The San Francisco Giants started the offseason with high hopes of signing either Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto to have a franchise cornerstone who could lead their core. That vision did not turn out as expected, but Giants president Farhan Zaidi has executed numerous alternative plans by first signing guys like Jung Hoo Lee, Jordan Hicks, and Tom Murphy before acquiring Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman in the past week to boost the lineup.
Despite the issues in their starting rotation and some players being blindsided with the offseason strategy, the future is bright in the Bay Area. Here are some Giants bold predictions as spring training continues and we get closer to the start of the 2024 season.
Jorge Soler hits at least 35 homers
Jorge Soler is coming off a monster 2023 campaign with the Miami Marlins, so it is evident that he deserves every penny of his $42 million contract. The spectacular power Soler possesses is the main asset he will bring to the Giants organization, which makes his strengths more vital if they intend to sneak into a Wild Card spot in the National League.
Soler will likely bat cleanup for San Francisco, which is the perfect spot to elevate his home run numbers. There is a high possibility that guys like Lee, Thairo Estrada, and LaMonte Wade Jr. will get on base a multitude of times per game, so it opens up more opportunities for Soler to showcase his power. The Giants are one of the squads that rack up hits and leave a ton of men on base, but with Soler on board, those scenarios will hopefully decrease.
Matt Chapman hits at least 28 homers and wins another Gold Glove
Another big-time signing in the past week was Matt Chapman. With Bob Melvin as San Francisco's new manager, it was obvious that the organization would pursue Chapman because of the great familiarity and tremendous success they had together with the Oakland Athletics. Defense is the best skill he will utilize with the Giants as he will replace J.D. Davis as the starting third baseman.
As a four-time Gold Glove winner, Chapman will be an incredible option in the hot corner as the Giants are known to excel on the defensive side of the field. Moreover, Chapman is also in the perfect spot to bat fifth or sixth in San Francisco, either batting before or after Michael Conforto. While Chapman's power dipped a bit last season with the Toronto Blue Jays, he will now hope to regain his form and come close to bashing 30 home runs.
Giants sign Blake Snell to short-term contract
The biggest name left on the market is lefty ace Blake Snell. It's tough to fathom Snell still being available, but agent Scott Boras has been seeking a hefty deal that nobody has been willing to pay yet.
The Giants can likely move Davis and Wilmer Flores as expendable pieces to shed salary and open up an opportunity to bolster their starting rotation by signing Snell. The rationale for this is they need someone like Snell to supplement Logan Webb in the top rotation because of injuries to Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb. San Francisco is currently viewed as one of the likeliest Snell destinations.
The Giants are unlikely to eclipse 90 victories in 2024, but their underrated moves may make them a dark horse in the National League.
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