Farhan Zaidi discusses SF Giants strategy heading into 2023 MLB Draft

The SF Giants will have a chance to add 21 prospects to their organization via the 2023 MLB Draft, which is scheduled to start on Sunday. During a press conference on Friday night, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi shared some insights into this year's class that could illuminate some of the team's strategy.

"I think it's a really good draft, really deep draft," Zaidi said. "We're picking right in the middle of the first round, and usually, you know, when you're picking 16th, you think it's a 15-player draft. That's just how it goes. We have well more than 16 players that I think we'd be really excited about adding. So, I think it's a really, really good draft at the top."

While Zaidi is obviously not inclined to reveal any dramatic component of the team's strategy, his comment suggests the Giants will follow a similar script to recent drafts. The Giants have signed their first-round pick for a below-slot signing bonus every year since Zaidi was hired, using that savings to splurge on prospects who fell to later in the draft.

The Giants might be less inclined to follow that strategy if they believed there were a few prospects that had separated themselves from the pack. Zaidi reiterated that he believes "the first round is really deep. Assuming Zaidi shared his honest opinion, the team is in a position to negotiate with several prospects when they are on the clock and select the player who is willing to take the smallest bonus.

Zaidi did push back when asked if the Giants would continue to target pitching in the draft, something that has been an organizational trend since 2020. While he acknowledged the pattern, he said the team has no intention of favoring any position group more than another.

"I think we're probably gonna take a balanced approach. I know I probably said that in 2021 and then we took pitchers with our first like 11 picks. So, I don't know how much credibility I have there. I don't think we're going into this draft, you know, with a set notion of really hammering one side or the other."

The SF Giants will have three picks on Day 1 of the MLB Draft on Sunday, which starts at 7:00 PM Pacific and will air on MLB Network and ESPN+. The Giants will have the 16th, 52nd, and 69th picks. They will have the 16th selection in rounds 3-20 as well.