Should the SF Giants now pivot to a power-hitting first baseman?

With Corbin Burnes signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where do the SF Giants turn to next? They seemingly have money so spend. Could they pivot by adding power-hitting first baseman Pete Alonso?

Should the SF Giants now pivot to a power-hitting first baseman?

The first-base market dried up pretty quickly last week. Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, and Christian Walker found new homes for 2025. For Santana, it was a return to familiar territory as he rejoined the Cleveland Guardians. It will be his third stint with the club.

The Guardians and Texas Rangers moved Josh Naylor and Nathaniel Lowe, respectively. In a way, this is the type of move the Giants should have made with LaMonte Wade Jr. Naylor has one year of team control remaining, whereas Low has two years of team control.

The Diamondbacks lost walker but replaced his power pretty quickly. On the other hand, the Guardians pre-emptively moved Naylor to make room for Santana. The Rangers shipped Lowe to the Washington Nations to open up a spot for Joc Pederson.

In theory, the Giants could have gotten something in return for Wade Jr. while not losing much from some of the alternatives in free agency. The remaining options are not too appealing and few represent an improvement over the contingent of Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores at first base. Alonso is the obvious exception.

The right-handed bat would bolster just about every lineup in baseball. However, baseball currently is viewing power-hitting first basemen similar to how the NFL views running backs. They are replaceable.

Adding Alonso would require a much larger commitment than any other first baseman has received this winter. That would go against the grain with how the rest of baseball is operating but maybe that is not a bad thing?

Alonso is coming off of another solid season where he slashed .240/.329/.459 (122 wRC+) with 34 home runs, 88 RBI, and 91 runs in 695 plate appearances. This includes a 10.1 percent walk rate, 24.7 percent strikeout rate, and .219 ISO. That is excellent production but it also represents a drop off from where he was earlier in his career where he was OPS'ing over .850.

Of course, Alonso is looking to get paid at that level. He is believed to have a three-year offer from the New York Mets on the table with a guarantee of close to $100 million. The six-year veteran is hoping for a longer-team commitment than that but few teams are looking for first basemen at this point.

The Giants could be. They are also hoping that Bryce Eldridge can take the reins at first base in the near future. This would shift someone like Alonso to a DH role, which is just not a great investment if he is earning $30 million annually.

The bat would definitely improve the lineup but the same could have been said for players like Santana, Naylor, and Lowe. In a way, the Giants would pay a price figuratively but waiting the market out and paying a steeper price financially to add a bat like Alonso.

From an offensive standpoint, it would probably end up being a good investment. Alonso just finished his age-29 season, so he still has a few prime years ahead.

The Giants already made one significant move in signing Willy Adames to a seven-year deal this winter. It feels like that still is a precursor to another notable move or two. After all, San Francisco is more than just one good player away from competing.

Corner outfield, first base, and DH are some of the spots they could look to upgrade this winter along with the starting rotation. They probably will not address all of those needs, but one of them has to be on the list.

The Giants could certainly raise the ceiling at first base by looking elsewhere. If first base was a priority, then they should have been in the mix when the first-base market was moving last weekend.

Adding Alonso would be an oblong fit, but a fit nonetheless. He improves the team in the short-term while potentially blocking first base from Bryce Eldridge. There is a lot of factors that the Giants need to consider with Alonso, including the financial cost and likely overpay for a position that is seen as replaceable as well as how he fits on the roster in two or three years.