Ranking the SF Giants top 3 offseason needs

There is only one week left in the SF Giants season and they appear to be ending on a high note as they have posted a 14-10 record in the final month of the year. At some point soon, the narrative is going to shift to the offseason, so what are the top 3 offseason needs?

Ranking the SF Giants top 3 offseason needs

With a 75-78 overall record, the Giants have disappointed in a lot of ways, especially considering that the organization had playoff aspirations heading into the season. That said, they still have an outside shot of ending the season with a .500 record if they go 6-3 in the final nine games of the season.

That might be a marketable benchmark. If they finish the year with a .500 record, it does convey to the free-agent class that they are only one or two big moves away from competing. In reality, it might be more than just one or two names.

The Giants will boast more financial flexibility that just about every big-market club, so money really should not be an impediment for signing any of the top free agents.

1. Re-signing Carlos Rodón

Letting Kevin Gausman walk in free agency last offseason was a bitter pill for many Giants fans to swallow. That feeling was compounded when Gausman confirmed that San Francisco did not make a legitimate offer.

Will they make the same mistake this time around? For better or worse, the front office does not make decisions based on what the fans want. There is a reason they are making the decisions.

That said, the fans want the Giants to re-sign Carlos Rodón and the front office should want to do that as well. Technically, he is not a free agent yet. The left-handed hurler will have an opt-out decision to make at the start of the winter and he has not really tipped his hand publicly.

That should be an easy decision for Rodón as he would immediately become the best free-agent pitcher on the market and by a pretty wide margin. The 29-year-old has had an excellent campaign after signing a two-year, $44 million pact with the Giants last offseason.

Rodón has registered a 2.98 ERA, 2.34 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 11.9 K/9, and a 4.37 SO/W ratio in 30 starts while earning a NL All-Star nod. Undoubtedly, he will reel in some Cy Young votes as well.

He has been the best signing of the offseason but the Giants cannot make the same mistake twice. The southpaw will command a contract like Gausman (5 years, $110 million) and Robbie Ray (5 years, $115 million). In fact, those could be starting points as the lefty could push for an average annual value closer to $25 million.

Of course, it bears mentioning Rodón carries injury risk as well. He has made more than 25 appearances just three times in eight seasons. Rodón has had Tommy John surgery and battled shoulder issues in the past.

That could scare off some teams, but the Giants have an appetite for injury risk. There were injury question marks for nearly every starter when this season began and some of that has been realized, but it is clear that it does not scare San Francisco as it might scare other clubs.

Rodón will command one of the bigger contracts this offseason but money should not be an issue. If the front office wants him back, then he should be back.