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

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.