3 free agents that the SF Giants should absolutely target

The SF Giants just finished a disappointing season with an 81-81 record while failing to make the playoffs. It is clear that changes need to be made and they are expected to be aggressive this winter. There are three free agents that they should target.

3 free agents that the SF Giants should absolutely target

This only means that the Giants need to be ready to go when the floodgates open to make moves that can improve the team going into the 2023 season. 

While the Giants may not land every big fish hitting the market this offseason, one can only dream. With that being said, let’s take a look at the three players I would like to join the team this winter. 

As a side note, this will be a list of players who didn’t play for the Giants in 2022. This excludes Carlos Rodon and Joc Pederson, both of which I want to return to the team this offseason. They’ve both been quite good this season, which is the reason it would be nice to get them back next year. 

There will also be some head-scratchers left off this list that may not make sense. For example, Trey Turner is a guy that would be nice to stick at the top of the order and in the middle infield. That being said, Turner is going to be a highly sought-after free agent. I’d expect the Dodgers and Yankees to be the teams getting involved in a bidding war with the Giants, hopefully. I also think the others on this list are more important than Turner, thus why he didn’t make the list. 

When it comes to arms, there are also many that were left off this list. Edwin Diaz, Taylor Rogers, and Kenley Jansen are all arms that would also help this team. However, I feel the lineup is a more pressing issue than pitching at this time. 

1. Josh Bell

It’s been time to move on from Brandon Belt for quite a while now. It just so happens this free-agent class features some viable options to play a good first base and also be a top-of-the-lineup bat. 

It just so happens that Josh Bell is the youngest of all of the options that will hit the market. There’s also the fact that he’s the lone switch-hitting first baseman, which will make his value go up a tad bit more. 

In 2022, Bell had a pretty solid season. While playing for the Nationals and Padres, he hit .266/.362/.422 while knocking 17 balls out of the park and driving in 71 runs. Maybe the best part is that Bell played in 156 games, which means he’s a guy that will likely be in the lineup every day. This would be a welcome change from Belt who is not only a streaky bat but always seem to miss long periods of time due to injuries. The best trait of a player is simply being available on a daily basis, and Bell checks that box very well. 

The only downside of adding Bell would be that he doesn’t have nearly as good of an eye or idea of the strike zone when up to bat compared to that Belt who grinds at-bats. This season alone, Bell struck out 102 and walked 81 times. 

Bell also wasn’t nearly as good after the trade to the Padres in August. In just 53 games, he hit .192/.316/.271 and hit just three home runs. Because of this, the price could go down to sign him. Bell in a Giants uniform just seems like it’d be a good fit. 

3 free agents that the SF Giants should absolutely target

3. Aaron Judge 

What a real shocker this is, right? But in all honesty, Aaron Judge would be a great addition to the lineup. 

The 2022 MVP candidate will cost a fortune because of the massive season he’s had with the Yankees. After all, he hit a whopping 62 homers and had 131 RBIs all while hitting .311/.425/.686, and swiping 16 bases. It would be safe to assume that there would be a bunch of regression going from the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium to pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. That being said, having a player hit 30-plus bombs would go a long way toward helping the Giants' lineup next year. 

However, there is one major red flag that may cause the Giants to be a bit tentative when signing Judge and that’s his injury history. Of course, one thing they can do is use Judge as a DH from time to time. 

Now into the positives. Judge could bring the ability to play Gold Glove defense in the outfield. This season with the Yankees, Judge was able to play CF and RF at a top level to go along with his otherworldy numbers at the plate. 

Prepare for a massive bidding war between all the major markets to add Judge to their teams. He’s not going to be cheap.