SF Giants signing Randal Grichuk would likely block young outfielders

There are reports out there that the SF Giants may be interested in the veteran right-handed hitting outfield slugger Randal Grichuk. If the Giants were to sign Grichuk, it has the potential to block some of the team’s younger outfielders.

The desire to add another bat to the lineup is understandable. It feels as if the team could use one more proven bat to try and improve the lineup and add a little thump.

Grichuk slashed .291/.348/.528 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Those are very solid numbers, but it’s unclear how well those numbers may transfer to the cooler climate of Northern California. 

If SF Giants sign Grichuk it could block players like Luis Matos

Grichuk would be similar to the mold of someone like Austin Slater. Like Slater, Grichuk is a right-handed hitter who does his best work against left-handed pitching. However, Grichuk does have more power than Slater even if the days when Grichuk would blast 20 home runs or more in a season are probably over.

If the Giants were to sign Grichuk though, they would likely be blocking some of their younger outfielders in the process. Names like Luis Matos, Jerar Encarnación, and Marco Luciano come to mind as right-handed outfielders who could see their playing time diminished. 

Grichuk would most likely be an upgrade over all three of these players and he would fit into a platoon nicely with Mike Yastrzemski in right field while also serving as a potential backup plan if Heliot Ramos is not able to follow up his impressive 2024 canpaign. 

Yet, there is something to be said for giving the young outfielders a shot. Luis Matos in particular seems like someone who could blossom in 2025 the same way Ramos did in 2024. We have seen flashes of brilliance from Matos at the big-league level. Last season he got very hot when the team called him up following Jung Hoo Lee’s shoulder injury, but he went ice cold for several weeks after that and was demoted.

Matos performed well in Winter Ball which bodes well for his chances in 2025. It is just Winter Ball, but it is still nice to see him putting up good numbers. We still have to see how Luciano transitions to the outfield, but if he can be a serviceable glove out there and can start to hit well again, he could be another viable option for that right-handed outfielder spot.

Signing Grichuk to a one-year deal would obviously not completely block these younger outfielders because they could still contribute in 2026 even if they do not see a ton of playing time in 2025, but 2025 could end up being an important make-or-break year for someone like Matos. The Giants need to figure out what they have in these guys at some point and signing Grichuk could mean these young outfielders will not get a chance to fully prove themselves.