SF Giants: Farhan Zaidi hints at a more aggressive approach to free agency
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All eyes are going to be on the SF Giants heading into this offseason. Amidst a disappointing 2022 campaign, fans are clamoring for Giants president of baseball operations to make his first big splash this winter. Given San Francisco's recent history as one of the biggest spenders in MLB, front offices around the league are wondering if Zaidi will finally use the Giants payroll flexibility to add a big-name free agent. During an appearance on The Front Office on MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Zaidi hinted that the Giants could be leaning in that direction.
Through three offseasons as San Francisco's top decision maker, Zaidi has yet to sign a player to a contract worth at least $45 million. Zaidi was asked about this seemingly tentative approach to free agency. "I always viewed the last offseason and this offseason as a time of big transition for our organization. We had a bunch of veteran players when I came in whose contracts were going to be up last offseason and this coming offseason and with the success we had last season... it made sense for us to not be too aggressive," he explained. However, Zaidi acknowledged that with the Giants far underperforming compared to last season, "Everything is on the table for us [this winter], including going out and being aggressive at the top end of the free agent market."
If the Giants do pursue a star this offseason, there are several enticing potential targets. It will be very interesting to see if they do make a significant financial commitment this winter. If they do, all eyes will be on the first major signing of the Zaidi era.
Here's the full clip of Zaidi's answer (the full interview is not available online):
