In just a few days, the Giants could be one of the most interesting teams in baseball.
With the MLB Winter Meetings set to officially begin Monday at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, San Francisco awaits the decision of the biggest free agent in league history as President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi and general manager Pete Putila have a busy one Off-season with a lot of luck mastering the steps to be carried out.
Aside from a few transactions, the offseason has been quiet so far, but that will change this week as annual meetings continue to provide fireworks.
Here are three Giants storylines to keep an eye on this week in Nashville.
Celebrate or lick your wounds?
Contract negotiations for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani are reportedly entering their final stages, and while the Giants’ exact position among the remaining teams is unclear, there is no doubt that San Francisco has Ohtani at the top of its free agent wish list has and will do everything in his power to land him.
As the Giants have been without superstar players year after year, they could be just days away from finally getting out of trouble and signing one of the greatest athletes in the world.
Or they don’t get a rose. Yet again.
Regardless of what Ohtani decides, this will be a very stressful week for the Giants, who are hoping to celebrate with some champagne instead of drowning their sorrows in a bottle of Tennessee whiskey.
Feel the pressure
If the Giants waive Ohtani, the pressure to sign a top player will only increase. While much of the fan base is already prepared for disappointment, that doesn’t mean the groans won’t get even louder if the Giants’ eyeballs turn them down.
In this scenario, the Giants are essentially begging someone to take their money, similar to last offseason when they agreed to a stunning 13-year, $350 million deal with Carlos Correa after missing out on Aaron Judge, which was a clear overpayment. But they had to overpay.
Certainly the Giants can and will sign a handful of decent-to-good players this offseason, but they simply cannot leave the Winter Meetings without acquiring or laying some foundation for a true star this offseason. They need to act quickly and pounce on every big name available in free agency and on the trade block. It would not be surprising to see an overpayment again in this scenario. What choice do they have?
Zaidi’s biggest trade to date?
Perhaps the most impressive part of Zaidi’s tenure with the Giants was the deals he made. He hasn’t made a blockbuster move to another team once – the Kris Bryant trade in 2021 comes close – but he has a very positive track record overall in small to mid-sized trades.
Tyler Herb for Mike Yastrzemski
“Money Considerations” for Thairo Estrada
Shaun Anderson for LaMonte Wade Jr.
Therein call for JD Davis and three prospects
Just to name a few.
This offseason we saw the first trade involving one of the Giants’ best talents of the Zaidi era. He made it clear this offseason that the Giants will be aggressive in the trade market. Stars like Juan Soto, Luis Robert, Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes, Pete Alonso, Mike Trout and others could be made available, and the Giants would be wise to target them all.
The Giants have a surplus of young players and will likely use that in a trade at some point, but if they feel the pressure to go big, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of their coveted young talent move.
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