7 SF Giants second base options to consider for 2022

7 SF Giants second base options to consider for 2022

Trade market ideas

2. Whit Merrifield

The next player on the list is a bit older, but is cheaper and can play four - even five - different positions. Whit Merrifield is perhaps the best Royals position player not named Salvador Perez but has been the subject of trade rumors for what seems like the entirety of his career. Merrifield's contract length is the same as Ramirez's (1+ a team option) and is less than half of his salary ($2.7M in 2022, $6.5M in 2023).

Merrifield, as stated, is older, 33 in 2022, and 34 in 2023, but would bring stability to the top of the lineup. Not the big bopper Ramirez is, Merrifield, who hit a total of 10 home runs last season, still drove in 74 runs for a Royals team that was, to keep it kindly, not very good, in 2022. Defensively, Merrifield posted a slightly better WAR than Ramirez (1.7 compared to 1.2,), but did not compare offensively (2.4 oWAR versus Ramirez's 5.7).

Another asset when acquiring Merrifield's talent: his ability to stay on the field. Here is a look at his games played by season:

2017: 145
2018: 158
2019: 162
2020: 60 (out of 60-shortened season)
2021: 162

So he has started 687 out of a possible 708 games (or 97%) for the Royals since 2017. Another good fit by The Bay.