’ve spent heavily on those three position players."

Ken Rosenthal

Those three players he is referring to are Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers. Within the last 14 months, they have invested over $500 million into the roster. They are likely done making additions of that caliber on the position-player side for the foreseeable future.

Chapman, Adames, and Devers are all in the beginning stages of long-term contracts. Adding another contract like that reduces future flexibility, not only from a payroll standpoint but from a roster building standpoint as well.

The Giants could use more help on the pitching side, and this is where Rosenthal’s observation stands out. Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Landen Roupp are penciled in to the front of the rotation. Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald, and Blade Tidwell will be among the young pitchers competing for a spot in the back of the rotation.

Regardless, they need some help, and the Giants recognize this, too. They had been connected to Tatsuya Imai earlier in the offseason, but are not comfortable spending at that level. The same is likely true for Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez, both of whom also rejected a qualifying offer this offseason.

It would be one thing if the Giants did not feel comfortable with an evaluation of a pitcher to make the projected investment this offseason, but this seemingly happens every winter. Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, and Corbin Burnes are some recent examples. On the other hand, they were prepared to offer Yoshinobu Yamamoto a substantial deal before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Giants are seemingly still scared of the Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija deals. The returns on either deal were not bad, but it hamstrung them throughout the duration of those contracts. They have avoided those types of deals since then. After investing so much into the roster, the avoidance is curious.