Former All-Star Slugger Could Fill Biggest Need for San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have been fairly active this offseason trying to turn around a franchise that has been stuck in mediocrity the last few years.

After another losing season in 2024, the Giants made the decision to switch things up in their front office by hiring Buster Posey to take over as President of Baseball Operations.

The addition of Posey has seemingly worked out well so far for San Francisco, with a couple notable signings under his belt already. This winter, the Giants were able to sign shortstop Willy Adames to a massive deal to help bolster a lineup that needed a player of his caliber.

Also, San Francisco more recently just signed Justin Verlander, who is hoping to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2024 campaign.

Despite making some moves already, there is still work to be done for the Giants if they want to compete in 2025. After missing out on Corbin Burnes in free agency, they might look to use that money to continue to strengthen their lineup after the signing of Verlander.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently spoke about the biggest roster hole and how to fix it for the Giants. He highlighted designated hitter and first base being an issue, and former New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo as an excellent option to fix it.

“The Giants could use at least one more impactful addition to the offense, and signing Rizzo would allow them to shift LaMonte Wade Jr. to designated hitter where he could platoon with Wilmer Flores. It would also add a well-respected clubhouse presence and a proven winner to a team that is looking to move from the purgatory of mediocrity to legitimate contention.”

First base and designated hitter certainly seem to be the next position to target for San Francisco this offseason. Recently, they have been linked to New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso as a potential impact add.

However, if they are looking at a more affordable and likely shorter term commitment, Rizzo makes sense.

At 35 years old now, the slugger is a bit removed from his years as a star for the Chicago Cubs. However, despite not being a star anymore, he could still be a valuable add for the Giants.

While injuries have played a part in his decline from stardom, Rizzo can still play a very good defensive first base and still has some pop in his bat. Last year with the Yankees, Rizzo played in 92 games, hitting .228 with eight home runs and 35 runs batted in. Even though the numbers aren’t fantastic, veteran leadership is an important aspect of what he can bring to the table.

Keeping the slugger healthy and on the field would be the biggest challenge, but at the likely low price point, he could make sense.