Carlos Rodón is a slam-dunk qualifying offer candidate for the San Francisco Giants. Rodón will decline his $22.5M option, then the SF Giants will give him the one-year, $19.65M QO, which he'll also reject (since it's worth less than the option he'll already have declined). But what about a far more borderline case: Joc Pederson? Pederson's value, according to what teams spend per Win Above Replacement in free agency, was roughly $15M to $16M in 2022. On first glance, $19.65M being so close to those numbers makes it seem like the Giants might give the offer to Pederson. But they almost certainly will not.
The reason? It seems highly unlikely that the Giants will lock themselves into nearly $20M, early in the offseason, to a defensively challenged platoon player, even though they may ultimately want him back and his production may be worth roughly that price. The SF Giants must improve dramatically this offseason, and locking up so much cash into a lateral move that doesn't improve the defense seems like it would be a huge risk. Pederson would likely accept the Giants' qualifying offer if they gave it to him, which could be viewed as a positive in some respects.
The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies advancing to the NLCS proves the point host Ben Kaspick made when Juan Soto was acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline: the Giants don't need to concern themselves so much with what the other teams in their division are doing. The Phillies finished in third place, with 87 wins, behind two teams that won 101 games (the Mets and Braves). Both of those teams are eliminated, and the Phillies are the last team standing from the NL East. Clearly, having two powerhouses in your division doesn't mean you're necessarily doomed.
Lastly, we learned over the weekend that Bruce Bochy interviewed for the Rangers' managerial opening. What would it mean for SF Giants fans to see Bochy managing another team after he "retired" a few short years ago? It would certainly be tough to see, but Gabe Kapler has brought a lot of positive change to this organization, specifically with his cutting-edge coaching staff that has helped players improve and fostered a culture of perpetual development at the major league level.
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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 Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick
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