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  • Platinum Glove third baseman Matt Chapman is officially a member of the San Francisco Giants. The Giants and Chapman were long thought to be a perfect match, and on Sunday, the three-year, $54M deal with opt outs was officially announced. Matt Chapman's deal with the Giants also includes a previously-unreported $20M fourth-year mutual option with a $1M buyout.

    What is Chapman's impact on the Giants? How do the SF Giants now stack up in a National League with quite a bit of parity outside of the top two and bottom two teams. Do the Giants need to make one more move, namely for a starting pitcher? Their starting rotation outside of Logan Webb has upside and is intriguing, but it's a largely unproven group and it's already taken some injury hits.

    Is Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery the answer? Probably so. Will the San Francisco Giants be willing and able to land either player? The Giants' addition of Chapman pushes them close to the first luxury tax threshold of $237M. J.D. Davis doesn't really fit the roster anymore and may very well be traded, which would free up $6.9M (if a team assumed his whole contract). Michael Conforto is another under-the-radar trade candidate given his $18M salary and the SF Giants' potential desire to clear payroll space in order to add a frontline starter that they appear to need in order to complete what would be a fantastic offseason.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • The San Francisco Giants have been lurking all offseason. The Giants have made solid move after solid move, and on Friday night, they snagged the best position player left on the market, Matt Chapman, to a deal that's worth two to three times less than what the industry initially expected him to land. The SF Giants and Chapman agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract with opt outs after the first two seasons. Most in the industry expected Chapman to sign for somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-6 years at $25M per year, so $100M to $150M.

    Chapman brings a plus-plus glove to the Giants at third base. He brings instant credibility to the lineup and defense, as well as in the clubhouse. He helps fill the leadership void after the departure of Brandon Crawford to St. Louis. Matt Chapman is also no slouch at the plate, although he can be streaky. Overall, he's been much better per plate appearance than J.D. Davis both in his career and in the last three years. So Chapman represents a significant third base upgrade for the San Francisco Giants.

    There appears to be no more room for Davis on the roster, so a trade seems likely. Something else that could perhaps be likely is the SF Giants signing Blake Snell. Both the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser and NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic mentioned that the Giants are still in on Snell, with Slusser saying they're still very much involved and Pavlovic going so far as to say there's been optimism about a potential deal. Signing Snell would be the icing on the cake of a great offseason for the Giants.

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  • The San Francisco Giants are signing platinum glove third baseman Matt Chapman. It's a three-year, $54 million contract with opt outs after each of the first two years, which looks like a total steal for the Giants. Chapman has also never been a below-average hitter in his career.

    The SF Giants did very well here, but there could be more on the horizon. Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle tweeted that the Giants' signing of Chapman does not preclude them from signing Blake Snell. In fact, she said, the SF Giants are very much still involved with Snell...

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • Have the San Francisco Giants lost their way? Or was Brandon Crawford not adequately reading the situation? Those are questions that arose while reading The Athletic's piece today in which Andrew Baggarly talks to both Giants legendary shortstop Brandon Crawford and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.

    Crawford told Baggarly that he expressed to Zaidi a desire to return to the Giants, and that he had no playing time expectations and wanted to be a reserve player—even a versatile one—who also mentored young players like Marco Luciano, Casey Schmitt, and Tyler Fitzgerald. However, over the last two seasons, Crawford has been abysmal at the plate and declining in the field. He'll be 37 years old this season.

    There's a blatant lack of honest communication from Zaidi to some Giants players, now including Crawford twice (last year Crawford wasn't told about the plan to move him off short to accommodate Carlos Correa until after news of the signing got out). When all is said and done, however, the writing was on the wall that Crawford's time with the SF Giants was over, and it's just sad and unfortunate that Crawford didn't see things the same way.

    In other news, a bulked up Luis Matos hit two home runs today, and Giants pitcher Tristan Beck has elected to have surgery to address his upper arm aneurysm on Monday at Stanford.

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  • First Keaton Winn and now Tristan Beck. The San Francisco Giants' remarkably inexperienced projected starting rotation outside of Logan Webb has taken two hits recently, with Winn dealing with an elbow injury (that has progressed well) and now Tristan Beck being diagnosed with a scary upper arm aneurysm. We at Locked On wish a speedy and full recovery for Beck, who stands to miss significant time with this complicated health matter.

    The SF Giants love their young pitching that goes beyond Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn. There's Mason Black. Carson Whisenhunt. Landen Roupp. Reggie Crawford. And others. However, it would be foolish to go into the season with such a reliance on unproven pitching.

    The Giant should sign Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery. It makes too much sense, and there is too much riding on this season. The SF Giants cannot afford to miss the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • Remember when San Francisco Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar received a 10th-place MVP vote in his lone season with the Giants? It was an inexplicable vote, but yet somehow it also made sense given the grit and passion Pillar exhibited for SF Giants fans on a daily basis. Pillar is just one of several San Francisco Giants "cult heroes" who are discussed on today's Locked On Giants podcast.

    Stephen Vogt gets a vote as well, even though he was also only in the orange and black for one season. Remember Alex Dickerson, anyone? How about the legend of Donnie Barrels? Indeed, in Ben Kaspick's five years of hosting Locked On Giants there have been numerous cult heroes on the team whose popularity outweighed their production on the field. Either that or their production was only short and sweet.

    Locked On Padres host Javier Reyes also participates in the exercise, listing off several memorable San Diego Padres players who fall into the same category in his nearly five years of hosting his show.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • Blake Snell or Matt Chapman to the San Francisco Giants? It could come down to a simple coin flip. According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, multiple sources have indicated that the SF Giants are still pursuing Snell and Chapman, and one source described the odds of the Giants landing one of them as '50-50.'

    Who better to talk to about reigning Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell than Locked On Padres host Javier Reyes, who has watched all of Snell's starts over the past few seasons? Locked On Giants and Locked On Padres discuss Snell in detail, and why signing him would make a ton of sense for the Giants. And less sense for the Padres.

    Giants fans are hungry for a winner and Snell would give them one of the best rotations in baseball once Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb return from injuries. Meanwhile, the Padres have done the all-in thing and it hasn't worked, so taking a more measured approach—and waiting for a really good starting pitching free agent class next year—might make the most sense. For the SF Giants, however, the time is now to finally take a risk and push in their chips.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • One by one, the core of the greatest era in San Francisco Giants history is moving on. Brandon Crawford was the last man standing, but now his Giants tenure is all but officially over. Crawford is signing a major-league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, per multiple reports. The SF Giants were always extremely unlikely to re-sign Crawford after a couple of very disappointing seasons. He deserved more from the franchise than a minor league deal, but that's likely all they'd reasonably be willing to offer the franchise icon. The good news is that SF Giants fans will get at least one more chance to cheer for Crawford when the Cardinals come to Oracle Park this year. We at Locked On Giants wish Brandon Crawford nothing but the best as he continues his life and baseball journey.

    Speaking of deals for shortstops, the SF Giants signed Nick Ahmed to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training on what not-so-coincidentally was the same day Crawford agreed to terms with St. Louis. Ahmed, like Crawford, is known for his glove and not his bat (but Ahmed has historically been a worse hitter than Crawford). Ahmed, however, was able to be brought in on a minor league deal so it's a no-risk move that provides some veteran insurance in case Marco Luciano isn't able to seize the shortstop role. The signing doesn't preclude them from making a play for Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, or Jordan Montgomery.

    Switching gears, we learned that the Giants made a one-year, $14M offer to J.D. Martinez before they ultimately landed Jorge Soler for that same AAV over three years. There was initially a report that Martinez turned down the Giants because he simply "didn't want to play there," but other reporters set the record straight that Martinez was seeking $20M and the SF Giants considered that to be too pricey. The fact that the Giants' offer was exactly the same as Soler's in terms of 2024 salary further reinforces the notion that the Giants may be operating with a self-imposed salary cap of about $165M.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • The Athletic's Keith Law was on KNBR recently and he criticized the San Francisco Giants' apparent plan to start Marco Luciano at shortstop in 2024, going so far as to call the plan "reckless." Does Law have a point? Are the SF Giants setting Luciano up for failure? Or is Law perhaps not the ultimate authority on the matter? Memorably, Law wrote a piece not too long ago in which he re-drafted the class that yielded Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Christian Yelich, among others. The player Law said he would take first overall? Andrelton Simmons—a shocking decision. So ... maybe Law's words shouldn't always be taken as gospel. He also criticized the SF Giants ahead of the 2010 season, and we all know how that ended up: with the raising of a championship banner. Prospect analysis is a tricky game indeed.

    Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:

    If Luis Matos has a good spring, would you trade one of Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto and give Luis an everyday corner spot? Don’t understand the logic of starting him at Sac if he has a good spring but basically give Luciano SS without much competition.

    Do you think we really need Slater? He’s basically a one trick pony and was horrible the 2nd half of last year. Between Matos, Blake Sabol, Tyler Fitzgerald, Wade Meckler, and Ramos he’s taking up a valuable roster spot and is a FA next year. I just think Ramos deserves a fair shot.

    Any chance you can discuss the WAR for every teams 1st round pick from the 10 years and how the Hiants would've been better off having not signed a single first round pick in that span? Susan Slusser retweeted the chart I’m talking about.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • The San Francisco Giants need pitching. And not just some back-end starter type. The Giants should go out there and sign Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery (preferably Snell ... but more on that later). Right now, the SF Giants' projected starting rotation features Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Winn, and Tristan Beck. Outside of Webb, there's a ton of risk and inexperience in that group. The Giants really like they young pitching that they have, but they project to open the season with a rotation that's full of question marks.

    Complicating matters is the fact that the Giants will start the season with Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb on the injured list. If the SF Giants were to sign, say, Snell, then their rotation once Cobb and Ray are back would be something like: Webb, Snell, Cobb, Ray, Hicks. That would be one of the better rotations in baseball—all the more reason to do it—but note that there is no longer room for any of the young arms. The thing is, however, that injuries and under-performance always happen and the Giant shouldn't not sign Snell or Montgomery because it would squeeze out younger players in the second half.

    Switching gears, J.D. Davis' comments on the Matt Chapman-to-the-Giants rumors are discussed. His comments are courtesy of Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle, and they're very interesting. Davis takes the whole thing in stride, and even suggests that Chapman would be a good shortstop option in order to take some pressure off of the young Marco Luciano. Davis then says that next year, Chapman could slide back over to third and Luciano could play short if he proves to be a capable major league hitter and shortstop in 2024.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

    Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

    On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

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  • Yesterday, the San Francisco Giants' and San Diego Padres' most unpopular players in recent memory were discussed. Turns out, there were too many to fit into just one episode. Locked On Giants and Locked On Padres continue to point out the players who were not embraced by fans since they started hosting their respective shows in Part II of the "Love to Hate" series.

    Numerous recent Giants certainly fall into that category. Even in 2021, when the SF Giants won 107 games, Tommy La Stella was disliked for his poor performance on the field, frequent injuries, and generally unathletic nature. In the last couple of years, after the Giants DFA'd La Stella with a year left on his contract, players like Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, and Anthony DeSclafani have been the target of fan frustration. Joc Pederson might even qualify now that he left the Giants and liked a negative instagram comment about San Francisco on his way out the door.

    On the Padres side, there's one clear and obvious winner who stands far above the rest. Eric Hosmer is host Javier Reyes' greatest nemesis. So much so that Hosmer has actually blocked the Locked On Padres twitter account. Hosmer's strong reputation is contrasted against the experience of actually watching him play on a daily basis and looking at the numbers that show he might be one of the most overrated players ever.

    Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

    Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

    On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

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  • Locked On Giants is normally all about the data, with of course a heavy dose of passion mixed in. But on today's episode, things switch gears in a dramatic way. Javier Reyes of Locked On Padres joins the show and each host describes the players on his respective team that fans have disliked the most in recent seasons.

    From the San Francisco Giants' side of things, players like Mark Melancon, Tommy La Stella, a couple of hot-headed relievers, and many others are discussed at length. Explored are the reasons why fans dislike them.

    For the Padres, there are some names that might surprise SF Giants fans, including Eric Hosmer, who somehow has a reputation in the game for being a really good player, even though he was just awful for San Diego. Locked On Giant host Ben Kaspick goes so far as to call Hosmer the most overrated player in baseball in the last three decades.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

    Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

    On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

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  • The San Francisco Giants officially added Jorge Soler over the weekend, but does it mean they're done spending money? Farhan Zaidi met with the media and said something that could be interpreted two different ways. On its face, he said that the Giants making more significant additions was "unlikely" due to where we are in the calendar. On the other hand, Zaidi said, "Anybody who’s a free agent, we’ve theoretically had three and a half months to figure out a deal and if it hasn’t happened yet, at some point organizationally, you just need to turn the page and focus on the players you have" (courtesy of The S.F. Chronicle). That comment could suggest that the SF Giants have simply been unwilling to meet Scott Boras' high asking prices.

    Notoriously, Boras has four of the top free agents from this class who are still unsigned: Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger, and Jordan Montgomery. It's not clear whether or not the Giants are done spending, but their current projected payroll of about $164M is right in line with where it's been every year over the last five years, except for 2023 when it was about $30 million higher. That catch? Last year, every team received $30 million from MLB due to its $900 million sale of BAMTech to Disney. So the Giants may in fact be operating under a self-imposed cap of about $165 million.

    Switching gears, Pablo Sandoval—yes, the Panda himself—is in major league camp as a non-roster invitee. It's a completely risk-free move and not a publicity stunt. Sandoval wants to play in the big leagues again, and he is in really good shape and has been playing professionally in Dubai and Mexico in recent years. Sandoval expressed a willing to go to the minor leagues and a desire to mentor young players such as Marco Luciano and fellow Venezuelan Luis Matos.

    Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

    Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

    On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

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  • The San Francisco Giants have had a busy and productive offseason, even if the focus is on who they did not sign, and that those top two targets—Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto—ended up on the Dodgers. The SF Giants have signed Jung Hoo Lee, Jordan Hicks, Jorge Soler (pending a physical which takes place today, per Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle), and Tom Murphy. They've traded for Robbie Ray, who's rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and traded away underperforming players such as Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani, and Ross Stripling.

    Yet despite all this business and productivity, it's hard to shake the feeling that the Giants are one big piece or two away from being legitimate contenders. Luckily, however, it's February 16th and there are still four top free agents on the market. And there's no reason to believe the Giants are done just yet, unless they come out and say something to that effect once their deal with Soler is finalized.

    Pairing Blake Snell at the top of the rotation with Logan Webb is so tantalizing. The duo finished first and second, respectively, in NL Cy Young voting this past season. Adding a Matt Chapman to solidify third base is also intriguing. Both Snell and Chapman have played for new Giants manager Bob Melvin and seem like obvious fits. In other news, the SF Giants' (non-related) trade acquisition of Otto Lopez is discussed.

    Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

    Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

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  • The Giants last won a postseason series in 2016. And it wasn't really even a series; it was a single-elimination wild card game. San Francisco Giants fans are restless and tired of waiting for a winner. That's why it doesn't make sense for the SF Giants to sit out this remaining free agent class in order to wait for next year's class, even though it's a deeper group with some really big name players mixed in (Juan Soto, anyone?). But as we've seen time and time again, there's also zero guarantee of signing a player even if you pull out all of the stops to do so.

    Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:

    What's a realistic benchmark for a positive season for the Giants as currently constructed?

    What, if anything, gives you confidence in this front office's ability to win?

    Are the SF Giants a .500 team? If they were to sign some of the top remaining free agents, such as Blake Snell and Matt Chapman, how many wins would that add to the team?

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

    Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

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  • Jorge Soler is a member of the San Francisco Giants. Er, not officially. The SF Giants' deal with Jorge Soler, which was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, is for three years and $42 million and pending a physical. Those last few words are scary for Giants fans, but all deals are contingent on passed physicals and no one should expect a repeat of the Carlos Correa situation.

    Soler brings huge power to the Giants. He led MLB in home runs in 2019 with 48. Soler added 36 more last season. The SF Giants haven't had a player hit 30 or more home runs in a season since Barry Bonds in 2004. Jorge Soler, with three seasons to play with, has a good chance of finally breaking that streak. The Giants won't be platooning Soler, for those wondering. And it's not just because Gabe Kapler is out and Bob Melvin is in.

    Jorge Soler won't be platooned because he's good against both lefties and righties. Since 2019, his isolated power is insanely high against lefties—over .300—and he sports a very high on-base percentage against them as well. He's not as prolific against righties, but has still produced at a level about 10% above the MLB average against them in the last five seasons.

    On top of all the numbers, Soler adds a ton of personality and flare to what has been a dull SF Giants team in recent years. His arrival doesn't have a huge immediate impact on the Giants' roster, but if the San Francisco Giants continue to add, which they ought to do—at least providing some insurance for Marco Luciano at shortstop—they may need to make a trade or two to clear space.

    Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

    Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

    On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

    #SFGiants #FirstListen

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  • Jorge Soler would make the San Francisco Giants' lineup better. But at what point does the asking price become too much? For Soler, it's probably not about average annual value. He should get ≥ $12 million a year and ≤ $18 million. So there's not a huge range there, and if the Giants are truly interested, they can likely agree on that front. However, as MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports, teams, including the SF Giants, are balking at Soler's desire for a third guaranteed year. Given Jorge Soler turns 32 on Feb. 25, it's not too surprising that the Giants and other teams are hesitant to hand out that guaranteed third year, and with Spring Training report week finally here, there's pressure on Soler and other free agents to make a decision soon.

    It's worth pointing out that ESPN, MLB Trade Rumors, and FanGraphs all predicted that Soler would land a three-year deal worth somewhere between $37.5 million and $45 million. However, the FanGraphs readers, with their crowdsourced submissions, had an average contract prediction of around 2.5 years, which sort of exemplifies where we stand now. The SF Giants love their club options, so something like 2/$33 million with a third-year team option could perhaps get a deal done.

    In other news, the Giants signed hard-throwing lefty Amir Garrett to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Garrett will ear $1.35 million if he makes the major league team. Left handed relief is something of a soft spot on the SF Giants' 40-man roster, and the erratic Garrett will enter camp firmly in the midst of the competition to join Taylor Rogers as another lefty in the major league 'pen.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • ZiPS' median projection for the San Francisco Giants is 82 wins. While not exactly exciting—or really at all exciting—an 82-win projection puts the Giants right in the thick of the NL playoff picture. The Braves and Dodgers stand alone at the top, each projected to win 92+ games. Then there are ten(!) teams projected to win between 79-85 games. At 82, the SF Giants' projection starts to look like they have a pretty decent shot at the postseason. But each additional win would mean so much, so the Giants must continue to add. Even as Spring Training is less than a week away, four $100M+ players remain available to sign in free agency, not to mention the trade market which features fits like Willy Adames.

    Switching gears, ESPN's Top 100 Prospects list is analyzed. Marco Luciano gets one of the rosier scouting reports we've seen among the Top 100 lists looked at so far this offseason, with Kiley McDaniel saying that scouts believed Luciano has improved enough defensively to be adequate at short. That flies in the face of so many reports we've read about him absolutely not being a shortstop. McDaniel also says Luciano has the potential to be a star shortstop capable of hitting 30 homers.

    Likewise, Kyle Harrison gets a nice ranking that includes a prediction that he'll throw 100-150 innings in the majors this year with flashes of brilliance at the very least, but the potential to come out of the gates hot and put together a Rookie of the Year campaign. Also appearing on ESPN's list: LHP Carson Whisenhunt and OF/1B/P Bryce Eldridge, the SF Giants' first-round pick in 2023. In other news, J.D. Davis defeating the Giants in arbitration is also discussed.

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • Logan Webb is a top-10 pitcher in major league baseball. The San Francisco Giants are lucky to have him anchoring their rotation for years to come. But beyond Webb, the Giants' current projected rotation is extremely inexperienced. The most experienced of the bunch, Jordan Hicks, has very little experience as a starting pitcher! The rest of the SF Giants' projected starters are young players looking to make their name in the game. Do the Giants need to add pitching after Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, and Anthony DeSclafani have all found new homes?

    Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:

    Given how the Giants were reportedly aggressively involved in the Corbin Burnes trade market, doesn't that alone suggest they are still searching for a top of the rotation arm to complement Logan Webb to start the 2024 season?

    Is it possible to get Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman? Or is it one of them and another starter?

    Is it realistic to think the Giants will land both Soler and Chapman? Or is it a situation of just one?

    Is Luis Matos going to be a starter on Opening Day?

    Do you enjoy the SF Giants' brand of baseball?

    Are you happy with the direction of this team?

    Do you think this ownership is committed to winning - as in, is it a priority?

    What grade do you give the Giants for this offseason?

    What stat do you value most when evaluating pitchers?

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    The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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  • If the San Francisco Giants had the chance, should they trade Keaton Winn straight up for Willy Adames? They absolutely should, even though Winn has a bright and exciting future. The Giants could really use a true shortstop, and who better than a talented hitter and elite defender who's only 28? Adames fits the SF Giants extremely well, and the Giants have a surplus of young pitching. It might take more than that to land Adames, but he's a player the Giants should definitely be targeting.

    Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:

    Why are so many people asking for Adames instead of FINALLY seeing what we have in Marco Luciano?

    Thoughts on Joc Pederson liking that post about the city?

    Now that Joc's gone who has the most swagger on the team?

    What are a few examples of ways the front office has integrated differing viewpoints into their decision-making processes, compared to last season?

    Are you proud of the Giants organization? Are you proud to be a Giants fan right now, or were you proud to be a Giants fan back when the organization was run differently (Bochy Era), and just hopeful that it will get back to something to be proud of?

    Do you think a couple of signings/moves are imminent after they can add Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray to the 60-day IL on 2/14?

    If you were Farhan Zaidi would you rather pay 6/$180M for Blake Snell or trade for Jesus Luzardo in a prospect package costing at least Carson Whisenhunt or possibly Marco Luciano as the top player back to Miami?

    Ok real question, do you think the 107-win season was actually the worst thing that happened for the SF Giants' long-term strategy, soft rebuild (reset?), Zaidi & Gabe Kapler game plan?

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