MLB rumors: SF Giants would "love" to add a top shortstop in free agency
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The SF Giants front office plans to be big players in free agency this winter, according to a report by USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale. In Nightengale's weekly notebook, he included a section on the Giants. He wrote that San Francisco "vows to spend big money in the offseason." He added, "they would love to grab one of the prized [free-agent] shortstops on the market [this offseason] if they can’t land the big fish, Aaron Judge."
Nightengale does have a questionable history of reporting, but he remains well connected throughout the game. It's hard to know how close Nightengale's sources in professional baseball are to the Giants organization. However, at the very least, he is echoing an industry perception of their plans.
With that said, Judge remains the face of the Yankees for now. If he lands elsewhere, the Giants will still need to acquire a premium bat. Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner was already one of five stars that we said the Giants should target this offseason. One of the 15 best players in the league, Turner has not posted an OPS in a season below .830 since 2017 and has averaged 27 homers and 36 stolen bases per 162 games over that span.
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Four-time All-Star Xander Bogaerts and two-time All-Star Carlos Correa are expected to opt out of their contracts at the end of this season, adding two more premium shortstops to the open market. Bogaerts is currently leading the American League in batting average and has a .303/.375/.512 triple-slash over the past five seasons. Correa is currently on pace for the sixth season of his career with at least 20 home runs and has a .278/.355/.453 line.
Rounding out the impressive collection of shortstops is Dansby Swanson. A key clubhouse leader during Atlanta's World Series run last season, Swanson would be the latest Giants acquisition to have played college baseball at Vanderbilt. Swanson is currently leading MLB in games played for the second-straight year and is hitting .283/.338/.445 with 30 doubles and 19 home runs.
Nightengale did not elaborate on what adding one of the top free-agent shortstops would mean for current Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. Crawford is under contract through next season after signing a two-year, $32 million extension last year. The 12-year veteran had a career year in 2021, hitting .298/.373/.522 with 24 home runs (all career highs). He finished fourth in National League Most Valuable Player award voting at the end of the year and seemed to have reached a new level in his mid-30s.
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However, Crawford has regressed offensively in 2022. His OPS has dropped to .652 this season and more advanced statistics, like xBA and xSLG suggest Crawford's drop in productivity is not due to bad luck but significantly worse performance.
Defensively, Crawford still ranks among the best shortstops in the league. While that makes him a more valuable player, it also makes adding another premium shortstop more complicated. Crawford could try to move to third base and form the left-handed side of a platoon with Evan Longoria. But that would seem to be robbing him of his most valuable contributions. Furthermore, third base might be the Giants' deepest position on the infield, with Longoria, J.D. Davis, and David Villar all looking like viable options for next season.
Given the logjam of players on the left side of the infield, Turner is probably the easiest fit of the group. While Turner is a fantastic defensive infielder, he has also shown above-average defensive ability in center field. Considering the questions throughout the Giants outfield, Turner could easily solidify their outfield in 2023 before shifting back to shortstop if Crawford is no longer on the team the following season.
It could also make sense for a big signing to replace Thairo Estrada as the Giants' everyday second baseman. While Estrada has been a valuable contributor for manager Gabe Kapler this season, his overall offensive numbers are right around league average. Moving Estrada to the bench could make it easier for the Giants to give the aging Crawford more consistent rest while also putting less pressure on Estrada's bat.
The SF Giants rumor mill has only just begun this season. Coming off a disappointing year, the pressure is going to be on Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to make some big splashes this offseason. Fans would love to see Aaron Judge in a Giants uniform next year, but Bob Nightengale is suggesting that one of the bigger name shortstops on the free-agent market could instead be the Orange and Black's biggest signing this winter.
