Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

The San Francsico Giants' offseason was anything but boring. The Giants missed out on Aaron Judge despite fans thinking they were getting him for about seven minutes. They missed out on Carlos Correa after fans thought they were getting him for seven days. Yes, the SF Giants failed to land a superstar despite it seeming like they would finally get one. But that doesn't mean the Giants' offseason was a complete and utter disaster.

How much do Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, Ross Stripling, Sean Manaea, Taylor Rogers, and Luke Jackson move the needle? The Giants made several quality additions, about as good as they could do without signing any star talent. But—fans wanted and deserved star talent. Which of the SF Giants' additions provides the most upside?

The SF Giants' tendency to not re-sign aces like Kevin Gausman and Carlos Rodón is explored. Two years in a row, the Giants have let an ace pitcher depart in free agency, seemingly without making competitive offers (or offers at all). The Giants have had quite a bit of success getting good results from their starters without taking on the risk of a long-term commitment. Pitchers' track records are not very good over the life of a lot of long-term deals. Some of those deals are explored in detail on the show.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Joey Bart had a great day at the plate on Tuesday, hitting a double and launching a home run. It's tempting to look at such a performance and think that it means something about his chances of earning the role of primary catcher in 2023. But doing so is unwise. Bart has dominated at the plate each and every year in major league camp, and so far that success hasn't translated to the MLB level. This is not to say that Bart can't or won't do well this season, but it is to say that Spring Training statistics are not a reliable indicator of whether or not a player will succeed in the big leagues.

Switching gears, Manny Machado's new deal with the Padres is discussed. Machado was believed to be one of the best fits for the SF Giants in free agency next winter if they're still looking to make a big splash, but now we can officially cross his name off the list. Machado and the Padres agreed to a new 11-year, $350 million deal. Machado would've had the right to opt out of 5/$150M after the 2023 season. On first glance, this looks like a potentially large overpay for Machado, who will turn 31 in July.

The Padres figure to give the Giants fits for the next couple of years, when Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and others will be under contract. But much beyond that, it's not hard to see things getting a little weird in San Diego, with Machado and Darvish signed into their 40s and Darvish already getting close to that number. Machado's deal may also take the Padres out of the running for Soto once he becomes a free agent in two years. In other NL West news, Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux will miss the 2023 season after tearing his ACL in a spring game.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Carlos Rodón was the latest example. The San Francisco Giants signed the high-octane lefty to a two-year deal with an out-out, and it seemingly went exactly as planned. The SF Giants got a year of an ace, and then they moved on without having to make a long-term commitment. We saw the same thing with Kevin Gausman, who played for the Giants on two straight one-year deals. Michael Conforto could be next, and Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea also have opt-outs after 2023.

For the Giants, this is an effective strategy, but it's not what fans should expect in all cases. Fans want players to stick around for a while, and there are two ways that happens: homegrown talent, and superstars. The San Francsico Giants offered nine years, $360 million to Aaron Judge. They agreed to a 13-year deal with Carlos Correa. They offered 13 years to Bryce Harper. They're willing to go long-term for the best of the best, but not really for anyone else. And homegrown players come with six-plus seasons of team control.

Switching gears, is there any chance Casey Schmitt takes over third base with a good spring and a poor one from David Villar? Is this a make or break season for Farhan Zaidi? Is Marco Luciano really someone who deserves to be on the back end of top 100 lists as opposed to the front? Will MLB's new rules make holding runners more or less important? Who has a longer leash: J.D. Davis or LaMonte Wade Jr.? And is there any chance Stephen Piscotty makes the team?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Is Casey Schmitt the San Francisco Giants' third baseman of the future? It wasn't hard to see his promise in the SF Giants' spring opener on Saturday. Schmitt made a highlight-reel play at third and hit a monster home run to left in the Giants' loss. Blake Sabol also showed off why the Giants are high on his bat, delivering a rocket home run to dead center field.

Sean Manaea made his first Giants appearance on Sunday, and he was throwing 93-96 mph. According to Manaea, that's up from 88-90 at this time last year. The SF Giants have a great reputation for getting the most out of pitchers in recent years, and last year it was Alex Cobb who added a bunch of velocity. Hopefully this is the first clue that Manaea will have a nice bounceback season in 2023.

Was Donovan Walton for Prelander Berroa really the "worst trade of 2022"? One AL scout thinks so, but it's too early to tell. Those who criticize the Giants' trade for Walton are comparing Walton's major-league stats/performance to Berroa's minor league stats/performance. Walton was very successful in the minors, so let's wait and see how Berroa performs at the highest level. He still has major command issues and probably profiles as a reliever. Strikeout relievers with command problems are not exactly the rarest commodity. And Walton continues to have good projections. The jury's still out on this one.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Is Logan Webb the only San Francisco Giants player who's one of the Top 100 players in MLB? According to MLB Network, yes. But these kinds of rankings should be taken with a grain of salt, since player evaluations can fluctuate wildly year to year. Coming off their 107-win season in 2021, the Giants would've had several more names appear in such a list. Even this year, guys like Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger could easily belong on such a list but it'd be hard to justify putting them in coming off so much missed time due to injuries. Alex Cobb, Thairo Estrada, and Camilo Doval also have cases to be on this list but were snubbed.

Could the SF Giants pursue Manny Machado as a shortstop next offseason? Brandon Crawford is entering the last year of his contract, and the Giants need a star. Machado obviously fits the Giants, but would they offer him the chance to play short? Probably not, since he's graded out as a below-average defender there in his career, but it's an interesting thought. And what about Shohei Ohtani? The Giants might be hesitant to give a huge contract to someone who's primarily a pitcher (in terms of his value), but could they view him as an outfielder if his arm ever has a problem in the midst of a 10-plus-year deal? Probably so.

What are some realistic floors and ceilings for the new guys on the team? Conforto, Haniger, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling, and Taylor Rogers' outlooks are analyzed at length. And lastly, which San Francisco Giants hitter has the most aesthetically pleasing swing? It's pretty clearly one of the new guys...

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Some say the San Francisco Giants' tendency to give out short-term deals and deals with opt outs puts the team in a lose-lose situation. But that seems to miss the fact that, if the player has a good enough season to opt out, it means the SF Giants got good production for a year without having to take on the risk of a long-term commitment. There are certainly downsides to this approach, but it's clearly not a lose-lose.

With that being said, how are the Giants looking next offseason? Who are their pure free agents, who has opt outs, and who's guaranteed to be back? Joc Pederson, Brandon Crawford, Alex Wood, Jakob Junis, John Brebbia, and Scott Alexander are the SF Giants' pure free agents. Michael Conforto, Ross Stripling, and Sean Manea can opt out of one more season with the Giants. And the SF Giants hold a $10 million club option with a $2 million buyout on Alex Cobb.

The Giants are likely to be in need of a shortstop next offseason. Brandon Crawford is entering the last year of his deal, and the free agent market is pretty bleak. That's why it stings that the team didn't ultimately come away with one of the many star shortstops who were available the last two winters. The Giants will also likely be looking for an outfielder, and don't rule out a reunion with Conforto. The Giants seem hesitant to give long-term deals to pitchers, but they appear more willing to give multi-year deals position players.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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The San Francisco Giants had one of the all-time strangest offseasons. Their fans experienced the highest of highs, thinking the Giants had signed Aaron Judge for about seven minutes and Carlos Correa for about seven days. Yet they also experienced the lowest of lows, with Judge actually returning to New York and Correa's deal falling apart over medical concerns. Somewhere in the middle of it all, the SF Giants made seven solid additions that raises the floor of their team and puts them into playoff consideration again in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Padres just continued to do what they've done over and over for years now: they added more star talent in the offseason. This time, it was Xander Bogaerts, whom they inked to an 11-year deal worth $280 million. It was a much larger contract than most predicted Bogaerts would get, but it was par for the course for San Diego.

But is the Padres success sustainable? Manny Machado has publicly stated his intention to opt out of his contract with the Padres after 2023. Yu Darvish was just signed to an extension, but he'll already turn 37 this year and that has a chance to age poorly. Juan Soto is likely to test free agency two offseasons from now. Blake Snell is entering the last year of his deal. And the Padres gave away a ton of young talent in trades to acquire players such as Soto, Darvish, and Snell in the first place. While the Padres figure to be very good again in 2023, how much longer is it going to last?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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"Late Night" LaMonte Wade Jr. burst onto the scene as the San Francisco Giants won 107 games in 2021. But as great as his '21 season was, Wade's 2022 was almost as bad. A knee injury in Spring Training lingered throughout the 2022 season, and Wade was essentially a non-factor for the Giants as they sputtered their way to a disappointing 81-81 season last year.

Looking ahead to 2023, however, there is reason for optimism. Wade's knee is supposedly doing much better, and he and the SF Giants believe he can get back to being more of the hitter he was in 2021 as opposed to 2022. With Brandon Belt now on the Blue Jays, Wade figures to the be the Giants' primary first baseman against right-handed pitching. He's been solid there defensively in his career.

But Wade will need a platoon partner. That's where Wilmer Flores and J.D. Davis come in. Some have said that David Villar, Davis, and Flores are redundant on the roster, but each has a clear and defined role. Villar projects as the starter at third base, and Wade and Joc Pederson need platoon partners. Flores has been an above-average defender at first base in his career, so he figures to pair with Wade. Davis is good offensively against righties and lefties, and he figures to pair with Pederson at DH.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While San Francisco Giants infielders David Villar, J.D. Davis, and Wilmer Flores might seem similar in a lot of ways, each has a clear and important role on the roster. Davis projects as the SF Giants' starting third baseman, Davis projects as the right-handed platoon partner for Joc Pederson at DH, and Flores projects as the right-handed platoon partner at first base with LaMonte Wade Jr. The Giants should want not part of Pederson or Wade facing lefties, so each of those roles seems important, and therefore not redundant.

Do the SF Giants need to trade for a middle infielder? If Brandon Crawford goes down with an injury, will the San Francisco Giants' infield defense become a huge problem? On first glance it might seem that way, but if Crawford goes down, someone will likely come up from the Minors to fill his spot on the roster. That person might be Casey Schmitt, who's getting work at shortstop this spring and even played the position in the Minors last year at times. Schmitt is known as being a great glove at third base. Brett Wisely and Isan Díaz could also be middle infield options to replace Crawford's spot on the roster.

Will the Giants chase elite talent in future offseasons? Will they pursue Shohei Ohtani and Manny Machado next winter? Will those guys sign with the Giants if it doesn't come down to money? The Giants made it clear that they're willing to chase top talent this winter, offering Aaron Judge a record contract and agreeing to terms with Carlos Correa. There's no reason why they won't continue to go after top talent in future offseasons, but it will largely have to come down to money. The SF Giants far outbid the competition for Correa, and they'd likely have to do the same for other top talent.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

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Once again, the San Francisco Giants are looking to achieve success by being greater than the sum of their parts. The SF Giants may not have a star hitter among their ranks (although Michael Conforto and a couple others could have something to say about that), but what they do have is a high number of hitters who are projected to be above average. The Giants' top projected hitter has a 120 wRC+, which a lot of teams can beat, but 11 of their 13 projected Opening Day hitters project to boast a wRC+ of 104 or better, according to the ATC projection system.

It's an unconventional setup, but it should translate to above-average run scoring for the SF Giants. The Angels last year had Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani boast huge wRC+ numbers, but overall they were seven points below average offensively by wRC+. Meanwhile the Giants, without any star talent in the lineup, scored an above-average number of runs, outscored teams with superstars like the Padres, and had a 101 wRC+.

Obviously it'd be ideal to have terrific depth in addition to a superstar or three. But the San Francisco Giants came up short in their pursuit of a star this offseason. Still, the Giants' offense figures to be above average at scoring runs once again despite the lack of star talent. Defense and baserunning matter, too, but the Giants should be competent in those categories. Add it all up, and it's not surprsing that projection systems peg the Giants anywhere from 82 to 88 wins.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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