Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants' full-season attendance was down over 8% in 2022 compared to 2019. This has generated a lot of discussion on social media, and theories abound as to why the Giants have seen such a decrease. Are people less interested in the Giants because of Farhan Zaidi's roster construction? Even when the SF Giants won 107 games last year, they weren't selling out Oracle Park despite Covid-19 restrictions being lifted.

We can have all the theories we want, but they're missing a crucial component: the league-wide trend of attendance declines. That's right: across MLB, attendance was down about 6% from 2019 to 2022. We're looking at those two years because they were the last two full seasons without restrictions on attendance. In other words, the San Francisco Giants are not unique in having a significant dip in attendance over the last few years! The Philadelphia Phillies, who have a lot of big names, have built their team largely through free agency (as a lot of Giants fans want Zaidi to do), and they're in the NLCS. Yet they saw nearly twice as big of a decrease as the Giants from 2019 to 2022, and they drew fewer fans overall this season than the SF Giants, who won fewer games.

Turning the page, the timelines for Kyle Harrison and Marco Luciano are discussed. Harrison could impact the major league team early in 2023, perhaps as early as April (though more realistically May or June). Luciano should start the season in Double-A and could make it to Triple-A by the middle of the season if everything goes according to plan. That would make him a potential September callup candidate in a dream scenario.

Farhan Zaidi's possible free-agent wishlist is discussed. Yes, the stars at the top are certainly on that list, but Brandon Nimmo might be the perfect combination of talent, value, speed, defense, and offense that the San Francisco Giants are seeking. Nimmo plus one of the big bats, plus a top-of-the-rotation arm would be a really nice offseason for the Giants.

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.

BetOnline

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SimpliSafe

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San Francisco Giants starters Carlos Rodón, Logan Webb, and Alex Cobb could have been a real problem for some teams in October. Unfortunately, we never got to see that play out since the SF Giants' defense, bullpen, and offense ranged from inconsistent to flat-out bad in 2022.

But that shouldn't take away from the fact that Rodón was a legitimate Cy Young candidate for the Giants in 2022. He ended up with one of the majors' best strikeout rates, and he led MLB in FIP and fWAR among starting pitchers. Rodón will opt out of his $22.5M contract with the San Francisco Giants for 2023, and somehow they'll need to replace his front-of-the-rotation presence.

Logan Webb may not have been quite as good as he was with the Giants in 2021, but he was almost as good. The strikeout rate dipped a bit, but he still was basically the same guy, with an ability to strike guys out and an elite ability to keep the ball on the ground. Webb is arbitration eligible for the first time and has three years of team control remaining. It's time to start thinking about the Giants making efforts to extend Webb this offseason.

Speaking of Webb's ability to keep the ball on the ground, Alex Cobb was even better in this respect. Cobb was second in baseball in ground ball rate, min. 140 innings, and Webb was third. Rodón, Webb, and Cobb were in the top 14 in FIP among pitchers with at least 140 innings pitched. Cobb's underlying numbers were substantially better than his ERA, which ended up being fine but unspectacular. With better infield defense behind him, Cobb looks like someone who's a legitimately good major league starter. Cobb is under contract for $9 million next year, and the Giants hold a $10 million club option for 2024 with a $2 million buyout.

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

Rhone

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Carlos Rodón is a slam-dunk qualifying offer candidate for the San Francisco Giants. Rodón will decline his $22.5M option, then the SF Giants will give him the one-year, $19.65M QO, which he'll also reject (since it's worth less than the option he'll already have declined). But what about a far more borderline case: Joc Pederson? Pederson's value, according to what teams spend per Win Above Replacement in free agency, was roughly $15M to $16M in 2022. On first glance, $19.65M being so close to those numbers makes it seem like the Giants might give the offer to Pederson. But they almost certainly will not.

The reason? It seems highly unlikely that the Giants will lock themselves into nearly $20M, early in the offseason, to a defensively challenged platoon player, even though they may ultimately want him back and his production may be worth roughly that price. The SF Giants must improve dramatically this offseason, and locking up so much cash into a lateral move that doesn't improve the defense seems like it would be a huge risk. Pederson would likely accept the Giants' qualifying offer if they gave it to him, which could be viewed as a positive in some respects.

The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies advancing to the NLCS proves the point host Ben Kaspick made when Juan Soto was acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline: the Giants don't need to concern themselves so much with what the other teams in their division are doing. The Phillies finished in third place, with 87 wins, behind two teams that won 101 games (the Mets and Braves). Both of those teams are eliminated, and the Phillies are the last team standing from the NL East. Clearly, having two powerhouses in your division doesn't mean you're necessarily doomed.

Lastly, we learned over the weekend that Bruce Bochy interviewed for the Rangers' managerial opening. What would it mean for SF Giants fans to see Bochy managing another team after he "retired" a few short years ago? It would certainly be tough to see, but Gabe Kapler has brought a lot of positive change to this organization, specifically with his cutting-edge coaching staff that has helped players improve and fostered a culture of perpetual development at the major league level.

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

Rhone

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Shohei Ohtani may very well stay in Anaheim until he reaches free agency following the 2023 season. But if the Angels are being real with themselves, they may determine that it's in their best interest to trade him now. If so, the San Francisco Giants are as logical a destination as any for the two-way Japanese superstar. Looking at the Red Sox's Mookie Betts as a comparison, what would the SF Giants have to give up to acquire Ohtani?

The Dodgers gave up Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong, and took on half of the $96 million owed to David Price over the three seasons left on his deal, in order to acquire one season of Betts. The Giants' rivals then extended Betts to a 12-year, $365 million contract, keeping the star outfielder in Los Angeles for the rest of his career. A comparable package from the Giants would look something like Thairo Estrada, Luis Matos, Brett Auerbach, and $48 million over three years. Anthony Rendon's contract could be used as a somewhat similar comp to what Price was owed, but it's not exactly the same. That hypothetical price might seem light, but remember that it's just one year of Ohtani. There's no guarantee he would agree to an extension.

All of this is fantasy, of course. The Angels likely won't trade Ohtani, even though it may be in their best long-term interest. And even if they did trade him, there would be 29 other teams willing to give up big returns for his services. Remember, however, that people didn't think Boston would trade Betts, but they did. In a dream offseason scenario—if we're allowed to just dream for a minute—how about Ohtani and Aaron Judge on the San Francisco Giants. Can you even imagine?

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

Rhone

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Is it at all possible that the San Francisco Giants could trade for Shohei Ohtani this winter? The Angels recently signed Ohtani to a $30 million salary for 2023, but that doesn't mean he won't be traded. The Angels should make every effort to extend the superstar pitcher/DH, and if they're unable, they should seriously consider moving him. Otherwise, they risk letting him walk away in free agency and receiving nothing but a little draft pick compensation in return. The Giants, meanwhile, should be one of the most aggressive teams if the Angels make Ohtani available. This would be a similar scenario as when the Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts (one year from free agency). It would mostly make sense for the SF Giants if they could then extend Ohtani, which wouldn't be a certainty.

How should the SF Giants address their bullpen, which fell off dramatically in 2022 after leading the majors in ERA in 2021. Fans might not like the answer, but the Giants are likely to remake their bullpen through minor signings and trades. That is, after all, how they built their MLB-best 'pen in 2021. They also already started to turn it over last year, with new names like Scott Alexander, Alex Young, and Shelby Miller making strong impressions. Alexander and Young can be retained, and Miller is a free agent but has expressed interest in a reunion with the Giants. Thomas Szapucki will also be in the mix after coming over in the lopsided Darin Ruf trade, and he was impressive in his brief time in the majors.

How significant of a role could Casey Schmitt play for the San Francisco Giants in 2023? Schmitt has emerged as perhaps the Giants' best position player prospect, and he made it all the way to a brief stint in Triple-A to close out a highly impressive 2022 campaign in the minors. Schmitt has a chance to see the majors next year, and once he's here, he could go as far as claiming the third base position moving forward. Known as one of the better defensive players in the minors, Schmitt also impressed with the bat in 2022 and could be a huge part of the San Francisco Giants' future.

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

Rhone

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The San Francisco Giants' spending is always a hot topic around these parts every offseason. That conversation may be louder than ever before this winter, with the SF Giants coming off a very disappointing 81-81 record after they won 107 games in 2021. The fanbase is restless, the payroll has been stagnant, and there are stars available for the Giants to sign, if only they were willing to do so.

Understanding where the Giants stand from a payroll perspective is important if we wish to predict what they will be able to spend this offseason. The Giants have relatively few commitments to 2023 salaries. They owe $73 million to eight players, not including the $22.5M Carlos Rodón will undoubtedly opt out of. That also includes the $5M buyout on the Giants' $13M club option over Evan Longoria. The SF Giants' arbitration estimates, per MLB Trade Rumors, are for $33.3M going to 13 players. The Giants will have the power to negotiate these salaries, and they are not committed to paying any of them if they'd prefer to non-tender any arbitration-eligible player.

Add it all up, and the San Francisco Giants are looking at roughly $106 million going to 21 players. This does not include any pre-arbitration estimates for the Giants. And again, they can non-tender any arbitration-eligible player and won't be obligated to pay a dime. But this is a good rough starting point. And what it means for the Giants, in terms of offseason spending, is that they'd have about $56M to spend on 2023 salaries just to get back to their extremely modest range of about $162M, where they've been each of the last few years. So you could essentially sign a couple of $30M per year players and still come in with a very modest payroll. Hopefully the Giants increase payroll this year, but they're starting from a very flexible position and a big offseason for the Giants is more than possible.

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

Rhone

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Just a few short weeks after San Francisco Giants GM Scott Harris left for the Detroit Tigers, the Giants have found his replacement. Pete Putila, the former assistant GM of the Houston Astros, has been hired as the SF Giants' new general manager. Putila is largely credited with helping to establish the Astros' immensely successful player development pipeline. His hiring by the Giants signals their intention to dramatically improve their development capabilities moving forward.

The Giants have not done a great job of successfully developing their own minor league players in the four seasons under President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi. Several of their top draft picks have stalled for various reasons, and the major league team hasn't enjoyed many breakout performances from young players in recent seasons. Logan Webb is one exception, as is Camilo Doval, but the Giants haven't had a lot of young talent impact the team and it has been a problem. Putila should be able to put the San Francisco Giants in the best position possible to improve in this area.

There is, of course, Putila's association to the 2017-18 Astros teams that were known to be invovled in illegal sign stealing. But Putila was the Astros' director of player development at the time, a role that was very likely not at all involved in the in-game sign-stealing efforts that originated out of the dugout during games. Zaidi says he checked with MLB to see whether Putila had been involved in the league's investigation into the Astros, and the league confirmed that he wasn't even interviewed, meaning there was zero reason to suspect he had any involvement. The Astros' scheme is often falsely considered an organization-wide effort, but in reality it was a fairly crude operation that originated with on-field personnel.

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

Rhone

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Aaron Judge and Trea Turner? Is it possible that the San Francisco Giants could just go bananas this offseason and sign both superstars? A report from Bob Nightengale certainly piqued SF Giants fans' interest, but some pause is warranted. This is rumor season, and far more teams will be rumored to be in on players than will actually sign those players. The Giants are often mentioned in rumors but have rarely come away with the big prize. Also, Nightengale isn't the most trustworthy of baseball reporters. Additionally, it seems that he may have just been saying that the Giants will pursue both players, not that they would actually land both of them. Just one should be enough to make Giants fans legitimately excited.

If the Giants miss out on Judge and the star free agent shortstops, who's left for them? Brandon Nimmo is probably the next best option in the non-elite category for the Giants, and this year's free agent class is looking very top heavy. After the top names and Nimmo, there is a significant dropoff in talent, with the likes of Mitch Haniger, Jose Abreu, Brandon Drury, Jean Segura, and Joc Pederson being among the most attractive mid-tier free agents the Giants could pursue.

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

Rhone

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

The San Francisco Giants are about to embark upon a huge offseason. They just had an 81-81 season, which can only be characterized as a significant disappointment following up a record-setting 107-win campaign in 2021. The Giants know they need to have a big offseason, and Farhan Zaidi's meeting with reporters was the very first step in the offseason for the SF Giants.

Zaidi addressed the status of Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria. He basically implied that both could be back, but hinted that if they do return to the Giants, they would have less significant roles. This is no surprise, as both players have the potential to still be productive, and they are well-liked inside the clubhouse and amongst Giants fans, but neither should be relied upon to make a significant impact. The Giants hold a $13 million club option over Longoria (with a $5 million buyout), whereas Belt is a pure free agent and is coming off knee surgery.

Carlos Rodón was also addressed. The Giants and Zaidi fully expect Rodón to opt out, which is an most obvious call. Rodón may follow in Kevin Gausman's footsteps, departing the Giants for a long-term deal Zaidi doesn't appear to be eager to hand out to a starting pitcher. The Giants may look to add an ace-caliber pitcher on a short-term deal, and players like Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, and Clayton Kershaw should be available on that kind of deal. Zaidi also said prospect Kyle Harrison should impact the MLB rotation next year, perhaps even early in the season.

Zaidi also touched on his search for the Giants' next GM, which should be wrapped up within a few weeks. He also discussed the Giants' commitment to Brandon Crawford at shortstop, and noted that "everything is on the table," meaning they won't shy away from the stud free-agent shortstops just because Crawford is on the team and owed $16 million in 2023, the final year of his deal.

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.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

SimpliSafe

With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.

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

After winning 107 games last year, the San Francisco Giants flopped to an 81-81 record in 2022. Their position player group had a lot to do with it. The SF Giants' best three position players last year—Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, and Brandon Belt—combined to produce 14.6 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (fWAR). This year, the Giants' top three position players—Thairo Estrada, Mike Yastrzemski, and Austin Slater—combined to produce just 7.0 fWAR. Posey's absence was felt, but also the Brandons combined to produce 8.2 fewer fWAR than they did in 2021.

Joey Bart ultimately did not have a very good season. Strikeouts were a problem in the beginning, and they briefly went away after being sent down to the Minors, but those issues resurfaced later in the year. Austin Wynns actually ended up with a better wRC+ than Bart this year, and he should be the backup catcher in 2023. Bart will need to improve his swing and miss and chase issues if he wants to remain the San Francisco Giants' catcher of the future.

The state of the infield and outfield is in flux. Brandon Belt is set to reach free agency. The Giants hold a $13M club option on Evan Longoria, with a $5M buyout. Wilmer Flores was extended. Tommy La Stella may not survive on the roster this winter. Brandon Crawford is under contract for one more year. The Giants can bring back J.D. Davis through the arbitration process. Thairo Estrada was one of the biggest bright spots of the year for the San Francisco Giants.

In the outfield, will Joc Pederson be back? He did very well in his role, crushing right-handed pitching as expected. But he's a limited profile and his next contract will reflect that. The Giants would like to bring him back, but does he want to be back? Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater can form a formidable platoon either in center or right. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Luis González are very much on the bubble and it wouldn't be shocking if neither was on the SF Giants' active roster to start 2023.

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

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BetOnline

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