SF Giants need these four free agents to have a successful offseason

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The SF Giants have missed out on a couple of top free agents so far. This is mainly because two of their top free-agent targets, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will be wearing Dodger Blue for the foreseeable future.

SF Giants need to sign these four free agents to have a successful offseason

The Giants acquired the promising Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, but they still need to improve their roster in other ways if they have any hope of trying to contend for the playoffs in 2024.

There is a possibility that the Giants could try and make trades to improve their roster, given the fact that they have struck out on so many of the top names in free agency.

But there is still a possibility that the Giants could say to heck with it and try to improve this team via free agency.

They would really have to open the checkbook and would maybe even have to go over the luxury tax to take this approach. But it may be the only way to get fans excited for a season that many are already treating as a coronation for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If the Giants really went for it and decided to sign these four free agents, there is no guarantee that it would all work out. In fact, there is a fair to decent chance that it wouldn’t work out. But it would at least signal to the fans that the front office is trying. And honestly, that would be enough for me as the Giants face the daunting threat of an NL West filled with young, exciting talent for years to come.

San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers / Harry How/GettyImages

SF Giants need these four free agents to have a successful offseason

1. Blake Snell

Blake Snell is the best starting pitcher still on the free-agent market. He is a two-time Cy Young award winner and would be a co-ace along with Logan Webb in the SF Giants rotation.

While Snell does have some red flags like a high walk rate and an inability to reliably eat up innings, he still has shown that when he is on he’s one of the best pitchers in the game.

He will certainly command a large contract, but the Giants need to dish out some money to ensure that they have a rotation that can compete in the NL West.

Chicago Cubs v Atlanta Braves / Kevin C. Cox/GettyImages

2. Cody Bellinger

Once a Dodger always a Dodger. Unless you become a Giant I suppose like Orel Hershiser! Bellinger is a former MVP who is coming off a great year for the Chicago Cubs.

A shoulder injury hampered him during the end of his time in Los Angeles, and the optimist would say that now that he is past that injury he will be more like the Cody Bellinger we saw last year going forward.

There is no way to know for sure, but the Giants should roll the dice on Bellinger even though he too will command a sizable contract. He has the potential for power even as a left-handed hitter in Oracle Park, and he would be an extremely above-average outfielder while also being a middle-of-the-order presence for the Giants. That is a rare combination and one that will cost a lot.

SF Giants need these four free agents to have a successful offseason

3. Marcus Stroman

Marcus Stroman has spoken glowingly about the Giants organization in the past, so it would make sense for the Giants to be able to lure him to San Francisco this time around.

Stroman would be a nice counterweight to Blake Snell because he is more of a Logan Webb-style pitcher. He pounds the strike zone, gets lots of ground balls, and can eat up innings when he is healthy.

When Alex Cobb returns from injury and the Giants have a rotation that could consist of Webb, Snell, Stroman, Cobb, and Harrison, it would be one of the most formidable rotations in the game and would allow the Giants to be competitive.

Boston Red Sox v Toronto Blue Jays / Cole Burston/GettyImages

4. Matt Chapman

If you’re going to have a rotation that mostly consists of pitchers that put the ball on the ground, then it makes sense to have one of the best defensive third basemen in the game in the form of Matt Chapman manning the hot corner for you.

While there are question marks about how consistent Chapman could be at the plate, there are no question marks when it comes to his glove. He would be an upgrade over J.D. Davis at third base and would allow the Giants to trade Davis.

The Giants know that they need to improve defensively. They have already done so by adding Lee. If they were to add Bellinger and Chapman they would likely have a really defensively sound team, especially compared to last year.

The odds that the Giants are able to land all four of these free agents is slim. But there is reporting that links the Giants to all of these free agents.

As we have seen in recent years with the Mets and Padres, going crazy in free agency does not automatically mean you will be successful.

However, it does signal to the fanbase that you are at least trying your best to win and field a watchable, entertaining team. After a few years of mediocre, at time boring, Giants baseball, this aggressive approach to free agency would go a long way towards rebuilding trust among the fanbase.

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