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3 glove-first outfielders that the SF Giants should target to bolster the defense

By Jeff Young |
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It is no secret that the SF Giants had one of the worst defenses in baseball last season. After signing Carlos Correa to a 13-year, $350 million contract, the infield defense should see a boost in 2023. However, the outfield defense is unresolved with a few options who could make sense.

3 glove-first outfielders that the SF Giants should target to bolster the defense

Last season, the Giants outfield defense combined to be worth -44 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), -21.8 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), and -25 Outs Above Average (OAA). In terms of DRS and OAA, they had the worst outfield defense in baseball, whereas UZR painted a slightly better picture as the third-worst defense.

The Giants brought back Joc Pederson on a one-year, $19.65 deal and signed Mitch Haniger to a three-year, $43.5 million pact. That is not going to move the needle enough, but Pederson seeing less time in the field should pay dividends on defense.

Pederson and Haniger will join Austin Slater, Mike Yastrzemski, and LaMonte Wade Jr. as the primary outfielders as currently constructed. Wade Jr. is the primary left-handed bat at first base, so he could see some time in the infield as well.

Yastrzemski and Slater handled much of the work in center field. Yastrzemski graded out well as he was worth +4 DRS and +4 OAA in center field, whereas Slater received mixed reviews with -9 DRS and +2 OAA.

Yastrzemski did nicely in center field, but Slater likely need to stay in the corners at this point. If the Giants target a glove-first outfielder, it should be a center fielder. Not as a reason to push a good glove like Yastrzemski out of the lineup, but to move him to right field. That would improve the defense at two positions. Options are limited at this point in the offseason, but there are a few outfielders who make sense:

1. Kansas City Royals outfielder Michael Taylor

There is no perfect solution, so there will be a tradeoff on offense in prioritizing defense. That said, there are few better defensive options than Michael Taylor. The 31-year-old took home the AL Gold Glove award for center field in 2021 and proved to be a standout defender in 2022 as well.

He was worth +19 DRS, +13.2 UZR, and +5 OAA in center field last season. He ranked as the best center fielder in baseball in terms of DRS and the third-best outfielder based on UZR. Adding Taylor would considerably improve the Giants' outfield defense and the Kansas City Royals are poised to trade the nine-year veteran this winter.

Taylor is in the final year of a two-year, $9 million extension, so he is on an expiring deal. The Milwaukee Brewers shipped outfielder Hunter Renfroe and Kolten Wong, who were both on expiring contracts, this winter for minimal returns, so Taylor's cost would not be prohibitive.

Of course, San Francisco's lineup already features a lot of right-handed-hitters and Taylor would only add to the surplus. That could be a moot point as he derives a lot of his value from his glove.

The right-handed bat has not been known for his offense and the 2022 campaign was no different as he slashed .254/.313/.357 (90 OPS+) with nine home runs, 43 RBI, and 49 runs in 456 plate appearances. The Giants' lineup might not be strong enough to have too many glove-first players, but center field is one position where you can make an exception. Taylor feels like the best fit in terms of improving defense.

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3 glove-first outfielders that the SF Giants should target to bolster the defense

2. Free agent outfielder Albert Almora Jr.

Similar to Michael Taylor, adding Albert Almora Jr. would require a tradeoff between offense and defese. Of course, trade capital is not a factor with Almora Jr. as he is currently a free agent. The only cost would be financial.

Oddly enough, the 28-year-old outfielder was doing just fine for the Cincinnati Reds before he was released in September. Evidently, he was not in the team's future plans, so they wanted him to land with another team before the end of the season. That never came to fruition.

The 2022 season was a strong one with the glove for Almora Jr. He was worth +4 DRS, 1.7 UZR, and +4 OAA in center field. He is much closer to Mike Yastrzemski in terms of defensive prowess than Michael Taylor, but that is still a step in the right direction for a team that struggled mightily in the outfield.

Almora Jr. would not offer much with the bat. He registered a .223/.282/.349 (71 OPS+) with five home runs, 29 RBI, and 26 runs in 235 plate appearances. This includes an acceptable 7.2 percent walk rate against a 19.6 percent strikeout rate.

The seven-year veteran has eclipsed the 10-homer threshold just once, which was in 2019, and he has a career .300 on-base percentage. The question is, can the Giants afford to have a player on the roster who cannot consistently produce with the bat?

If they want to improve the outfield defense, then the answer might be a reluctant yes. That is the tradeoff that they would need to make.

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Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies / Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

3 glove-first outfielders that the SF Giants should target to bolster the defense

3. free agent outfielder Adam Duvall

We are at that point in the offseason where we discuss whether the Giants should consider a reunion with veteran outfielder Adam Duvall. The Giants selected the right-handed bat in the 11th round of the 2010 draft but shipped him along with pitching prospect Keury Mella to the Cincinnati Reds in a trade that sent pitcher Mike Leake to San Francisco.

Since then, Duvall has consistently offered a skill set that includes quality defense and above-average power. His overall profile has some wrinkles in it, but he has proven to be a solid producer.

Oddly enough, the nine-year veteran has rarely been an everyday center fielder, but his numbers in a small sample are promising. In fact, he offers the best overall package of offense and defense among the three alternatives profiled.

In 2022, Duvall tallied 382 innings in center field where he was worth 0 DRS, -0.3 UZR, and +3 OAA. He is not an improvement over Mike Yastrzemski, but adding him would likely move Austin Slater to the corner.

The 34-year-old outfielder battled a nagging wirst injury that required season-ending surgery midway through the season, so his power numbers were abnormally low. He recorded a .213/.276/.401 line (87 OPS+) with 12 home runs, 36 RBI, and 39 runs in 315 plate appearances.

This includes a 6.7 percent walk rate against a 32.1 percent strikeout rate. Duvall is not nearly patient enough and strikes out a lot, but when he makes contact, he can really drive the ball. He is not a middle-of-the-order hitter, but he is typically a better performer than either Michael Taylor or Albert Almora Jr.

With that being said, he is not a typical center fielder, so it would be yet another imperfect fit. Similar to Almora Jr., Duvall is a free agent, so the only cost would be financial.

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