Four former SF Giants Fan Favorites available in free agency

3. Matt Duffy

After Pablo Sandoval left the SF Giants in after the 2014 season, it was unclear who would fill the Panda-sized hole left at third base. For a year and a half, it was the unlikely form of a lanky kid who took over duties at third base named Matt Duffy.

Duffy had an incredible 2015 rookie campaign when it seemed like he would be a solid bench piece at the start of the year. He won the starting job at third from Casey McGehee and never looked back that season, hitting .295/.334/.428 with 12 home runs and 77 RBI. It looked like the Giants had found their third baseman of the future.

However, in 2016 Duffy struggled and was injured for a good chunk of the first half. The Giants traded him to Tampa Bay in the Matt Moore trade and he has been inconsistent ever since. Injuries plagued him in 2017 but he had a great 2018 with the Rays, hitting .294/.361/.366 in what was a resurgent year.

The injury bug bit him again in 2019 though, and he only appeared in 46 games for the Rays which led to his release. After short-lived minor league stints with the Rangers and Yankees organizations, he was signed by the Chicago Cubs prior to the 2021 season. Again, injuries plagued Duffy as he missed time with a back strain, but when he was on the field he was solid. Last season he hit .287/.357/.381 with 5 homers and 30 RBI.

Like with Panik and Sandoval, the Giants do not have room for Duffy on their roster. They are set when it comes to infield depth so signing Duffy would not make much sense. But after his solid season last year with the Cubs, there is no reason to believe that a team would not take a chance on him with a minor league deal. Despite the injury history, when Duffy has been on the field he has proven that he is a solid hitter and would be able to play multiple infield positions for a team.