The rumor mill has been oddly silent for the SF Giants this time around

Whether done intentionally or not, the rumor mill was quite robust for the SF Giants over the past two offseasons. This time around, it has been oddly silent.

The rumor mill has been oddly silent for the SF Giants this time around

Two years ago, the Giants pursued Aaron Judge heavily. When he re-signed with the New York Yankees, they pivoted aggressively to Carlos Correa. Of course, Correa was a failed physical away from signing a 13-year deal. They made some moves but came up empty in terms of adding star talent.

Last year, the Giants were in the mix with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto but both signed long-term deals with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants did add both Matt Chapman and Blake Snell late in the offseason. No one will make the case that Chapman is on the star level as Ohtani. That said, the veteran third baseman had put together a strong career up until that point.

The deals for both Chapman and Snell included opt-outs or player options after one season, so it did not inspire a lot of confidence that they would be long-term fits with the organization. Of course, Chapman did sign a long-term extension to remain in San Francisco, whereas Snell recently inked a lucrative deal to join the Dodgers.

The mood is different this time around. The Giants have not been heavily in the mix in Juan Soto. After missing out on so many superstars in free agency, is that the right move for a big-market club? That is certainly up for debate.

Other than that, there have been a few whispers connecting them to players such as Ha-Seong Kim or Corbin Burnes. The Giants have clearly stated that adding a shortstop is a priority this offseason. While Kim certainly checks that box, there have not been many rumors of substance connecting the Giants to power-hitting infielder Willy Adames.

There is usually intent behind most rumors being leaked. When it is a Scott Boras client, it is usually done to put pressure on competing teams publicly. He is not the only agent who operates like that. Other times, it feels like it is done to regurgitate an old rumor while the hot stove runs cold.

Kim might be one of the few targets out there where the connection between team and player almost feels inevitable. There was a similar sense with Chapman last offseason for a lot of the same reasons.

Burnes would be a major upgrade to any rotation in baseball. He is likely seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $200 million. Can the Giants afford that type of deal? Absolutely, but they seem to be conveying a different tune this offseason where the upgrades might be more modest than swinging for the fences.

Perhaps, the Giants are operating more privately with Buster Posey now at the helm. That may be the way to go to underpromise and overdeliver. The Giants had set high expectations in recent offseasons only to set themselves up for disappointment.

Maybe, the Giants are operating exactly as they have signaled in recent interviews with Buster Posey or Bob Melvin. That is, they plan to work more within a budget this time around after setting a franchise record with a $250.8 million CBT payroll in 2024 with only 80 wins to show for it.