The San Francisco Giants have been trying for the past two off-seasons to sign a star-free agent. They’ve been in the mix for stars like Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Shohei Ohtani, and Bryce Harper. However, the Giants failed to attract any of them to the Bay Area. After the season, the team fired Farhan Zaidi and Giants legend Buster Posey is now in charge of baseball operations. With the team in desperate need of a star, San Francisco could be in on the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
Juan Soto Should Be The Apple Of The Giants Eyes
Embed from Getty ImagesThis offseason, Juan Soto will be the hottest free agent on the market. Competition to sign the young superstar will be fierce. Teams like the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies are bound to be in the mix for him. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants are going to seriously pursue Soto as well. The team entered the 2024 season with a payroll of $211,044,828. However, the team is projected to have 37,764,000 come off the books barring any trades. An additional $31,000,000 could come off San Francisco’s payroll as well if Blake Snell declines his player option. Regardless of what Snell decides, the Giants will be well below the first luxury tax threshold.
Cloudy Outfield Picture
Embed from Getty ImagesThe outfield picture is less clear for the Giants right now as the only surefire starter is Heliot Ramos. Michael Conforto is a free agent, Grant McCray wasn’t hugely impactful during his late-season trial, Jung Hoo Lee is just returning from missing the entire year with a shoulder injury, and Jerar Encarnacion failed to get his power to translate during his call-up. Given all the questions surrounding San Francisco’s outfield, signing a free-agent outfielder is a must.
The Giants Could Have A Better Time Trying To Sign Big Stars
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile the Giants have been linked to big-name free agents before, under Farhan Zaidi, they were unable to sign any of them. However, Zaidi is no longer the president of baseball operations. Buster Posey is now in charge of San Francisco’s on-field product. Posey already handled getting Matt Chapman to agree to an extension. Given how quickly Posey was able to resolve all the issues that Chapman encountered during his negotiation, San Francisco will perhaps be able to sign those elusive superstars.
Expect The Giants To Make A Hard Push For Juan Soto
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the past two off-seasons, the San Francisco Giants have tried and failed to sign star free agents. However, with Farhan Zaidi now gone and Buster Posey now in charge, San Francisco might now be able to finally attract a big star to come to The Golden City. After all, Posey was able to get Matt Chapman to stay. With the team having outfield questions, shedding a significant amount of payroll, being below the luxury tax, and needing a star; I expect the Giants to be in serious pursuit of Juan Soto.
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