The San Francisco Giants were a busy team in the offseason as one of the organizations seriously considering signing Aaron Judge. Reporter Jon Heyman even declared that Judge was headed to the Bay Area before he jumped the gun too quickly and he decided to return to the Bronx. It did not stop there as Carlos Correa agreed to a 13-year contract with San Francisco, but it did not push through because Correa failed his physical with the Giants.
The rumored reason the Giants and New York Mets decided to back off from Correa is due to possible arthritis at the latter part of his career. By missing the chance on both Judge and Correa, the Giants focused on adding ancillary pieces like Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, and Taylor Rodgers. With all the NL West squads bolstering their roster, it will be another tough campaign for San Francisco.
Even with this scenario, a couple of predictions will occur in the 2023 season of the Giants.
Pitching becomes Giants' No. 1 asset
When San Francisco won their previous World Series Crowns, their primary asset was their pitching. The organization is known to grind it out with the best of them and steal it. Last season that turned out to be a massive problem because their bullpen lost steam in the end. Thus, President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi decided to impart strength in numbers approach with the numerous starting pitchers they signed in the offseason.
Kevin Gausman and Carlos Rodon decided to leave the Bay Area the past two seasons, so the talent in their rotation could be better. Ross Stripling and Sean Manea were two veteran starters who were added to the fold even if they had several holdovers already, like Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, and Alex Wood. With a deep starting rotation, it will be a fantastic showing by numerous players and shock many MLB pundits.
San Francisco lands a big name before the trade deadline
San Francisco is one organization that can afford the asking price of numerous teams for a big name. A couple of seasons ago, they pounced on the opportunity to add Kris Bryant, which propelled them to a 107-win season. Entering Spring Training, the Giants have a slew of skillful individuals, but they lack the franchise cornerstone necessary for any team that wants to compete in the postseason.
Bryan Reynolds, Sean Murphy, and the biggest name on the market Shohei Ohtani are some players who could be available by the trade deadline in August 2023. Even if the hole in the Giants' offense is at first base and behind the plate, they are fearless in taking a chance and squeaking through a Wildcard spot in the National League.
Mitch Haniger turns into an All-Star caliber outfielder
Missing out on both Carlos Correa and Aaron Judge means they missed receiving an A+ grade for their off-season moves. Adding Mitch Haniger and another corner outfielder Michael Conforto puts them above average. Injuries have been the primary concern during Haniger's career, as he only played 57 games last season.
As he is healthy entering 2023, he expects to hit in the middle of the lineup with Conforto and Joc Pederson. He will have many opportunities with runners in scoring positions and has proven to excel at that spot. In two of his best seasons in 2018 and 2020, Haniger tallied 93 and 100 RBI, respectively. Furthermore, he was an All-Star in 2018, so the Giants know they executed a buy-low deal for a talented outfielder.
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