5 Realistic free agents the SF Giants should target this winter

As the SF Giants embark upon another offseason in which expectations are sky high to make a big splash in free agency, we would do well as fans to temper expectations. If history is any indicator, the Giants will not land a massive superstar like Shohei Ohtani. Instead, they are likely to miss out on all of the premier free agents and will instead be forced to pick from lower tiers.

5 Realistic free agents the SF Giants should target this winter

This is what the Giants were forced to do last year. After missing out on Aaron Judge and after the Carlos Correa deal fell through, they were forced to piece together a lineup with free agents like Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto.

Fans should already be preparing themselves to settle for free agents closer to the middle of the market, especially given the fact that there is a pretty steep drop-off in talent available in free agency after Ohtani. 

This article is going to examine what a realistic Giants free agency will look like. Many of the players on this list are solid ball players, but just like last year will not solve the lack of star talent on the roster. 

Realistic target #1: Matt Chapman

Of all the free agents available, Matt Chapman makes a lot of sense for the San Francisco Giants. He played for new manager Bob Melvin in Oakland and has had a very solid career. 

He is known for being one of the premier defenders in baseball, and he has had some solid seasons with the bat as well.

Last year with the Blue Jays, Chapman hit .240/.330/.424 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. Plus, he took home his fourth Gold Glove award at third base.

If you look at some of his numbers, Chapman may not seem like much of an upgrade over JD Davis. But if you look at his WAR he is a clear upgrade. Davis sported a WAR of 0.8 last season while Chapman's was 4.4.

If you believe in that stat, that is nearly three extra wins in a season which could be the difference between making the postseason or not.

Plus, if the Giants were to sign Chapman, that could allow Wilmer Flores to really only play first base or serve as a DH which is probably best for him so he can focus on continuing to rake at the plate. 

Chapman will not thrill Giants fans, but he is a solid ball player that will make the team better and has a history with the new manager.