Ranking the 6 SF Giants from the 2023 season who are still available in free agency

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As free agency winds down, the SF Giants are still linked to several of the bigger players on the market like third baseman Matt Chapman. However, it seems like the Giants will not make too many moves before pitchers and catchers report.

Ranking the 6 SF Giants from the 2023 season who are still available in free agency

The team has already added Jordan Hicks, Tom Murphy, and Jung Hoo Lee. That is not exactly the offseason most fans were dreaming about, but a Chapman signing could change how fans feel about the team going into 2024.

There are still several players that were on the team in 2023 who have still not found a home on a different big league club.

Recently, John Brebbia signed with the White Sox and Joc Pederson signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Earlier in the offseason, pitcher Sean Manaea signed with the New York Mets.

Additionally, players that spent much less time with the Giants last year have also found homes. Catcher Roberto Pérez , whose season was cut short essentially before it started due to injury, signed with the Red Sox. And Paul DeJong, who seemed like Cody Ross 2.0 in his first game as a Giant, signed with the White Sox.

Of the remaining 2023 Giants still available in free agency, it seems exceedingly unlikely that the Giants will reunite with any of them in 2024. For all of them, there is either an internal replacement or other players that the organization would like to see get some playing time rather than bringing back a veteran.

Let's examine the 6 remaining 2023 SF Giants still available in free agency.

Los Angeles Dodgers v San Francisco Giants / Brandon Vallance/GettyImages

Ranking the 6 SF Giants from the 2023 season who are still available in free agency

1. Brandon Crawford

The best shortstop in franchise history, the SF Giants gave Brandon Crawford an emotional and well-deserved send-off at the end of last season. While he struggled to stay healthy and was not as productive on the field in 2022 and 2023, it was still a delight to watch Crawford play for his hometown team.

Last season, Crawford slashed .194/.273/.314 with 7 home runs and 38 RBI. He was only able to play in 93 games due to injury. In 2024, the Giants have made clear that they plan to give the young prospect Marco Luciano a shot to be the starting shortstop.

As for Crawford, he has said it is his desire to play in 2024. It is not clear whether he will get that chance, but he could get an opportunity on a team with a young shortstop who would benefit from a veteran who played the position at a high level.

No matter what, Crawford was a Great Giant and will always be remembered fondly in the Bay Area.

San Francisco Giants v Colorado Rockies - Game Two / Matthew Stockman/GettyImages

2. Jakob Junis

SF Giants long relief man Jakob Junis was solid in his two years as a Giant. He was able to be pretty versatile for the Giants, serving as a starter, a bulk inning reliever, and even as a leverage reliever if other arms needed rest.

Last season he recorded an ERA of 3.87 in 86 innings pitched. His WHIP was a respectable 1.291 and he had a solid strikeout rate of 10 K's per nine innings.

A reunion is unlikely with the Giants since they will likely have someone like Tristan Beck or Keaton Winn serve in a role similar to Junis to start the year while Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray come back from injury. But a team may still sign Junis to be a reliable bulk inning reliever.

San Diego Padres v San Francisco Giants / Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/GettyImages

Ranking the 6 SF Giants from the 2023 season who are still available in free agency

3. Alex Wood

Alex Wood had a bit of an up-and-down tenure as a member of the SF Giants. He was a solid part of the rotation during the miraculous 107-win 2021 season. But the last two seasons he struggled and saw his role become much less defined last season.

Last season, he had a 4.33 ERA in 97 and 2/3 innings pitched. Of the 29 games he appeared in, he only started 12 of them. That was a shift for Wood who has mostly been used as a starter in his career.

For much the same reason as Junis, there is not a place on the team for Wood in 2024. Plus, he would only take away innings from a young phenom like Kyle Harrison, who is much more exciting and factors into the Giants' future plans much more than Wood.

Wood could still get an offer from another team looking for a fifth starter or looking for a bulk innings guy out of the bullpen.

San Francisco Giants v Los Angeles Dodgers / Jayne Kamin-Oncea/GettyImages

4. Scott Alexander

Left-handed reliever Scott Alexander had a very mediocre 2023. He came off of a solid stint with the Giants in 2022 where he had a 1.04 ERA in 17 games, but he was not able to replicate that success.

In 2024, he had a 4.66 ERA in 55 games and 48 and 1/3 innings. In 8 games he served as the team's opener.

The Giants will likely count on Erik Miller to be another left-handed option out of the bullpen along with late-inning reliever Taylor Rogers.

New York Mets v San Francisco Giants / Ezra Shaw/GettyImages

5. Darin Ruf

You forgot that Darin Ruf was a member of the 2023 SF Giants didn't you? Well, now you will never forget. The Giants added Ruf early in the season after he was let go by the New York Mets.

This was after the Giants traded Ruf to the Mets in exchange for J.D. Davis the season prior, a move that turned out really well for the Giants with Davis being a solid contributor and Ruf struggling mightily with the Mets.

Ruf did decently for the Giants in his 9 games with the team last season, driving in three runs and recording a .261 batting average in 27 plate appearances. But the team had to release him to make room for Casey Schmitt.

The Giants do not really have a spot on the team for Ruf since they still have Davis and Wilmer Flores who are much more productive.

Arizona Diamondbacks v San Francisco Giants / Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages

6. A.J. Pollock

Who could forget Forever Giant A.J. Pollock? Pollock was the team's blockbuster trade last year at the trading deadline when they still had a very realistic shot at making the playoffs.

Pollock was far from a Marco Scutaro-like acquisition as he had 0 hits and did not get on base once for the Giants. Then, he got hurt and was released after his rehab assignment.

All of these players played for the Giants in 2023. Some are likely to find new homes like Junis and Wood, while others may not have any takers and may end up retiring like Crawford, Ruf, and Pollock.

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