San Francisco Giants Predicted to Re-Sign Veteran Outfielder for Added Depth

Will the San Francisco Giants re-sign a veteran outfielder to help with depth?

Sep 20, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Mark Canha (16) bats during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

With pitchers and catchers set to report soon for the San Francisco Giants, it might still be important for them to make an addition or two before the start of the campaign.

Coming into the offseason, the Giants had the clear goal of trying to improve their lineup. The new president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, addressed that right off the bat with the signing of slugging shortstop Willy Adames.

The talented young shortstop might not have been selected to an All-Star team yet in his career, but he is one of the best power-hitting players in the league at his position.

Slugging has been hard to come by for a long time in San Francisco, and in an age when everyone is trying to hit home runs, the Giants haven’t been able to do that.

While the addition of Adames was a strong one, San Francisco could still use some more help for a lineup that was very lackluster at points last year.

Chad Jennings of The Athletic recently predicted the Giants would re-sign veteran outfielder Mark Canha, who they traded for last season.

The 35-year-old veteran was acquired by San Francisco last year from the Detroit Tigers and had a solid second half of the year. The right-hander slashed .288/.376/.329 in 32 games with the Giants.

Even though his average and on-base percentage were solid, the veteran didn’t provide any pop for San Francisco. However, even though adding slugging has been a goal of the Giants, Canha could still provide some value in terms of getting on base and making contact.

Due to the addition of Adames, making sure he has players who can get on base around him in a lineup is important. The 35-year-old veteran can certainly still hit and work walks but hitting for power just has never been his forte.

At this stage in his career, Canha would be best-suited as a designated hitter, but he can play the outfield and some first base if need be. This could be appealing for the Giants who could potentially use him as a platoon pair at those positions, due to them having a couple of left-handed hitters there.

While Canha might not be considered an impact addition, he had a solid year last season and is a consistent player. With the potential to enter a platoon-type role at either first base or in the outfield, he fits well for San Francisco in that sense.

Overall, with a need to continue to improve, Canha would be a solid option.