The San Francisco Giants crashed back down in the standings a year after the team won a franchise-record 107 games. After an 81-win campaign in 2022, the Giants were expected to be one of the league’s most active teams this offseason. San Francisco was indeed busy this winter, but a number of whiffs are the highlights in what was a rather interesting offseason for the Giants.
Related: 2022-23 MLB Offseason Recap: Tampa Bay Rays
Notable Additions
- OF Michael Conforto
- OF Mitch Haniger
- RHP Luke Jackson
- LHP Sean Manaea
- LHP Taylor Rogers
- RHP Ross Stripling
San Francisco beefed up its lineup this offseason, as the Giants inked a pair of corner outfielders for 2023. Michael Conforto, who missed all of 2022 due to a shoulder injury, will join the Giants after spending his entire career with the New York Mets. San Francisco also signed power-hitting outfielder Mitch Haniger to a multi-year deal. Haniger missed a good chunk of 2022, a season after the 32-year-old cracked a career-high 39 home runs for Seattle.
The Giants also grabbed several pitchers off the market, highlighted by Ross Stripling and Taylor Rogers. Stripling heads back to the NL West after a solid stint with the Toronto Blue Jays. Former All-Star reliever Taylor Rogers will also head to the Bay Area, joining twin brother Tyler Rogers in the Giants bullpen.
While San Francisco did pick up a number of solid players, the focus of this offseason was regarding who the Giants did not sign this winter. San Francisco reportedly made a massive overture of superstar Aaron Judge, but the California native opted to stick in The Bronx. Shortly thereafter, San Francisco agreed to a massive deal with star infielder Carlos Correa. That deal, though, fell through to a failed physical.
Notable Subtractions
- 1B Brandon Belt
- LHP Jarlín García
- 2B Tommy La Stella
- 3B Evan Longoria
- RHP Shelby Miller
- LHP Carlos Rodón
San Francisco’s winter started off well, as the Giants were able to keep outfielder Joc Pederson for 2023 after he accepted his qualifying offer. Even though Pederson will stay for 2023, a number of notable names will not be back come next season.
The Giants lost relievers Jarlín García (Pirates) and Shelby Miller (Dodgers) to free agency, as well as longtime infielder Brandon Belt. The smooth-swinging infielder was a key piece of the Giants lineup for the past decade, but will now call Toronto home for 2023.
The most notable loss of the offseason was the departure of star left-hander Carlos Rodón. Rodón — who ranked as the eighth-best starting pitcher in MLB entering 2023 — recorded a phenomenal season in the Bay Area. In his lone campaign with the Giants, Rodón finished third in the league in total strikeouts (237). The former Giants ace signed a multi-year deal with the Yankees in December.
A Recap
There are a couple of silver linings for the Giants after an interesting offseason. For one, the Giants did two outfielders that can pounce on mistakes in the zone. Plus, San Francisco did make its pitching staff deeper thanks to a number of smart and relatively low-risk moves.
On the other hand, it’s hard to call this offseason a win when the Giants could have added one of the game’s best shortstops to its core. While the length of Correa’s deal with the Giants was concerning, the 28-year-old would have been a very nice add for a Giants offense that ranked in the middle of the league last season.
With the Dodgers and the Padres two favorites to win the 2023 NL pennant, it will be an uphill climb for the Giants this season.