SF Giants: 3 Affordable Free Agent Starting Pitchers

3. Brett Anderson

Another lower-cost option for the Giants next season would be left-handed sinker-baller Brett Anderson. He has been a respectable veteran starter for a long time and would be a good fit as a low-cost fifth starter option.

In 2021 Anderson had a record of 4-9 with a 4.22 ERA in 24 games started. Anderson is also well-known for his very low strikeout rate and ability to get lots of ground balls. That could be a good mix with a solid defensive infield like the Giants have.

Plus, Anderson truly would come at an affordable price. The Milwaukee Brewers signed him to a $2.5 million deal last offseason which was even less than the $3 million the Giants paid to Alex Wood.

Anderson is basically a known quantity who would give the Giants a little bit of predictability at the back end of their bullpen. It bears mentioning that Anderson was reeled in by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015 and 2016 when Farhan Zaidi served as a Dodgers assistant general manager.

The Giants may well take a swing at some of the big fish on the market this offseason like Scherzer and Ray. However, that has not been Zaidi's M.O. thus far with the team. They may opt for lower-cost pitchers who are in the middle of their careers that the Giants feel they can resurrect at least for one season. If they opt for that strategy, then the three pitchers highlighted in this article could become targets this offseason.