3 SF Giants offseason additions we should already be concerned about

3 SF Giants offseason additions we should already be concerned about

RHP Ross Stripling

The signing of Stripling was the very first reactionary move made by the Giants front office after many free agent targets began to sign elsewhere. The 33-year-old secured the same deal Manaea took, two-years and $25M.

It's harder to fault the Giants for trying on this one, because Stripling turned himself into a respectable name over the course of his three-year tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays. Last year, he hit a whole new level, one he hadn't seen since all the way back in 2018, his lone All-Star-worthy season.

In 32 appearances (24 starts) last year for the Blue Jays, "Strip" went 10-4 with a 3.01 ERA, 3.11 FIP and 129 ERA+. He became a local hero for the team and was arguably the team's third best starter behind Alek Manoah and former Giant Kevin Gausman.

Based off of last year's performance alone, Stripling seemed guaranteed to land a multi-year contract in free agency. There was certainly interest around the league, but the Giants ultimately out-bid the Blue Jays by adding an opt-out clase in the deal, something Toronto was not willing to do.

If there's a concern to be had, it's the fact that last year was the first solid year for Stripling in around four years. Could that have been a one-off? Certainly, he's not getting any younger. In six spring appearances, the righty had a 7.43 ERA in 23 innings of work thanks to 19 earned runs on 40 hits. He showed off exceptional command, though, striking out 18 against just one walk.

The eight-year veteran has made just one start for the Giants to kickoff the regular season, and it was not a good one. He made it through five innings, walked two, struck out three, and allowed four earned runs on six hits, earning the loss along the way. He will need to turn it up a notch if he is aiming to stay in good spirits amongst Giants fans.