Will the SF Giants bring back any of their pending free agents this winter?

The SF Giants will have a handful of players hit free agency, including Brandon Crawford, Joc Pederson, and Alex Wood. What are the odds that they bring any of them back?

Will the SF Giants bring back any of their pending free agents this winter?

Jakob Junis, John Brebbia, Scott Alexander, Paul DeJong, and Roberto Pérez are all slated to hit free agency as well. Junis, Brebbia, and Alexander are all becoming free agents because their rookie contracts have expired. This usually occurs when a player reaches six years of service time, which is the case with all three players.

On the other hand, the remainder of the group is reaching free agency because their respective contracts have expired.

The Giants have typically brought back at least one of their pending free agents. In 2021, they gave Crawford an in-season extension and re-signed both Wood and Anthony DeSclafani. In 2022, Wilmer Flores earned an in-season extension.

In a lot of cases, they typically have a buy-low, sell-high philosophy. This means that they are usually aggressive with players in their initial contracts, but once that player establishes market value, they allow them to walk.

This year could be different as many of their pending free agents may not have an unusually high market value, so the Giants might just try to clean the slate by looking in a different direction.

Perhaps, Crawford is the most notable from the group. The 13-year veteran is finishing up a two-year, $32 million extension. Unfortunately, he is having his worst season in the majors as he has posted a .594 OPS with seven home runs in 313 plate appearances. His defense has taken a step back as well, but that could be due in part to hamstring and forearm ailments.

The longtime Giants shortstop could decide to hang them up after a fantastic career. If that is the case, they will not have to make a call at all. That decision may be coming up within the next two weeks.

Pederson and Wood might be in a similar situation after both underperformed in 2023. Wood will likely move on as it seems like that he is unhappy with his current role in the bullpen. Pederson might have modest interest on the market, but there could be mutual interest in a reunion. His overall numbers do not look great, but a .356 on-base percentage in 2023 is something that will appeal to teams.

Junis, Brebbia, and Alexander will join a tough market on non-closing relievers. Junis' numbers have been solid as he has a 3.93 ERA in 39 outings, but he likely wants a chance to start. He could command a multi-year deal with a low average annual salary. He was non-tendered by the Kansas City Royals after the 2021 season and the Giants have received quality value from him in two years.

Alexander may not be as lucky as Junis in free agency. Alexander has a 4.47 ERA in 53 appearances but with 3.35 FIP while missing some time with a hamstring strain. The veteran preliever is local to the area as he attended Sonoma State University, which some consider the Harvard of the West, but that is a conversation for a different day. The local ties might tempt him to stay even if it is on a minor league deal.

On the other hand, Brebbia has a good track record with a 3.36 ERA across six seasons but missed nearly three months with a lat strain. The track record is in his favor, but he has had a couple of tough outings since returning from the injured list. The outings at the end of the year tend to receive a lot more attention for non-closing relievers.

Brebbia is a strike thrower and gets a lot of strikeouts from his slider. Plus, he has a really good sense of humor that would fit in with just about every clubhouse. It feels like the Giants like what he can do on the mound, so a reunion is not out of the question.

With all that being said, no one is clamoring to be re-signed with their performance. There is a case to be made for someone like Brebbia to be re-signed. Though, there could be even more of a case to be made that none of them return as they look for the next batch of supporting players.