San Francisco Giants Make Sense as Landing Spot for Former First Overall Pick

Do the San Francisco Giants make sense as a potential landing spot for a first baseman?

Detroit Tigers infielder Spencer Torkelson runs towards first base after batting the single against Philadelphia Phillies during a Grapefruit League game at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With spring training heating up for the San Francisco Giants, the team is hoping that 2025 will be when they finally break through and step out of their mediocrity.

It has been a challenging several years for the Giants. Despite their best efforts to improve their team in free agency, they haven’t been able to make the impact signings to change their fortune.

Unfortunately, teams within their division have been the ones making significant splashes in free agency, leaving San Francisco in a tough spot.  

The Giants hired former All-Star catcher Buster Posey to help turn things around for them in this department. This offseason, he was able to address one major need at shortstop with the addition of Willy Adames.

However, in the starting rotation, they lost Blake Snell to the Los Angeles Dodgers and then missed out on signing Corbin Burnes. While they did add a future Hall of Famer in Justin Verlander, it’s impossible to know what type of pitcher he will be in 2025.

Even though they added Adames, the lineup is still an area they might look to upgrade.

Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report spoke about San Francisco being a good landing spot in a trade for Detroit Tigers slugger and former first-overall pick, Spencer Torkelson.

Despite the high expectations that come with being the first overall pick, Torkelson hasn’t been able to find any consistent success with the Tigers.

This offseason, Detroit made it fairly clear that they don’t envision him in the current plans with the signing of Gleyber Torres and the decision to move Colt Keith to first base. After how Torkelson performed in 2024, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to him.

In 2024, the slugger slashed 219/.295/.374 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. For a power hitter, the slugger numbers weren’t pretty and the Tigers are wise not to be relying on him in a year that they have a chance to compete.

However, even though he might not have worked out with Detroit, that doesn’t mean that the 25-year-old can’t find success elsewhere.

In 2023, he did a total of 31 home runs, which he will likely be able to use to get more chances in the Majors.

For a team like the Giants that is hungry to improve their slugging numbers, taking a chance on the former first-overall pick makes sense. First base is a position that could be upgraded and there would certainly be at-bats for Torkelson as of now.

While Bryce Eldridge is the future at the position, Torkelson would be a worthy project in the meantime.