This past offseason for Major League Baseball saw some major moves that changed the landscape of the league for 2024. Some of the biggest moves included the Los Angeles Dodgers signing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to multi-year mega deals, while the New York Yankees acquired slugging outfielder Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. But one of the teams who improved the most was the San Francisco Giants, who through a series of trades and savvy free agent signings re-established themselves a team to watch in the National League playoff race.
Since winning 107 games in 2021, San Francisco has struggled over the past two seasons, going 81-81 in 2022 and 79-83 this past season. They also failed to land desperately-needed star talent during the 2022 offseason, most notably their failed pursuit of Aaron Judge and their deal with Carlos Correa that fell apart due= to injury concerns. The team needed to make a splash this offseason, and while they didn’t land Ohtani, the team brought in talent at reasonable prices to bolster their roster and give them recognizable names as well.
On the offensive side, their splashiest move was signing Korean outfielder Jung-hoo Lee to a six year, $113 million contract. In six seasons in the KBO League in South Korea, Lee posted a sparkling .340 batting average with a .898 OPS, as well as driving in 515 runs. It was a high-risk move by San Francisco, as many South Korean players have struggled to find success in MLB. Lee’s success will be critical for the Giants this season, as he will start the season as their lead-off hitter. In a small sample size in spring training, Lee batted .343 with a .911 OPS and five RBI’s in 35 plate appearances. Though these dazzling numbers came from limited at-bats, he’s already showing his potential to become one of the top contact hitters in the league.
But San Francisco wasn’t done on adding offense. The team made a move to add a much needed power-bat to their line up by signing designated hitter Jorge Soler to a three year, $42 million deal. Soler had a fantastic year with the Miami Marlins last year, crushing 36 home runs and making his first All-Star game appearance. Soler, 32, was one of the top hitters on the free agent market, and his power hitting will be the focal point for San Francisco’s offense. They also brought in third baseman Matt Chapman on a three year deal with opt-outs after each of the first two years. Though wildly inconsistent and prone to cold stretches at the plate, he’s one of the best defensemen at the hot corner in the league. To get a four-time Gold Glove Award winner for what’s essentially a one year, $18 million deal is a steal for the Giants, who greatly needed an infield, defensive presence like Chapman.
In addition to their offensive additions, they made some great, underrated pickups for their pitching staff. In January, San Francisco traded for Robbie Ray from the Seattle Mariners. Ray, who won the 2021 American League Cy Young Award, struggled in Seattle before having season-ending Tommy John Surgery last May after only making one start. Now, Ray gets a fresh start in the Bay Area when he returns sometime around midseason. If he can return to his 2021 form, or even close to that, the trade can pay dividends for the Giants. Another underrated signing the team made was bringing in Jordan Hicks on a four year, $44 million deal. Hicks, who started last season with the St. Louis Cardinals before being sent to the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline, has primarily been a relief pitcher in the major leagues, but San Francisco intends to use him in their starting rotation. This is a win-win move for the team, as even if he struggles as a starter, he could switch back to his main role of being a top-end bullpen arm. He also impressed in spring training, posting a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings pitched. Again, this is a small sample size, but the results are promising for Hicks as a starter.
But the big pitching move the team made this offseason was bringing in NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell on a 2 year, $62 million contract. Similar to Chapman, Snell can opt-out of his deal after one year. Snell, a two time Cy Young Award winner, comes in to create a great one-two punch with ace pitcher Logan Webb, who finished second in NL Cy Young voting to Snell last year. Though Snell is criticized for allowing too many walks and throwing too many pitches, he can become a strikeout master when he wants to and has some of the best pitching tools in the game today. The combination of Webb and Snell is going to be intimidating for opposing offenses, and the addition of a rejuvenated Ray could make this a three-headed beast that would challenge Seattle as the best in the league.
With their additions this offseason, San Francisco finds themselves squarely in the hunt to capture one of the six playoff spots in the National League. Getting through their division is going to be their biggest challenge, as the juggernaut Dodgers are overwhelmingly favored to win the NL West, while the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres are also chomping at the bit to get back to playoffs after making offseason splashes of their own. If the Giants find themselves in the postseason, it will likely be as a wild card team, barring a historic collapse in Los Angeles. Between the NL West teams, plus squads like the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets, it’s going to be an absolute dogfight to get the three wild card spots available. But San Francisco should feel as confident as anybody in their chances after the offseason they had. Their pitching has the potential to be one of the top units in baseball, while their offense is primed to take a step forward. San Francisco established this offseason that they are not a team that should be taken lightly and they’re ready to duke it out with anyone to play October baseball.
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